Our Food Philosophy

The Deer Park is run for us by David Stretton, who also holds regular courses in Deer stalking.

We supply just one local farm shop. All the rest of the venison is used on the Hotel menu, mainly at Weddings. Sausages are made for us by a local butcher, using only our own meat, but all the other venison is processed in our own facilities, and burgers are made at the Hotel. The smoked venison is also our own, and, like the sausage and haunches, can be bought from Hotel Reception.

Lodge Farm is tenanted by a local family, who have their own butchering facilities.

All the topsides of beef from the farm herd are used at our Hotel weddings.

The rest of the beef is used to supply pies to local farm shops and farmers Markets.

Steaks for the Hotel menu are locally sourced and hung for three weeks.

Pheasants from the Estate shoot are also on the Hotel winter menu.

We usually have own chickens (except when occasionally the fox defeats us), so eggs are all free range, topped up by a local farmer in Breedon on the Hill.

Chicken meat is bought from a local supplier in Ashby de la Zouch.

Pigs for the Hog Roasts all come from Derbyshire. We have often discussed having our own, but the available land is needed for forestry, and pigs and plantations do not mix!

We don’t grow our own vegetables, because Melbourne has an abundance of growers, and is famous for its vegetable crops. What we can’t get locally is sourced by a local roundsman, who makes a daily visit to the market. We do grow our own rhubarb for the dessert menu.

Hard Cheese is mainly bought from local farms in the round, except the Stilton, which we collect from Webster’s of Saxelbye. Soft cheeses are not made locally, so we buy English or Welsh Brie, Camembert & Goats Cheese.

We also collect wine from Eglantine, our local vineyard, who make the Mead we use in banquets. Some of their wine is on the Hotel list, too. Bread comes from the family baker Smithard’s in Ashby de la Zouch.

So, we do try to support local suppliers. Of course, other goods are delivered by larger companies. But, where there is a choice, we plan to buy fresh and local.