Our resident chefs...

Dale Blacow

Dale Blacow

Dale Blacow is Executive Chef of Lucy’s of Ambleside and LucyCooks. His training commenced at Kendal College in the late 80s. Following a period of agency work which took him all over the British Isles (from the Channel Islands to Scotland, and Northern Ireland to Wales), we were very pleased to welcome him home to the Lakes in 2002. Since June of that same year he enthusiastically fulfilled the role of hard working Head Chef for Lucy’s on a Plate, before quickly progressing to Executive Chef for Lucy’s Specialist Grocers, Lucy’s on a Plate, Lucy4 and Lucy’s Inside Out.

In his spare time Dale can be found… fishing for his supper.

Diane Dodds

Diane Dodds

Originally from Coventry, Diane has traveled around the country and worldwide, working her way up in hotels and restaurants to become a Pastry Chef. After 6 years at the award winning Drunken Duck Inn, Diane decided to have a slight career change and alongside her time at LucyCooks is now back at college enjoying a teacher training course, passing on her sweet knowledge and experience to the next generation of chefs.

Guest chefs...

Nick Martin

Nick Martin

Originally from Liverpool, Nick came to Cumbria in the early 1980s and never went home! He has more than 25 years experience as a chef working in Lake District hotels and now concentrates on his cookery demonstrations. One of Cumbria’s brightest up and coming chefs, he’s a regular at food events around the county and is well known for his lively and entertaining demonstrations.

Aidan Monks

Aidan Monks

Aidan is the proprietor of Munx Lakeland Bakery, the top artisan breadmaker in the north west, winners of North West Fine Food’s best bread awards in 2006 & 2007 and suppliers of many local businesses, including Lucy’s (of course), Lakeland First Floor Cafe, Selfridges, The Lowry, Harvey Nichols and many more besides. Aidan’s grandfather was a local Ambleside baker – so it is in his genes! In his spare time Aidan can be found… careering up and down the fells on his mountain bike.

Lisa Smith

From a career spanning product design, art psychotherapy and teaching Lisa has always had a creative instinct and the desire to communicate. After relocating to the Lake District with her family she was able to apply her creativity when she joined the Lucy’s team and set up the successful gluten free kitchen, creating and experimenting to produce fantastic cakes and bakes. From this Lisa was inspired to set up her own business “Ginger Bakers” in 2006, producing fabulous cakes for prominent local retailers. Lisa has been pleased to maintain her association with Lucy’s, teaching at Lucy Cooks from it’s launch and continuing to produce stunning wedding and celebration cakes.

Brian Mellor

Brian Mellor

Brian Mellor is a Master Chef of Great Britain, has appeared on many TV programmes and cares passionately about specialist food producers in the North West. He has been involved in almost everything to do with regional food, from cooking for celebrities, royalty and Prime Ministers to running many kitchens and overseeing dozens of chefs. He loves food, and says he “just can't stop cooking!”

Annette Gibbons

Annette Gibbons

Annette Gibbons, Cumbria’s Woman of the Year is a TV personality, writer and local food champion. Annette combines her love of Cumbria and all things culinary running ‘Cumbria on a Plate’ food safaris around the county. Annette celebrates the very best of Cumbrian food in her second book “Home Grown in Cumbria” and explores traditional methods of food production combined with sumptuous recipes for all to make at home. In her spare time, Annette can be found tending her own organic kitchen garden.

Leigh Myers

Leigh started cooking at the age of 7 but it was when he was offered an apprenticeship at Paul Heathcote's School of Excellence, now in Manchester, at the age of 15 that he decided to go for a career as a chef (and put dreams of being a professional golfer to one side). Now executive chef at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel in Chester, the 27-year-old feels his decision to forgo the country's fairways for different kinds of greens was the right one. Leigh gained a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and an Egon Ronay accolade during an 18 months spell at Longridge Restaurant, before decamping to the Wordsworth Hotel in Grasmere, Cumbria, in the summer of 2005. He has been in his current position at the Grosvenor Pulford since April of this year.