Drunken DuckInn

Steph Barton and business partner Paul Spencer have run the Drunken Duck Inn on the fellside between Ambleside and Hawkshead since the 1970s, alongside Barton's son Tom. The inn set up its own Barngates Brewery in 1997 to supply its own bar, later expanding to a purpose-built plant that now sends beer to more than 150 outlets across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire. Eleven bedrooms sit above the pub and around the courtyard next to the brewhouse, decorated with a mix of vintage and contemporary furnishings. The kitchen sources from local farms and the surrounding fells for a seasonal menu, served alongside the inn's own cask ales.