Wild Boar is the perfect rural getaway

A modest three-star inn tucked away in a peaceful corner of Windermere, my visit had me wondering why such a quaint, friendly hotel hadn’t acquired an extra star. I would certainly have given it one.

Living in inner city Birmingham, I was so excited to get away to the Lake District for a bit of peace and relaxation. And the Wild Boar was just the epitome of what we were after. Our room was called The Large White – all the rooms were cleverly named after pigs or boars – and was vintage luxury with floating curtains, a little stone balcony, a glamorous-chic double bed, and the most incredibly deep metal bath. The bar serves beer made in-house, and boasts a delicious selection which we sampled outside the front of the hotel, on a little stone terrace by the road. We also took a trip up to try our hand at clay-pigeon shooting with expert Michael Coates who runs the activity just a short walk up the bluebell path from the hotel.

An afternoon of clay-pigeon sport left us famished, so we headed to the Wild Boar’s own Grill and Smokehouse for dinner.

We already knew we’d be having steak but first, we just thought we’d have a glimpse at the starters.

I adore smoked salmon and order it any chance I can, so opted for the Wild Boar’s own house-cured and smoked Loch Duart salmon with gem leaves, pomegranate seeds, dill and smoked salmon pâté, lemon, tzatziki dressing and thinly sliced toasted nash bagel. Heaven on a plate.

David, my other half, isn’t a fan of fish, so chose the Wild Boar Scotch egg, served with secret recipe brown sauce. I managed to steal a bit, and it tasted deliciously homemade – warm and comforting.

As our mains arrived we were a little too excited about the steak – and were far from disappointed.

Unable to decide between smoked Wild Boar haunch steak and smoked fillet we opted for both which we then shared, alongside sweet potato wedges and triple cooked steak chips.

I’ve had a few steaks in my time, but this one was right up there in the top three. The smokiness just gave it the most delicious flavour, with the tender cuts of meat almost immediately melting in the mouth. We barely had room but dessert was a must. We opted for sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream, and an incredible profiterole tower filled with orange cream.

The Wild Boar is at Crook Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 3NF. Visit www.englishlakes.co.uk or call 0333 2203 108 for bookings or 01539 445225 for general inquiries.