NEW landlords have taken over the reins at the historic Hare & Hounds, Bowland Bridge, set in the heart of the Lake District.

The much-loved pub with rooms was taken over by local restaurateurs Geoff Perrygrove and Ben Ashworth, just over a month ago. The pair who already run the Boathouse Bar & Restaurant in Bowness, have ambitious plans for the former 17th century coaching inn.

Working with general manager Dan Perkin, they have already hit the ground running creating a totally new menu using only the finest fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.

To start with diners can tuck into a selection of nibbles and starters, including sticky baby back ribs in homemade BBQ sauce or steamed mussels in a cream and white wine sauce with garlic, chorizo and freshly made sourdough bread.

There’s also a selection of sharing boards, the perfect thing to enjoy as a starter or a main course, including the Hare & Hounds Butcher’s Board and Sea Board.

Main courses include maple cured roast ham, served with duck egg and hand cut chips, Cartmel Valley burger of the day served with all the trimmings, pan fried hake, served with sauté potatoes, crushed minted garden peas or there’s beetroot and red wine risotto, with grilled goats’ cheese and charred spring onions.

Younger diners will not miss out either they can enjoy a selection of smaller dishes from the main menu as well as several old favourites, including classic Mac ‘n’ Cheese and the Hare & Hounds beef burger.

Geoff Perrygrove said: ‘’The Hare & Hounds has a lot of potential, it’s in a great location, being close to Kendal, Ulverston and Bowness.

"There’s a great outside space with epic views over the valley, there are five newly refurbished ensuite guest bedrooms with walk in showers and roll top baths and there’s an amazing dining area with heaps of character and bar with an open fire.

"We saw the potential and just wanted to get in and get cracking, we will be working hard with our team in the next few months to give the Hare & Hounds a new lease of life and we look forward to welcoming guest old and new.’’

Sunday’s at the Hare & Hound’s are all about roast dinner locally reared beef, pork or lamb are served with duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables with homemade Yorkshire’s and gravy.

Lunch is served between 12pm and 2pm Monday to Saturday, and dinner is served until 9pm Monday to Saturday. On Sunday's food is served all day between 12pm and 8.30pm.

Ben Ashworth said: "I’ve got years of experience creating award winning seasonal menus in some of the Lake District’s top eateries.

"We’ve had huge success with the Boat House Bar & Restaurant over the last five years.

"As a result Geoff and I have been looking for another venue for a while.

"We wanted to be able to offer seasonal, tasty, well-cooked food in a traditional Lakeland pub, so it’s taken us a bit to find the perfect spot.

"We are really excited about the Hare & Hounds, it gives us the chance to bring our food style to a different audience and hopefully we can add something a little different to Cumbria’s pub scene along the way as we.’’