Dutton Cuisine has added The Lighthouse to its extensive portfolio across Cumbria with the support of a £1.4 million funding package from NatWest.
Built in 1877, The Lighthouse is a prominent café/restaurant in the centre of Windermere village. It started life as an independent chemist and was later bought by Boots, who remained in the building until 1990.
Following a significant refurbishment in 2002 the building re-opened as a three-floor restaurant named The Lighthouse.
Dutton Cuisine currently operates two other food establishments in the region including The Pig in Windermere and the Bowness-based Village Bar & Grill.
“The Lighthouse is an iconic feature of Windermere’s high street and acts as a focal point to the town,” says Ian Dutton, founder of Dutton Cuisine. “We’re pleased to be able to continue the legacy of such a historic building and safeguard jobs.
“We will be completely refurbishing the building and installing a state-of-the-art kitchen in addition to revamping the menu to offer fresh homemade food made with ingredients from the local area.
“NatWest’s funding was vital to the purchase and the process was streamlined by their strong support throughout. This was assisted by the work of Colin Johnson at Moore and Smalley Accountants, which made the deal possible.”
NatWest Relationship Manager Mark Ward adds: “Ian Dutton is an excellent local entrepreneur, taking a true hands-on approach to running his business. The relationship between the bank and Dutton Cuisine began 15 years ago, and has gone from strength-to-strength as the business has developed. We’re excited to see where it will go in the future.”
