Kevin Tickle has decided to step down as head chef at the Michelin starred Forest Side in Grasmere.

He plans to spend some time with his young family, before embarking on new projects.

Kevin and his team opened Forest Side in February 2016, gaining 3 AA Rosettes for culinary excellence in September, followed by a Michelin star in October.

In 2017 Kevin was awarded four AA Rosettes.

Last year, Kevin and his team were ranked at number 27 in the Waitrose Good Food Guide and this summer Kevin and his team were recognised with a top 20 ranking in the 2019 Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards.

He has hosted two pop-up kitchens at the Taste Cumbria food festival in Cockermouth, preparing and serving food at the town's Wordsworth House.

After much deliberation and careful consideration, Kevin has taken the decision to step down from the Grasmere restaurant.

He said: "This has been a long and rewarding journey for the myself and my team. I am really proud of what we have achieved in the last few years and I would like to thank all the suppliers, staff and guests for their support.

"I have been blessed with the most hard-working and dedicated team of chefs and couldn’t have done it without them."