Our Head Chef – Gwen Lambert

Gwen is our head chef and is responsible for ensuring that the wide range of food served daily in our popular Visitor Centre Calvert’s Restaurant and 1897 Coffee Shop is of outstanding quality, being home-made, and locally sourced, and of course great value, all of which Gwen has a great passion for.

Our Visitor Centre food offer is unique, being is inspired by the use of our range of Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese milk & butter; Gwen and her team champion this and have developed a fantastic range of dishes and recipes inspired by the use of the cheeses, which are handcrafted here at The Wensleydale Creamery and also incorporating our own Wensleydale milk and Dales Butter too.

Gwen is a local girl, having been brought up on a Wensleydale farm, not far from Hawes, which is where she discovered her love of food from an early age. Her Mum was always baking and meals were always made from scratch.

Gwen got her first part-time pot wash job at a young age for a lady called Doreen, who Gwen describes as ‘a formidable lady’, who, at the time scared her to death! But Doreen’s passion for food and work ethic was infectious, and her baking was, and still is legendary in the Dales. It was her who really planted the seed and fed Gwen’s passion.

When asked why she loves cooking with cheese, Gwen said “It’s just so versatile. The handcrafted cheese made here at The Wensleydale Creamery is delicious anyway, but it’s also fantastic to use in different dishes and the flavours bring recipes to life. It’s important to understand that these cheeses are much more than just wedges on a cheeseboard!”

A typical day at work for Gwen starts with a cuppa and a catch up! Followed by running through the prep lists and sorting deliveries. Service begins with lunches for our staff, both those in the Visitor Centre and also the cheese-making team from the Creamery. By this point our Visitor Centre is usually busy, and restaurant service begins. We are a popular destination for day trips, groups and touring coaches, some arriving unannounced which can make life interesting for Gwen and her team!

Why not visit us here at The Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre? Set in a stunning location, with amazing views, enjoy a fantastic range of signature dishes, seasonal specials, desserts, cakes, pastries and more – all home-made by Gwen and her team, who are dedicated to offering you true taste of Yorkshire.