Dinner is served by candle light in the intimate 16th century dining room around one table with a dinner party atmosphere. Gill and David join their guests for pre-dinner drinks, in either the drawing room, study or out on the terrace in summer months, usually at 7.30pm with dinner served at 8pm.

Dinner comprises three courses plus fair trade organic coffee with local handmade truffles, served on simple white crockery with crystal glasses, designer cutlery and linen napkins. The courses are hopefully interesting and varied and are designed around guests' preferences and dietary needs along with what's in season.

Gill, who trained and worked as a Home Economics teacher for seventeen years, enjoys cooking and provides healthy and delicious homemade food. She demonstrates both respect and passion for her ingredients obtaining them from trusted sources, preferably local and often organic.

She is happy to cater for any special dietary requirements and can offer gluten free, lactose free, low sugar, low fat and can even calculate WW points if necessary!!

The Old Rectory is licensed and wine is David's passion; they offer a list of twenty seven fine wines, many of which have come from vineyards that they have visited. Prices range from £12.00 for house wine to £34 for Pol Roger champagne.

Breakfast, served between 8.30am-9.30am, is cooked to order and includes local Cumberland sausage, Keswick dry cured bacon, free range eggs (from the village when available), vine tomatoes and mushrooms. Smoked salmon, from the fishing village of Craster where Gill still has family connections, is also available served with softly scrambled eggs or beautifully fresh poached eggs on a lightly toasted muffin.

In the afternoon from 4:30pm to 6:00pm tea is served with homemade cake or scones just to make sure that you don't starve before dinner!