Dog and Gun Inn

Verdict: A Michelin-Starred Village Pub That Justifies the Drive to Skelton

At the £££ price point, the Dog and Gun Inn delivers something genuinely rare: Michelin-starred cooking in a format that still feels like a pub. Chef-Owner Ben Queen-Fryer earned a Michelin Star in 2024, and the recognition fits — this is not a gastropub dressing up ordinary food in ambitious language, but a serious kitchen producing honest, ingredient-led British cooking inside a proper village inn. If you want a special-occasion dinner without the formality of a white-tablecloth room, this is one of the strongest cases in the north of England. Book as far ahead as you can: tables here are hard to get.

Why the Sourcing Is the Point

The menu at Dog and Gun Inn is built around where the ingredients come from, not around technique for its own sake. Seafood arrives from Maryport, the Cumbrian fishing port roughly thirty miles west on the Irish Sea coast — a direct supply line that shapes what goes on the plate each service. This is not a branding choice. It is a structural decision that runs through the kitchen: Queen-Fryer works with what the region produces, and the menu reflects that constraint honestly. Dishes described by Michelin as "pure, understated compositions with plenty of depth" are the result of that discipline. The flavour comes from the produce, not from complexity layered on leading of it.

For a diner deciding whether to make the journey to Skelton, that sourcing story is a practical reason to go, not just a talking point. The seafood from Maryport will not be the same product you find at a London supplier two days later. The suet puddings, soufflés, and triple-cooked chips the Michelin inspectors called out are dishes that require confidence in their own simplicity , they only work when the underlying ingredients are good enough to carry them. At this level of sourcing focus, the £££ pricing is reasonable for what arrives at the table.

The Room and the Format

The Dog and Gun is a village pub in Skelton, a small community near Penrith in Cumbria, and the format stays true to that. Michelin's own description calls it "a proper village pub which does what pubs do leading, by providing warmth, honesty and food that puts a smile on your face." That framing matters for how you approach a booking: this is not a fine-dining room with white linen and a choreographed tasting menu experience. It is a pub that also happens to serve food at a level that earned a Michelin Star. The atmosphere is warm rather than formal, which makes it an unusually good option for a special occasion that does not want to feel like an event.

For celebrations , birthdays, anniversaries, a significant dinner , the combination of genuine cooking quality and a relaxed room is hard to find elsewhere in Cumbria at this price tier. The 4.7 Google rating across 338 reviews supports the consistency of the experience, and consistency matters when you are booking a table that requires planning.

Opening hours run Tuesday through Saturday from 5:15 PM, with Monday and Sunday closed. That Tuesday-to-Saturday dinner-only schedule limits when you can visit and reinforces why booking well ahead is necessary rather than optional. For context on what the wider Lake District and Cumbria fine-dining scene looks like, see L'Enclume in Cartmel and Moor Hall in Aughton , both are in a higher price bracket and more formal in format.

Booking and Practical Details

Reservations: Hard to get , book as far in advance as possible, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings. The Michelin Star awarded in 2024 has significantly increased demand. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 5:15 PM to 11 PM. Closed Monday and Sunday. Price range: £££. Dress: No formal dress code stated, but smart casual is appropriate for the standard of cooking. Getting there: Skelton is a village near Penrith, Cumbria , a car is practical for most visitors. Groups: Contact the venue directly for group bookings; no seat count is published. For other things to do around a visit, see our full Skelton experiences guide, our full Skelton hotels guide, and our full Skelton bars guide.

How It Compares

Related Venues Worth Considering

• L'Enclume in Cartmel , the Lake District's most ambitious table, higher price and formality
• Moor Hall in Aughton , Lancashire, two Michelin Stars, more formal setting
• Hand and Flowers in Marlow , the closest comparable format: pub setting, two Michelin Stars
• hide and fox in Saltwood , similar village-scale intimacy, different region
• The Cross in Kenilworth , British Contemporary in a comparable village-restaurant format
• Gidleigh Park in Chagford , Devon, higher price tier, hotel-restaurant format
• Restaurant Andrew Fairlie in Auchterarder , Scotland, fine dining at a higher price point
• Midsummer House in Cambridge , two Stars, more formal, useful comparison for occasion dining
• Opheem in Birmingham , Star-level cooking in a city setting, different cuisine
• Jaan by Kirk Westaway in Singapore , British Contemporary taken to an international stage
• CORE by Clare Smyth in London , the benchmark for ingredient-led Modern British at the leading level
• Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton , two Stars, very different register and price
• The Fat Duck in Bray , three Stars, technique-first, the opposite end of the pub-cooking spectrum
• Our full Skelton restaurants guide
• Our full Skelton wineries guide

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I eat at the bar at Dog and Gun Inn? Bar seating is not confirmed in available venue data , contact the Dog and Gun directly to ask. Given the pub format and limited nightly covers, a booked table is the safer approach. Walk-ins at a one-Star venue running a tight dinner service are always a risk.
• What should I order at Dog and Gun Inn? Michelin's inspectors specifically called out the suet puddings, soufflés, and triple-cooked chips as dishes that define the kitchen. The seafood sourced from Maryport is also a reason to go , order whatever reflects that supply on the night. The menu changes to reflect local availability, so arrive without a fixed plan.
• How far ahead should I book Dog and Gun Inn? Book as far in advance as possible , realistically four to six weeks minimum for a Friday or Saturday, and the 2024 Michelin Star has made demand considerably stronger than before. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in quieter months may offer shorter lead times, but do not count on it.
• Is Dog and Gun Inn worth the price? Yes, at the £££ tier. Michelin-starred cooking in a pub setting at this price range is a genuine value proposition. You are paying for produce sourced directly from Cumbrian suppliers, a kitchen with real technical ability, and an atmosphere that does not add a formality premium on leading. Comparable Stars in formal dining rooms cost more and deliver a different experience, not necessarily a better one.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at Dog and Gun Inn? Tasting menu availability and format are not confirmed in current venue data. Contact the Dog and Gun directly before booking if a tasting menu is a priority. The kitchen's approach as described by Michelin , satisfying, recognisable dishes with depth , suggests the strength is in the cooking rather than a multi-course architectural format.
• Is Dog and Gun Inn good for a special occasion? It is one of the better special-occasion options in Cumbria precisely because it is not a formal fine-dining room. The combination of Michelin-Star quality and a warm pub atmosphere makes it appropriate for birthdays, anniversaries, and significant dinners where you want the food to be serious but the evening to stay relaxed. The 4.7 rating across 338 Google reviews points to consistent delivery on that promise.
• What are alternatives to Dog and Gun Inn in Skelton? Skelton itself is a small village and dining options within it are limited. For Star-level cooking in the region, L'Enclume in Cartmel is the most acclaimed table in the Lake District area but operates at a higher price point and in a more formal register. Hand and Flowers in Marlow is the closest like-for-like comparison nationally: a pub with two Michelin Stars, similar warmth of format, though much further south. See our full Skelton restaurants guide for the broader local picture.
• Can Dog and Gun Inn accommodate groups? Group capacity is not published in current venue data. Contact the Dog and Gun directly for group enquiries. Given the village pub format and the precision required to run a Michelin-starred dinner service, large groups may face constraints on availability and timing. Book early and be specific about numbers when you enquire.