The Ashford Arms, The Maynard & The George hit 170 gluten free dishes in time for UK Coeliac Month

The announcement comes just in time for Coeliac UK Awareness Month. Running throughout May, the campaign was initiated by Coeliac UK, the charity for people who need to live without gluten.

The Maynard is an award-winning wedding venue, bar, restaurant and hotel, located in Hope Valley. It has 56 gluten free options, 94.95% of the main menu.

The Ashford Arms is a 17th century country inn with rooms in Ashford-in-the-Water, near Bakewell. It reopened in March 2024 after being forced to shut its doors in 2020. The Ashford Arms has 45 gluten free options, 86.5% of the main menu.

The George is an iconic inn with rooms in Hathersage, and was once frequented by Charlotte Brontë. It has been closed since being hit by devastating floods in September - but is due to reopen in June. The George has 69 gluten free options, 95.6% of the main menu.

The menus at all locations have been designed by Raymond Blanc trained executive chef, Adrian Gagea. Multi-award-winning head chefs, Chris Parker, Greg Robinson and James Heywood lead the kitchens at The Ashford Arms, The Maynard and The George respectively.

Popular gluten free dishes include pistachio dukkah spiced lamb, served with goat’s cheese & heritage potato terrine, fig sauce, and broccoli purée at The Maynard and Bakewell bangers, served with spring onion mash, leek gravy, crispy bacon, and onions at The Ashford Arms.

The George has yet to officially unveil its relaunch menu but will include dishes such as traditional fish and chips, gourmet burgers and pizzas, sage and chorizo stuffed pork fillet, and buckwheat and seasonal vegetable risotto.

Rob Hattersley, owner of Longbow Bars & Restaurants, has coeliac disease himself, so he understands how important it is to have a full and inclusive menu.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to go out and have a delicious meal – and to have a great selection to choose from. There is nothing worse than opening a menu and realising that the only thing you can have is a garden salad,” explains Rob.

“We plan our menus very carefully to ensure that as many dishes as possible are either gluten free already or can be prepared as gluten free options. Our executive chef and head chefs do an outstanding job of creating beautiful dishes, using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, that everyone can enjoy.”

Rob founded Longbow Bars & Restaurants shortly before the pandemic hit, selling his house to fund his first venue, The Maynard in Hope Valley. He had a rocky start, which saw him on the brink of bankruptcy, due to the nationwide lockdowns, but he has quickly established himself as a rising star in the Peak District hotel, pub and restaurant industry.

The group currently includes The Ashford Arms, The Maynard, which has won numerous awards as a wedding venue, restaurant, and hotel, and The George, an award-winning historic bar, restaurant and hotel in Hathersage. Rob also recently revealed his plans to transform the former Royal Bank of Scotland in Bakewell into a premium dining destination.

For more information on Longbow Bars & Restaurants, visit longbowvenues.com.