The Drunken Duck Inn

Owner/licensees: Steph Barton, Paul Spencer

Tenure: Freehold

Head chef: Marcus Hall

Turnover: £2m net

Covers per week: Bar lunches 300-400,

à la carte lunch & dinner 500-600

Wet:dry split: 30:70

Best-selling dishes: peppered beef, quail egg & fig salad, Parmesan shavings

& honey mustard dressing (£7.95); braised ham-hock terrine with home-made pease pudding and parsley sauce (£7.95); diver- caught roasted scallops, slow confit of pork belly, cauliflower purée & star anise (£12.95); seared Goosnargh duck breast with confit duck leg, red cabbage, new potatoes and apple puree, star anis jus (£17.50).

On the menu: peppered beef, quail egg and fig salad, Parmesan shavings and honey mustard dressing (£7.95); roasted Scottish beef fillet, Croglin cheese rarebit, chive mashed potatoes and red wine jus (£23.95).

Best business idea in 2007: The decision was made in March not to offer special room rates during the week. Occupancy has remained high, creating an extra £150,000 in revenue. Also introduced were two-course (£18) and three-course (£22) lunchtime menus, rather than an individually priced menu. This has proved very popular, drawing in more diners and welcomed by the locals.

Chef's favourite ingredients: Anything fresh and locally caught.

Three things that make your pub stand out from the crowd: The freshest ingredients, location and service.

Best-selling beer and wine: Barngates Tag Lag ale £2.40; Pinot Grigio Trentino Mezzacorona £18.00.

Drunken Duck Barngates, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0NG O15394 36347 www.drunkenduckinn.co.uk​