Horncastle’s Mark Shakesby is aiming to put the tradition back into traditional winter dining. Synonymous throughout Lincolnshire with Brown’s Pie Shop in Lincoln, where he worked for over a decade and a half, for over five years since the chef has been running his namesake, offering traditional dining in the town specialising in home-made food.

“I had a vision for the food.” Says Mark, who runs the business with partner Estelle. “Traditional, rustic, wholesome food, hearty, with lots of local ingredients, but prepared really well, with care and skill.”

The chef is from Gainsborough originally and trained in several Lincolnshire venues before settling in Lincoln. He became renowned for producing pies, utilising traditional ingredients, and these remain a feature of the restaurant today.

Situated by Horncastle’s River Bain the West Street restaurant is replete with original features. A former bakehouse, and an Italian restaurant the building fell into dereliction until 2005 when Mark, who was seeking a place of his own, embarked upon its restoration.

The kitchen was completely refitted, and bar area refurbished, and today, the restaurant is a long, narrow dining room with glorious old flagstone flooring and a large open fireplace. A lounge area adjacent to the bar is comfortable and warm, with leather sofas and stacks of logs next to an inglenook fireplace.

Towards the rear of the restaurant is further seating with red brick floor and specially lit alcoves containing photographs of Shakesby’s food, taken by Mark’s partner Estelle’s son Wil, and blackboards detailing forthcoming special offers.

Recently renovated is The Gallery, providing 36 covers on top of the existing 48 covers and available for private dining. With abstract artwork purchased by Mark and brightly coloured walls, it’s a slightly more contemporary environment, but shares with the main dining room views over the Bain.

There is a further 12 covers on the balcony, which Mark says prove highly desirable during the summer months. However, the riverside location has proven a curse as well as a blessing, with widespread flooding of the town in 2007 resulting in a six week closure when the venue found itself under 18 inches of water.

“I was devastated.” Says Mark. “We had to close and refurbish the venue just two years after opening, steam cleaning every surface to sanitise it and replacing kitchen equipment. It had a terrible impact on the town, but it really brought the community together.” Mark also tells of how his regular customers and other business were delighted when the restaurant re-opened, and how the community worked hard to rebuild itself.

Today, the restaurant is open for evening dining six days a week, with à la carte menu and a ‘Beat the Clock’ menu for dining between 5pm and 6.30pm with pricing based on the time of diners’ arrival.

The early menu comprises four starters and five main courses, with optional dessert. Starters include Home Made Lincolnshire Terrine of Pork and Apricot, and hearty Home Made Soup. Main courses include Lincolnshire Mallard Breast Seared and served with Game Gravy and Braised Red Cabbage. Also available is Shakesby’s renowned Pie of the Day with **** pastry top.

Dining on an à la carte basis means a choice of six starters and ten main courses. Our visit saw us enjoying a preview of December’s new menus, but a perennial favourite for the venue is the Lincolnshire Farmed Beef and Bateman XXXB Ale Pie served with root vegetables and **** pastry top — diners love its hearty taste, provenance and simplicity.

Mark is a keen countryman and regularly attends local shoots. Game is a really strong feature of winter menus at Shakesby’s, with Lincolnshire Shot Partridge Breasts with Orange and Cranberry Reduction a perfect seasonal dish for those seeking traditional dining in winter.

Other options include English Feather Blade of Beef, braised for four hours and presented on a bed of horseradish mash, Beef Fillet stuffed with Poacher Cheese, and Roasted Breast of Chicken which Mark serves on a Swede purée stuffed with McKechnie Scotch Haggis with a Bells Whisky Gravy — slightly less ‘Lincolnshire’ but delicious nonetheless.

This month, Christmas menus are also available for £23/head, with a main course Christmas Pie — Lincolnshire Turkey with Cranberries, Smoked Bacon and Chestnut — and Pheasant adding to Shakesby’s seasonal appeal, and a Red Berry Crème Brulée available for pudding.

“We source all of our ingredients locally.” Says Mark. “That’s the beauty of being in Lincolnshire. Our fish comes from Grimsby, fresh each day, our vegetables are sourced from Boston and grow on the land surrounding the town, and we serve English beef, pork and lamb.”

Mark says he had a distinct vision of what he wanted for the restaurant, with high quality but down-to-Earth dishes that really appeal to Lincolnshire diners.

To match the ethos of the food, flagstone flooring and open fires combine with rustic pine dining furniture, low ceilings and candles to create a traditional, warm dining experience that reflects a real affinity for wholesome, high quality food.

With Mark’s superb home-made pies, winter puds like Jam Roly Poly, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Bread & Butter Pudding and with lots of real ale and fruity wines, as well as an welcoming, cosy dining environment, diners are left wanting nothing more from their dining experience.

“It’s all about making the customer feel welcome.” Says Mark. “We’ve created what we believe to be a perfect dining experience for winter evenings.”

If you're keen on eating out in Lincolnshire, try Shakesby's Restaurant in Horncastle where you'll find a terrific range of traditional English food!