Restaurants in Lincolnshire: The Auction House
When you’ve worked at Lincolnshire’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, and appeared on TV as a Great British Chef, what do you do for an encore? If you’re Gareth Bartram, the only thing left is to establish an absolutely superb restaurant in the centre of Louth
Santa Claus is set to be very busy again this month. The figures vary enormously from source to source, but a quick online search seems to suggest that he delivers to something like 250 million homes, travelling 160,000,000km and reaching speeds of 4.7m km/h. It’s hard work delivering all those presents, so by the time he reaches Lincolnshire, we reckon he’ll be absolutely starving… and probably sick of the usual mince pie and sherry that households typically leave out for him.
When he’s in our neck of the woods, we reckon he should stop somewhere for a bit, put his feet up and enjoy some really good food. This month’s suggestion should be right up his chimney.
Gareth and Lucy Bartram founded Restaurant Auction House in Louth 18 months ago and the restaurant, on the town’s Cornmarket, has enjoyed much-deserved success ever since.
Raised mainly in Cleethorpes and a graduate of Grimsby College, after working locally Gareth went to London and at the age of 19, he trained further under Gordon Ramsay at Boxwood in the Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge.
Returning to the area, Gareth and Lucy married in 2014 and the day after returning from their honeymoon Gareth started work at Winteringham Fields, becoming the Head Chef of Lincolnshire’s only Michelin-starred restaurant in 2018 and appearing on the Yorkshire and East Midlands heats of The Great British Menu on behalf of the restaurant in 2019 and 2021.
With a desire to establish their own restaurant though, Gareth and Lucy found a place in the centre of Louth dating back to the early 19th century and with a Grade II listing, previously trading as a café, now a superb restaurant.
Taking on the building, the two created Restaurant Auction House and a year and a half later, it’s capable of great things. It offers a ‘small but perfectly formed’ 24 covers, and dining worthy of any accolade you can think of, but with a sense of accessibility and comfort, not elitism or snobbery.
Gareth himself sums up the ethos of the place in a single quote: “I love food, I love making people happy with food, so the idea was to create a place that people would genuinely and profoundly enjoy.”
Another aim that Gareth was determined to fulfil right from the outset was an investment in his team’s wellbeing and their personal development. Accordingly there are three people in the kitchen – a fairly healthy number to create food for 24 diners – and the place opens from Wednesday to Sunday ensuring the team all enjoy a good work/life balance.
Unsurprisingly, this means Gareth has kept more or less the same team since the restaurant’s opening and the restaurant’s talent and creativity has remained within its walls.
Gareth’s aim was to create menus which democratise the same use of quality ingredients and chefcraft for which he was so well-regarded at Winteringham Fields.
What he and the team are offering at Restaurant Auction House is different, and more accessible, with breakfast, lunch and dinner all available and all very well-priced despite Gareth’s pedigree.
Breakfast options, served from 9am-11am, include eggs both Florentine and Benedict, plus steak and eggs, and a flagship Full English at a wholly reasonable £14, with proper local produce and a homemade toasted muffin.
Lunchtime service from noon until 2pm provides a choice of a du jour menu with two options per course and three courses for just £30. The restaurant’s à la carte menu runs during both lunchtime service and evening service from 5pm to 8pm, and evening diners can also pre-book Gareth and the team’s tasting menu which provides six dishes for £69 with an optional flight of wine for £55.
Gareth and the team favour local suppliers where consistency and quality allow, with local butcher Woollis & Son of Louth providing butchery, local shoots yielding game and Alfred Enderby supplying smoked fish. Other local suppliers include Lincolnshire Poacher and Cote Hill.
Fish is sourced from Sailbrand and Hodgsons of Cornwall, whilst Wellocks provide fruit and veg. Gareth and the team make their own bread, desserts, ice creams, sorbets, yoghurts, sauces in-house.
Local suppliers also contribute to the restaurant’s provision of drinks too, with Luda of Louth, the South Ormsby estate, Elsham Wold and Munyard Brewery all contributing local spirits and craft beers.
Our photoshoot saw Gareth and the team creating some of the snacks and small plates from the à la carte menu, as well as a couple of main courses and one of three side dishes. At certain points, Restaurant Auction House’s à la carte options are posh, but a theme more consistently reflected throughout the dining experience is one of comfort food.
A side dish of potato terrine was quasi-religious, whilst a milk chocolate mousse with orange zest took familiar flavours and elevated them to the status of spectacularly satisfying.
The restaurant itself is relaxed, happy and comfortable with a huge amount of talent, and during our visit, a lovely view of busy Louth town centre through the bay window.
Perhaps it shouldn’t have come as a surprise; after all, the place has a mention in the 2025 Michelin Guide, the Good Food Guide and in Harden’s. But still, Restaurant Auction House proved to be a really good find that surpassed expectations. It’s a really exciting place to dine and home to effortless passion and talent.
The place offers a warm welcome and ultimately, some absolutely brilliant food… if Santa pops down the chimney this month, he won’t be disappointed, although we doubt he’ll be able to fit back up again afterwards!
For our full feature and to see more images, see our feature in the December edition of Lincolnshire Pride, in print and available online free and in full at https://www.pridemagazines.co.uk/lincolnshire/view-magazines?magazine=December-2025
Restaurant Auction House
The Pitch: “Offering a menu using the finest produce available in an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, ensuring every dish shines through. Expect a dynamic dining experience with plenty of laughter, music and unforgettable flavours.”
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 9am-11pm (breakfast);12 noon-2pm (lunch); 5pm-8pm (dinner).
Restaurant Auction House: Cornmarket, Louth LN11 9PY.
Call 01507 311805 or see www.auctionhouserestaurant.co.uk.