WINDERMERE’S Michelin-starred hotel, Holbeck Ghyll, had a major boost in trade this week after appearing on the quirky BBC2 comedy The Trip.

Monday night’s episode was the third in the series which follows comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as Observer food critics on a tour of the North’s top restaurants.

Hotel boss Andrew McPherson said they had taken an additional £18,000 in bookings for dinner and overnight stays off the back of the programme – which he describes as a ‘blessing’ during a traditionally quiet time of year.

He said: “During the hour the show was aired our website received the same amount of traffic as we do in a whole week, it was just incredible. We’re just so delighted with the show, it couldn’t have gone better.”

The pair were far kinder about their meal of pumpkin and gruyere mousse, scallops, pigeon and lamb and traditional Cumbrian sticky toffee pudding than they were about L’Enclume, which Mr McPherson said was a relief.

Mr McPherson is now creating a luxury holiday package based on the series where guests can dine and spend a night at each one of the hotels visited by Coogan and Brydon. Next week’s episode features Hipping Hall at Kirkby Lonsdale.