One of the region’s most renowned chefs, Billy Frost, heads up the kitchen at the White Hart Hotel, which has been at the historic heart of Lincoln since the 14th century. Billy is an advocate of Lincolnshire’s rich food heritage, shaping dishes around ingredients sourced from within a 30-mile radius of the Uphill-based hotel.
With a career spanning 15 years, Head Chef Billy has built an enviable reputation within the industry. He was a TV finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2012 and reached the semi-finals of the National Chef of the Year in 2021. His work has earned AA Rosettes and recognition in the Michelin Guide, while the hotel’s restaurant now holds two AA Rosettes.
For Billy, accolades are only part of his story. His approach is grounded in a deep respect for local ingredients and the artisan producers behind them.
Having been at the helm of the kitchen for almost a year, he oversees a team producing between 1,500 and 2,500 covers each week—an operation that requires not just creativity, but consistency and strong supplier relationships.
Billy shares insights into his favourite Lincolnshire suppliers and how he is bringing their produce to life on the Spring menu.
Building menus from the ground up
Our menus are shaped by what is available locally and in season, blending traditional Lincolnshire influences with refined culinary techniques. Our approach focuses on letting high-quality ingredients speak for themselves, while adding thoughtful, modern touches that enhance both flavour, texture and presentation.
Exceptional produce is the starting point for every dish—providing both inspiration and impact. Lincolnshire’s surrounding farmland and coastline offer an abundance of ingredients, from fresh vegetables and meats to some of the finest fish and seafood available in the region.
Working within a 30-mile radius means we can reduce food miles while drawing on a diverse and ever-changing supply of ingredients.
Trusted local suppliers
Championing local produce is about more than flavour—it’s about supporting the region and telling its story through food.
Central to our philosophy is a network of trusted producers, many of whom have supplied the hotel for years. Our long-standing relationships are built on quality, reliability and the ability to meet the demands of a busy hotel kitchen. Knowing and trusting that suppliers can consistently deliver ingredients at scale.
I regularly visit each supplier to see their operations first-hand, while also welcoming them into the hotel kitchen—strengthening relationships and maintaining a clear understanding of quality and provenance. This also allows me to fully understand the journey of each product, from its origin through to the plate.
National award-winning Redhill Farm is a 180-acre family-owned farm based at Gainsborough which is 25 miles from the hotel. It is run by husband-and-wife team, Jane and Terry Tomlinson who have garnered an enviable reputation for ethically- produced, high-welfare free-range pork. They breed from their own Duroc cross Landrace pigs which are reared naturally so the pork produced is noted for its succulence and flavour.
We serve Lincolnshire sausage as part of our full English breakfast and have introduced a new pork dish to our Spring menu – ‘Plate of Lincolnshire pork’ with confit Redhill Farm belly pork, pork tenderloin, potato and black pudding terrine, braised pork cheek, crackling, caramelised apple puree, roast onion and Jus.
The Redhill Farm Shop is conveniently located close to the hotel on Bailgate which means we can easily pop into the store to pick up extra items during the week, as well as take deliveries from the farm.
We get all our fresh fish and seafood from Andrew Moorcroft at Grimsby-based Moorcroft Seafood. I’ve known Andrew for over a decade, and he’s been supplying the hotel for 15-years. Andrew founded the business in the 1990’s and started out doing home deliveries in a single van. He’s known locally for sourcing high quality local fish and is now a major supplier for restaurants, pubs, and foodservice providers across the East Midlands. When Selfridges opened in Manchester, Moorcroft Seafood was selected as an exclusive supplier.
We’ve created a fabulous new dish using locally caught sea trout which will be served with warm tartare sauce with prosecco and cream, trout roe, capers, gherkins, shallots, dill and seaweed with a wild garlic emulsion.
We use family business, Pilgrim Foodservice, for all of our vegetable selection for Sunday lunches including carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and leeks. We also source pigeon breast, hazelnuts and pickled walnuts for one of our latest dishes – breast of local wood pigeon, pigeon spring roll, date puree, pickled walnut, hazelnut crumble and red wine jus. And our Belgian chocolate delice, dulce de leche caramel, short bread, homemade malt ice-cream is created using 70% chocolate and condensed milk from Pilgrim.
As a team, our ethos centres on using the best available ingredients without compromise—taking familiar, traditional elements and elevating them through careful preparation and presentation. Our reliable network of local artisan producers means that we can create dishes that are rooted in Lincolnshire heritage and relevant to modern diners.
With our menus, diners at the White Hart Hotel can expect a celebration of the season—built on trusted relationships, carefully sourced ingredients and a genuine passion for showcasing the very best of Lincolnshire.
Dining at the White Hart Hotel
The restaurant’s offering—from its six-course tasting menu to afternoon tea, Sunday lunch, small plates, a la carte dining and a new lounge menu offering traditional dishes, promises a range of dining experiences that centre on a strong sense of place.
The White Hart Hotel is part of the expanding Loxley Collection hotel portfolio, which includes North Yorkshire coastal gem, Hotel Victoria in Robin Hood’s Bay and the Polurrian on the Lizard in Cornwall.
More details about the White Hart Hotel can be found at Hotel in Lincoln – Book Online – White Hart Hotel
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