GO NORTH Head to Ribble Valley for a warm welcome and Lisa’s showstopping menu served in the grand restaurant, then finish with a nightcap in front of the fire
WHY IT’S GREAT There’s a real sense of homeliness here – the northerncharm welcome, the surrounding Lancashire countryside, the dedication to keeping everything local or homegrown in the impressive vegetable garden. And while this most recent visit wasn’t my first, each time I walk through that door I feel I’ve arrived somewhere a little bit special.
THE FOOD With BBC Great British Menu champ Lisa Goodwin-Allen at the helm, my husband and I knew we were in for a showstopper meal. Her six-course tasting menu, which changes with the seasons and availability of produce, is a procession of balanced flavours.
It built in intensity from a delicate tomato and lovage first course to a crescendo of hearty Yorkshire lamb in a white curry sauce (via Goosnargh chicken caesar salad, the most flavoursome cauliflower dish I’ve tasted and Lisa’s signature scarlet prawns). The savoury elements were rounded off with a refreshing, not too sweet take on a strawberry trifle, with coffee and petits fours to follow. In my experience of tasting menus, some are overly fussy and, bizarrely, you finish without any feeling of satisfaction, while others leave you overstuffed. But this one was just right. Okay, so the concept and serving flourishes do border on the pretentious, but once you look beyond the foams and dusts, the flavours – oh those flavours – sing out. Each ingredient was identifiable and complemented by everything on the plate, and the accompanying wine flight didn’t hit a duff note. Breakfast was less theatrical but just as satisfying and well cooked, with a wonderful full English showing off the best local ingredients.
THE ROOMS Northcote is part of the Relais & Châteaux collection, and quality is pretty much stamped on your room key. The modern style of the rooms contrasts rather than clashes with the country manor exterior, with luxurious bathrooms, squishy beds and an optional turn-down service so you can roll right on in after dinner. An extra tick for proper in-room coffee and fresh milk.