What the critics say

The Good Hotel Guide

Chef/patron Nigel Haworth and his business partner, Craig Bancroft, have been 20 years at their informal restaurant-with-rooms (Michelin star). It returns to the Guide after a major renovation...

Good Food Guide

Nigel Haworth’s menus have raised eyebrows with the trendy turn they’ve taken of late.  But the lime caramel with seared British White beef and bone marrow, and the lemon jelly accompanying Lytham sea bass tempura aren’t so alarming really, such quirky touches turn out to be minor details, counterpoints of texture and flavour on dishes as balanced and elegant as ever.  The trendy dots and dashes send a message we can’t miss, however; time doesn’t stop at Northcote.  This extends to the handsome Ribble Valley property itself, the whole of which has undergone a refurbishment in the last couple of years.  It can still feel slightly muted in the spruced-up dining room but the neutral backdrop lets the food shine.  Haworth’s strong suit is harnessing the quality of produce from the North West’s forests, seas and pastures, and grafting it onto a classical base.  His beliefs shine through, so when he gets into something – be it Langdale mutton or Ascroft’s cauliflowers, he really gets into it, taking his customers along on the ride.  Heaps of options including set, vegetarian and tasting menus make choosing tough.  The wine list is super, with around 80 half bottles (from £9.95), house wine at £17.50, and a good selection from Chile and Portugal as well as Burgundy and Bordeaux

Harden's UK Restaurant Guide

Nigel Haworth's "faultless" cooking ("proudly promoting local producers") combines with Craig Bancroft's "extensive and varied" wine list to make "a total gastronomic experience" at this "relaxing" Ribble Valley restaurant-with-rooms; it's not just "a benchmark in the North West", but also of real note nationally.

** Exceptional Food

A Very Good Ambience

www.hardens.com

The AA Restaurant Guide 2004

3 Rosettes

Place: A bright, fresh restaurant with eye-catching prints lined up against plain walls, and a sparse, minimalist atmosphere. Knowledgeable staff redress the balance with a warm presence, and the Lancastrian hills roll timelessly past the windows.

Food: The menu is a wish-list of luxury dishes that provoke an agony of choice for the well-heeled. A true but rare regional restaurant, it focuses on superb local produce handled with finesse and presented with mouth-watering beauty. The key to success is exemplified by a simple foie gras rolled in pumpernickel with fig puree, where the striking flavours works equally well alone or ensemble.

www.theaa.com

The AA Britain's Best Places To Stay For Food Lovers

Impeccable regional cooking from an award-winning chef in the restful country hotel.
Set amidst the rolling Lancashire countryside of The Ribble Valley is this impressive Victorian Manor House where visitors return time after time. They come for the peace and quiet of this lovely old house, where welcoming lounges with warming open fires create a great atmosphere. Another attraction is the relaxation of an overnight stay, where stylish individually-designed bedrooms provide all the comforts of home and then some. Accessed via a striking wooden staircase, the choice includes four-posters, and more modern, but equally spacious king size rooms. But the biggest pull of all is the legendary cooking, where impressive technical skills and excellent flavour combinations continue to set standards. The emphasis on regional recipes and ingredients make this restaurant a real winner, and the quality wine list meets the same high standards. Served in the minimalist surroundings of the elegant dining room, there are few distractions to take the mind off a most memorable dining experience.

www.theaa.com

The Which? Guide To Good Hotels

Great food and grand bedrooms in a welcoming Victorian Mansion
Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth have notched up two decades at this red-bricked Lancashire mill-owner’s pile. Its proximity to a busy roundabout on the A59 does not at first bode well, but once you’re inside, things take a different turn. The enterprise is very much a restaurant-with-rooms that revolves around the culinary talents of Nigel, backed by Craig’s virtuosity in things vinous. In the lounge and bar, leather chesterfields, stained glass, open fires, and expanses of oak panelling give the air of a clubbly gentleman’s residence. Pretty modern pastels and a lighter minimalist touch kicks tradition into touch in the restaurant – a reflection, perhaps, of the contemporary style of food on offer. Local ingredients, such as black pudding and potted Morecambe Bay Shrimps are worked into inventive modern dishes; you may find Lancashire cheese ice cream on the menu. Bedrooms with lovely views through big bow windows are the pick of the bunch; all are smartly furnished and sprinkled with antiques.

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Hi-Life Diners Club North West 2003-2004

In the capable hands of Joint proprietors, Craig Bancroft and 1995 Egon Ronay Chef of the Year Nigel Haworth, Northcote Manor has been setting the highest standards for hospitality during the last 12 years. Organically grown herbs and vegetables, many from the grounds of Northcote Manor itself, have enabled Nigel Haworth to pioneer superb regional and British food, for which The Manor is renowned, and their ever increasing numbers of discerning clients now enjoy in this elegant restaurant. Northcote Manor has been extensively refurbished in recent years, old and new have been sympathetically blended, artfully combining classical style with modern innovations and designed to offer the ultimate in comfort and luxury. What’s more Northcote is the only Michelin starred restaurant in the UK to have fitted an Aga cooker in their already impressive kitchen, helping Nigel create some of his dishes in the traditional Lancashire manner. With the Michelin star and a plethora of other awards, Northcote Manor is not only a pinnacle of north west dining, but that of the country as a whole.

www.hi-life.uk.com

Conde Nast Johansens - Recommended Hotels 2004

Large, redbrick and typically Victorian, this attractive and externally decorative hotel stands in the foothills of the Ribble Valley amidst some of Lancashire’s most spectacular countryside. Excellently run by joint proprietors Craig Bancroft, a wine connoisseur, and Nigel Haworth, an award winning chef, Northcote Manor has been an esteemed restaurant with rooms since 1983. Its high standards of hospitality and comfort, décor and food has earned it the prestigious award of “Independent Hotel of The Year” by the Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Nigel, proud member of the Academy of Culinary Arts, trained in Switzerland and London and his gourmet cuisine has received numerable accolades, including a Michelin Star and Egon Ronay’s 1995 Chef of The Year distinction. His superb local and creative international dishes are presented with professionalism and aplomb in a delightful restaurant. Each meal is complimented by a superb wine list that is 400 bin strong. The hotel has 24 beautifully furnished en-suite bedrooms that offer every comfort. Nearby are the Trough of Bowland, the Roman town of Ribchester, and 4 golf courses within a 10 mile radius. The Yorkshire Dales and lake District are within easy reach.

www.johansens.com

Best Loved Hotels

Lovers of fine food and wine may want to stay forever
Located in the Ribble Valley, one of the great beauty spots of England, Northcote Manor is owned and run with great talent by partners Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth. Together, they have built up this small hotel in 20 years to become one of the most successful in the country. Northcote manor is best known for its outstanding food and award-winning restaurant and was awarded its first Michelin star in 1996. Nigel Haworth is the holder of the 1999 “Wedgewood chef & Potter Trophy” for Britain’s Top Chef, has a special love for traditional Lancashire cooking, and he has recreated many of those dishes in a very different style. While Nigel cooks and resides over the kitchen, Craig looks after the guests needs in the restaurant and rooms. His special love is wine, and he delights in personally matching food and wine for the guests. There are fourteen bedrooms, including four poster rooms. Games, books, interesting ornaments and tea and coffee-making facilities add to the home from home atmosphere. The very comfortable beds have even prompted many visitors to ask where they can buy them! In 1999, Northcote Manor was proud to have been voted “Independent Hotel of The Year” by the Caterer & Hotelkeeper – an “Oscar” of the hospitality industry. On a final note, their policy regarding children reads “all welcome to experience fine dining” admirable and refreshing, we think!