FOOD lovers rejoiced to the news that Merseyside was at last home to a Michelin-starred restaurant when Chef Marc Wilkinson landed the honour for Fraiche in Oxton.
At last - the chance to savour the flavour without traipsing off to London (heaven forbid we should spend our hard-earned cash in Manchester). A trip to a Michelin star winner is one of life's special pleasures. So it was with some glee that I received an invitation to take the short trip up the M6 to Blackburn to sample Chef Patron Nigel Haworth's legendary kitchen at Northcote.
Only 30 minutes or so from Switch Island, Northcote combines a beautifully appointed 14-bed country-house hotel with a nationally-reputed restaurant that has one star and is closing in on another. It was everything I hoped it would be. Accessible, comfortable, restful - the rooms have all been recently refurbished - and it has the most amazing food. I suggest a quick stroll around the gardens - just to work up an appetite. Then repair to the cosy bar and lounge for pre-dinner drinks and canapés. Push the boat out - don't even glance at the prices. We don't - can't - do Michelin every week, so don't let penny-watching spoil the experience.
The cholesterol police could have a night off. I chose the Black Pudding and Buttered Trout in mustard and nettle sauce as my starter. Divine. Then came exquisite, melting mutton. Haworth's style is faithfully Northern and passionately seasonal. Lynne forked me a mouthful of halibut. 'It tastes like Seahouses' she said. Seahouses was the North East coast venue for childhood holidays. A trawlerman's village of biting winds, salty spray and fish you'll struggle to match if you scour the globe. She was right. It tasted like memories. Dessert? Ginger pudding for Lynne. Rhubarb for me. We chose from the a la carte menu, but there is a spectacular tasting menu if you're dead set on a trip to foodie heaven.
We got the chance to talk to Chef Haworth. He is rightly proud of what he and partner Craig Bancroft have achieved at Northcote and excited by the new menu they have just introduced. He’s upbeat too, by the way things are progressing at the Haworth spin-offs - The Highwayman at Kirby Lonsdale, The Clog and Billycock at Pleasington and the Three Fishes at Mitton. Northcote though, remains the master brand. Set in gentle Lancashire countryside at the village of Langho, it's ideal for a break given its proximity to the tourism and shopping opportunities of Liverpool and Manchester. Nearer still is Clitheroe - well worth a visit for its castle, museum and specialist shops. Northcote is a member of the Pride of Britain Hotel Group but isn't one of those small, peaceful retreats that throws up its hands in horror at the suggestion of children. There's not much for kids there, admittedly. But they are very welcome and Sunday lunch is a popular family occasion. And yes - they will cook the stuff kids eat. It will, though, taste better than what you give them at home. I promise.
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