Fans of BBC2's Great British Menu could well spot a familiar face — or two — while while staying at Northcote. Chef patron Nigel Haworth has represented Lancashire in the TV series two years on the trot, and 2010 saw his head chef and protégé Lisa Allen take her turn to impress the judges with dishes prepared from North West produce.
Haworth has been a champion of local and seasonal ingredients long before it became fashionable and expected. In fact, he's been doing it since he and business partner Craig Bancroft took over Northcote as a small hotel back in 1984. From the start, the intention was always to turn the Victorian former manor house into a destination for fine food — sourced mostly from the British Isles — and fine wine (Bancroft's area of expertise), and that's still very much the case today.
Dinner in the spacious, modern dining room, with views over the gardens and the surrounding Ribble Valley, is certainly the highlight of any stay (there are now 14 beautiful bedrooms and suites to stay in after your meal). We tried the six-course gourmet menu with matching wines chosen by the sommelier, and it was gourmet indeed.
Most impressive was the Whitby cod with langoustine mash and crispy skin; a superb piece of fish, so fresh and perfectly cooked it just melted in the mouth, complemented by a creamy, shellfish infused mash and sauce. The Herdwick lamb baked in puff pastry with butter beans, celeriac and pak choi was an elegant and stylish dish, while the dark Valrhona chocolate cylinder with smoked nuts and salted organic sheep's milk ice cream made a truly memorable finish. I say 'finish' but it didn't quite end there — the mini Eccles cakes served with coffee in the cosy lounge were the best we'd ever tasted.
All the bedrooms at Northcote have been recently refurbished in a modern country-house style, with rich, bold-patterned fabrics and furnishings. Our room, with views over fields of crops stretching out behind the hotel, had a very comfortable king-size bed and a sparklingly new bathroom with a wonderfully powerful shower.
As you might expect, breakfast here is a real treat, with several local producers name-checked on the extensive menu. There are a few unusual options, such as Mrs Kirkham's melting Lancashire cheese souffle with grilled tomato, or Wallings Farm roast Gloucester Old Spot ham with Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire cheese. For me it had to be the traditionally made organic oatmeal porridge with local wildflower honey and hot frothy milk, followed by a free-range egg omelette filled with that most celebrated of Lancashire cheeses, Mrs Kirkham's — absolutely delicious.
Northcote, Northcote Road, Langho, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB6 8BE (01254 240555; northcote.com). Room rates from £175, per room, per night including breakast.
