Northcote, 26 July 2016

It was Mary’s actual birthday, we were on holiday for the week so we booked to go to Nigel Haworth’s Northcote Manor, which has held a Michelin Star for 20 years. It’s in Langho near Blackburn so its only a shortish drive away. Apart from the recently starred Man Behind The Curtain, it is the nearest Michelin Star we have not visited.

I forgot to take a picture of the menu, so here’s the food with brief captions. I am afraid I can’t remember the full descriptions:

Pea Soup with Brioche

Guinea Fowl Ravioli with Apples

Rib-eye of Pork

Venison with Warm Slaw, Berries and Liquorice

Artisan Cheeses

Strawberry and Elderflower Fool

Northcote Manor

You can more or less take it for granted that a Michelin starred restaurant will serve food that is, on some level, very good indeed. This was no exception. We had the seasonal lunch, three courses with coffee for £33.50 plus service. It was great value and all the food was beautifully presented and, with one exception, delicious. Unfortunately Mary’s Pork was somewhat underdone for her taste and was very tough. I had the venison, which was slightly less pink than normally served, which meant that it was actually an improvement for me. 

So the food was excellent, but where Northcote really shone was in the quality of service and the sense of luxury that we felt. It bears comparison on these counts with the two absolute pinnacles we have experienced in the past, Gidleigh Park and Le Manoir au Quat’ Saisons. I can’t praise it any higher than that.