Northcote Manor

 

 

I lived within three miles of this Michelin star restaurant for ten years, and watched its reputation grow and branch out from a restaurant with rooms to a name which reaches far beyond the dining room, with weddings, celebrations and product launches hosted at Northcote Manor, and the Northcote Offsite name bringing that same experience and expertise to homes, business and, in the particular case of football, to the dining and entertainment facilities at nearby Ewood Park, the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Indeed on the Tuesday lunchtime in early the early part of August when I visited the restaurant with Audrey, my mother in law, Chef Nigel Haworth, joined us for a drink before we dined, having spent the morning putting some of the final preparations to the menus in readiness for the start of the Premier League new season. A life long fan of the club he displayed all the enthusiasm of a fan from the terraces as he spoke about the new challenges on the field for the team as well as the challenges for his own team in providing stunning dishes for the fans and their guests.

Nigel is a larger than life character; he must be fun to work with in the kitchen, a real Lancastrian with a dry sense of humour, with a story for every occasion. The Northcote name, highly respected in the culinary world, has been built up over the years, almost twenty one in fact. He will shortly celebrate the 21st anniversary alongside joint owner and proprietor Craig Bancroft, whose speciality is the matching of wines to the food created in the kitchens, quite a milestone in this modern age of constant moves and changes within the industry, Therein lies the success here, creativity, continuity and reliability, a trio of pillars upon which to build a true Northcote empire. That empire is just about to expand with the imminent opening of a new local venture which has seen the purchase of an old, rundown pub, the complete transformation of the building to create the essence of an old inn serving authentic pub food. I am sure the empire will continue to grow and further develop as Nigel is deserving of a wider audience to appreciate his culinary creativity, his style and manner of delivery, and his dry, northern humour.

He would be an absolute natural as a regular on the small screen, mark my words!

Audrey and I, after a wonderful time with Nigel, decided to concentrate on the large menu in front of us. The larger than life menu reflected a variety of choice, with the menu divided into sections, Appetizers from the garden, Seafood and Shellfish, Meat and Poultry as well as an attached Seasonal Lunch, with starters, mains and desserts offering ten choices in all.

A great fan and supporter of local produce, the menu reflected the geographical position in the country, as well as its standing in the culinary hierarchy. Lancashire Delicacies, Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps, Bowland Beef, Formby Asparagus, Goosnargh Duck and Bowland Lamb could be found as well as a host of other geographical points locally, some a little further away from this leading light of Lancashire.

We made a joint decision to share the Plate of Tiny Lancashire Delicacies, a plate of majestic miniature dishes reflecting the best of this large county. It was perfect for our needs, Audrey eating a little less these days and I had a three hour car journey to complete after lunch. The plate contained tasty, perfectly formed intricate reflections of the best of Lancashire. Smoked salmon, Black Pudding, a Cheese represented also. For an occasion like this it was a gentle but informative introduction to my first visit to the dining room, a light, spacious room with open views of the gardens beyond. Audrey thought the concept great, the taste even better.

The wine list at Northcote is quite extensive, but travelling requirements restricted me to sparkling water and a half bottle of Australian Red. to share with Audrey.

Audrey selected the Prime Fillet of Bowland Forest Beef, complete with local vegetables and New Potatoes. Such was the quality of the beef a steak knife was neither required nor used, the taste,

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