Imagine loving a restaurant so much that you don’t just book a table, you buy the place.
Alf and Clare Ellis first fell for Northcote Hotel & Restaurant a decade ago, becoming devoted regulars. When the chance to take over the Lancashire institution arose this year, they didn’t hesitate.
The first order of business? Bringing back Lisa Goodwin-Allen. The celebrated chef had announced her departure from Northcote in March after 23 years. A central figure in establishing its Michelin-star status and building its national acclaim, she had stepped down owing to challenges in securing the investment required to support the restaurant’s next chapter.
With the Ellis family’s backing now firmly in place, she’s returned at the helm as Chef Patron-Director. This is a very good thing.
What she’s helped build here is nothing short of hospitality alchemy. There are some restaurants with rooms that can feel a little cold and distant – maybe it’s the obsession with Scandi chic, or sometimes it’s as simple as the lack of background music in the dining room. Whatever it is, that’s certainly not the case at Northcote.
The staff here, from receptionist to sommelier, strike the ideal balance between warmth and professionalism. On arrival, it feels like you’ve been a hundred times – the key card envelope even says ‘Welcome Home’.
And ‘homely’ is certainly an apt description of the rooms. Warm, welcoming, comfortable all fit the bill, too. Ours came with an enchanting view over the gardens, while below a terrace buzzed with guests sipping champagne while soaking up the last of the autumn sun.
Complimentary homemade ginger biscuits give you a taster of what’s to come. Spoiler alert: it’s all bloody delicious.
For a pre-dinner cocktail, the bar here has a proper vibe. None of that stuffiness you get at more traditional country house hotels. Here Terry O’Neill original photos hang on the wall – Sean Connery, Steve Martin and Michael Caine beam down at you looking achingly cool. The leather-studded counter could easily have been lifted out of a Mayfair hotel, as could the creative cocktail list, with contemporary tweaks on original favourites.
A Negroni Autunnale introduces the sweet-sour crunch of apple, via Briottet Manzana Verde, to bring a seasonal twist to my usual go-to. The crab apple garnish is a clever visual play (I could have sworn it was an olive on first inspection).
And then it’s on to the main event. There is à la carte here, and our dining neighbours had sublime-looking fillet steaks followed by a soufflé which you could bury your face in. (Probably best I didn’t order it in retrospect.)
But I have never knowingly turned down a tasting menu appreciating that this is really where the chef properly gets to flex their creativity.
When it comes to Northcote’s wine flights, there’s one rule enforced by managing director Craig Bancroft – that each bottle must come from a different country. So you’re taken on a vinous tour of the world while the sommelier is stretched to find the perfect drop to match each course.
Dinner begins with a snack of mushroom custard alongside a venison tartare. The latter is ingeniously topped with crisped reindeer moss. A Marsanne from Northern Rhône accompanies the dish, which glides very nicely into the bread course.
A pillowy milk loaf with maple glaze and crumble is heavenly. My wife’s conclusion? “I could eat that and nothing else for the rest of my life and be happy.”
That was until she tried the Orkney Scallop with orchard apple, walnut and frozen gratin of gorgonzola. Silly good with a glass of groovy Grüner Veltliner.
Next up was my favourite dish of the day: slow cooked Copper Maran egg broken over aged ham with sour cream and bacon jelly, topped with translucent parsnip chips. Posh gammon, eggs and chips, you say? Damn straight. Served with a stunning aged white Rioja – Vina Gravonia Tondonia Blanco, R. Lopez de Heredia, specifically – it was a banging course.
A hard act to follow, but the monkfish – roasted on the bones for more flavour – came pretty damn close. Served with sheep’s yoghurt, spiced lentils, and a fragrant coconut and lemongrass sauce it took the dinner in a totally different direction. The puffed rice on top brings a delightful texture and bite. The ‘Wild Boy’ chardonnay from perennial Santa Barbara favourite Au Bon Climat was a great choice to accompany it.
David Scholes Photography
David Scholes Photography
The main course is still to come. By this point in proceedings, I’m usually crying out for mercy – my savoury stomach full to bursting. Not so here – the timings, servings and richness have been perfectly judged.
Squab pigeon takes the big ticket – not my first choice, but this is the most tender and tasty I’ve ever had. Helped along by Guidalberto 2020 – baby brother to Sassicaia.
A Valrhona chocolate dessert is taken to a Michelin-starred plane with accents of Jerusalem artichoke, coffee and Pedro Ximénez. It’s like your pudding, coffee and digestif all in one. Absolutely delicious.
After a good night’s sleep, there’s only one thing to do before you leave: tuck into breakfast. And yes, there’s every type of brekkie you can imagine here all cooked to order. For me, cheese soufflé with grilled tomato was a standout choice. (You can have bacon and eggs at home, after all.)
The couple sitting next to us were here for the weekend celebrating their 67th wedding anniversary. It was their fifth time staying at Northcote – and they were planning a return trip before the year was out. “We’d buy the place if we could,” joked the lady. “But apparently it’s already sold.” It’s easy to see why.
Northcote, Langho, Lancashire, England, BB6 8BE. Tasting menu, £155; five-course wine flight, £97.20; B&B from £240 per room. To find out more and to book a gourmet break, visit northcote.com
