Lancaster chef is named Best Female Chef in the UK

Lisa Goodwin-Allen was named Ayala SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year 2022 at a ceremony in London.

Lisa is executive chef at the Michelin-star restaurant at the Northcote country hotel in Langho in the Ribble Valley, and also director of The Game Bird and American Bar at The Stafford in London.

She has appeared on several TV shows including James Martin's Saturday Morning and Masterchef: The Professionals.

Lisa was shortlisted alongside more than 30 other chefs across the UK for the award from Squaremeal, a restaurant review and booking website.

Each year they scour the country to come up with a list of top female chefs, looking at all sorts of criteria, from creativity and innovation to training and style.

Announcing the accolade, they said: "Goodwin-Allen’s talent is undeniable, but her commitment to inclusivity and inspiring a new generation of hopeful chefs is the thing that sets apart.”

Speaking about the award, Lisa said: "To be seen as a champion for women working in the hospitality sector by SquareMeal readers is an absolute honour.

"Being an ambassador like this and inspiring the next generation of cooks, so that the next cohort of female chefs does great things, is really important to me. It's vital that we nurture young talent, and provide them with all the tools they need to succeed.

"The industry is crying out for people, it's a fantastic and rewarding sector to be in, but as an industry we need to be flexible; something I'm passionate about reflecting in my kitchen and with my team."

Earlier this year, the Lancaster mum won a coveted Chef award at the industry's top awards the Cateys.

She was also shortlisted for the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year award.

Lisa also won the Caterer Magazine Chef of the Year earlier this year.

Lisa was a pupil at Carnforth High School and trained at Lancaster and Morecambe College.

Lancaster and Morecambe College said: "Lisa Goodwin-Allen previously trained here at LMC and has now been awarded Best Female Chef in the UK!

"Competing against more than 30 amazing chefs, her signature style of being playful and innovative landed her the top place of which she is incredibly deserving.

"Congratulations from everyone here at LMC."

Northcote's Facebook page said: "Lisa has been at the helm of British food for nearly 20 years.

"Her signature style - playful and innovative but respecting classic dishes and flavours - has had a huge hand in driving British cooking into an exciting new era."

Lisa is the youngest daughter of the late Morecambe businessman Ken Allen, and a post on the Ken Allen Autowreckers Ltd Facebook page said: "No, you’re not experiencing déja vu! She’s just gone and done it again.

"Listed finalists for [the] award included Angela Hartnett, Claire Smith and many other top female chefs from across the UK.

"Congratulations to Lisa from all the team at Ken Allen Autowreckers for adding to her trophies."