Michelin-starred Northcote unveils first new menu since the return of Lisa Goodwin-Allen

It’s a new chapter for Northcote, the renowned restaurant and country house hotel in Lango, Ribble Valley, as not only has Lisa returned, but the property has been taken over by Alf and Clare Ellis, the husband and wife business team from Pontefract-based kitchen manufacturer Ultima.

The Masterchef star shocked the culinary world when it was announced she’d left the business at 23 years in March, with no explanation given. But in April, hours after it was announced that the venue has changed hands, it was also been announced that Lisa would return as Chef Patron-Director. And she’s back with a bang.

Lisa’s latest seasonal menu is a vibrant expression of summer ingredients, combining bold technique with the refined style that has earned her a place among the UK’s most respected chefs.

What is it and how much does it cost?

The Summer Gourmet Menu (priced at £145.00 per person) includes standout dishes such as Chilled Isle of Wight Tomato, Native Lobster with Foie, Sea Buckthorn and Thermidor Sauce and Wild Turbot with Smoked Bacon Smoked Bacon, Ricotta, Marinated Courgette and Lemon. While vegetarians can enjoy specialties such as BBQ Hen of the Woods, Forrest Mushrooms, Wild Garlic and Sour Dough and Courgette Flower, Ricotta, Lemon and Tarragon - a true celebration of the season’s best produce.

Lisa said: “My favourite thing about any time of year and with any new menu is working with seasons. I’m a huge believer that seasonality is how you’re going to get the best flavour and the best ingredients.

“At the moment, that’s tomatoes. The Isle of White tomato is one of my favourites, the flavour is just fantastic. We prepare them in several different ways to pull and suck as much flavour out of them as possible. We macerate them, dehydrate them, extract the liquid and turn it into a jelly. We then serve it with a goat’s cheese sauce and a little tomato bread on the side, with a basil butter, that you can wipe through your dish to finish off with. It’s very on season. Very tasty and lovely to eat.”

Bold choice

Lisa’s appreciation of British seafood also served as an inspiration for a number of courses on the new summer menu. She continued: “Traditionally we would have a meat main course, but at this time of year, there is an abundance of seafood available and it’s always good to mix things up, so we’ve made fish the main event. The UK has some sensational seafood. You can get some of the best seafood in the world from our shores.

“Lobster is the main course; it’s a native lobster and again it’s bang in season. We cook it over coals and serve it with a decadent thermidor sauce and sea buckthorn, which is a foraged berry from the coastlines. It brings a kind of sourness into what is such a bold dish with smoke, rich seafood and a creamy sauce. It really does complement it.

“As I’ve got older I’ve taken hold of the idea to work with less ingredients but do those really well. We aim to keep it simple and resist the need to overcomplicate dishes and to really concentrate on flavour. The turbot course is a good example of this. It’s wonderful piece of fish that we cook with smoked bacon and a little bit of lemon. Then we create tiny little pillows of ricotta ravioli to go alongside it that burst with flavour.”

Wine

The carefully curated wine flights offer guests a further level of indulgence, selected by Northcote’s multi-award-winning sommelier team the extensive wine list. For non-drinkers, Northcote has developed an alcohol-free wine flight, featuring some of the world’s finest alcohol-free wines and artisanal mocktails.

Lisa aded: “This menu reflects everything the Northcote kitchen stands for - a deep respect for produce, a commitment to innovation and a passion for pushing culinary boundaries. It’s elegant, playful and full of flavour and more than that, it’s significant, because it marks the start of a new era. I’m excited for our guests to experience what we’ve created.”

For full details of the Summer Gourmet Menu, wine flights and bookings, visit www.northcote.com.