Chances are if you’re from Lancashire or a food fan who has ever watched the likes of Great British Menu or Saturday Kitchen, you’ve heard of Nigel Haworth. But for the unfamiliar, what can you expect from a visit to The Three Fishes Mitton – a farm-to-fork gastropub in the stunning Ribble Valley where Nigel is chef proprietor? With a listing in the prestigious Michelin Guide, you can be fairly certain of quality produce and excellent service. And with Nigel at the helm, you can also assume that you’re in a safe pair of hands.
After all, he’s got enough plaudits to his name to fill a whole newspaper such as head chef at Northcote in Langho for more than 30 years where he earned a Michelin star, and winner of BBC2′s Great British Menu in 2009 where he impressed judges with his Lancashire Hotpot. What you might not expect is some of the most mouth-watering cheese rolls you will ever taste, a dessert with an unexpected twist and dishes packed with autumn flavours in the cosiest of surroundings. Arriving as the pub and restaurant opened at noon, we were the first diners to be greeted and shown to our table.
Shout out to Johnny for making us feel welcome and running us through the menu, and recommending the biggest chips I’ve ever seen. A glass of wine from Hencoat Vineyard in Shrewsbury - a delicious English sparkling wine that is a bridge between prosecco and champagne - kicked off the experience. Opting for the five-course tasting menu, it’s a feast for the sens.
