Northcote

With fantastic British cuisine, delicious yet unpretentious, Northcote is ideal for those looking for a gastronomic delight. The hotel has been brilliantly run since 1983. Menus are created by Executive Chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen who offers dishes which are visual, elegant and packed full of great flavours and textures. Breakfast is equally good. The gardens, recently certified as organic, provide the kitchen with fruit and vegetables and the service is admirable. While the decoration in the eighteen bedrooms might be a little dark for some (think black, dark reds and metallic furnishings) there’s no denying the great attention to detail and superb comfort. And, even if the decoration’s not to your taste, the food certainly will be. Plus there's the Cookery School, established in 2014, with prices from £210 for a full day.

Why do people love staying in your hotel?

We've been open for 30 years and have a very loyal customer base – guests come back time and time again. Our Michelin-starred restaurant, led by Executive Head Chef Lisa Allen makes Northcote a major culinary destination – we find that people travel far and wide for some of Lancashire's finest food. Our staff are knowledgeable and friendly and really make guests feel at home, nothing is too much trouble. We also find guests appreciate our spacious, comfy and beautifully designed bedrooms and we really pride ourselves in attention to detail. With additional bedrooms, a cookery school, restaurant and private dining rooms, there's even more reason for guests to love us!

What is there to do in the area?

We're situated in stunning Ribble Valley, which is the perfect place for walking and exploring the quaint historic market towns of Clitheroe and Longridge. The Forest of Bowland is nearby, which is popular for fell walking and there are a plethora of golf courses in the area.

What kind of breakfast do you offer?

Guests can choose anything from continental to a cooked breakfast, all made with fresh, local ingredients. Dishes include muesli with fresh fruit and Greek yoghurt, organic oatmeal porridge, a full English breakfast, melting Lancashire cheese soufflé, Lancaster Smoke House Juniper & Beech smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and smoked Finnan Haddock and poached hens egg.

Do you offer other meals? And can you recommend good places to eat out locally?

Our Michelin-starred restaurant is one of the most prestigious in the UK, serving honest, seasonal, British cuisine with passion and integrity. With views over landscaped gardens and the surrounding Ribble Valley, the beautiful new dining room is a fitting canvas to enjoy exquisite regional area. We've long been a champion of local and seasonal ingredients long before it became fashionable, using the best of seasonal pickings, fish and moorland game. We serve food which is 'terroir from the heart', not over-worked but good food with the detail in flavour and combinations.

Which are your most popular room types, and why?

Each Northcote room is designed differently offering sumptuous soft furnishings offering full comfort and luxury. Many of our guests enjoy the garden rooms in the summer, sitting outside, with a chilled glass of wine or afternoon tea, looking over the countryside of The Ribble Valley.

What message would you like to give Hotel Guru readers?

Northcote is an oasis of food and wine excellence in the heart of Lancashire.