3 days Ago
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 senses as each meticulously crafted course is served to diners with a brief description.
All the ingredients are perfectly complemented, not just within each dish but also the wider menu. The scallop set against acidity in the pickle and crunch from celeriac. The pumpkin seeds in the pumpkin risotto, which was my favourite dish despite looking like nothing I’d ever seen or eaten before.
And then the sweetness of the damsons against the savoury wild duck breast. Not long after we arrived, a table of two asked to be moved from their window seat as the November Lancashire sunshine was dazzling their eyes. 'I’ll just check', came the reply.
This could seem puzzling, as we were the first parties of the day so there were plenty of tables. But in a place like the Three Fishes, there is order to everything, things aren't just thrown together and nothing is left to chance. Diners get the experience of a duck gliding along on the surface of the water while the feet furiously paddle unseen underneath - the blood, sweat and tears in hot kitchens over the years, the binned dishes that went wrong and honing a craft to within an inch of its life.
Or maybe I've just been watching too much Boiling Point. Nigel briefly stepped out of the busy kitchen and warmly greeted diners enjoying the menu that draws on years of his experience and passion for local produce with a nostalgic twist. (I’m looking at you, Eccles cakes).
He told us the apple soufflé was one of the first dishes he did, more than 30 years ago. I’m pretty sure that I could spend the next three decades trying and would never be able to master anything as perfectly light and airy. It was accompanied by ice cream, flavoured with none other than Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire cheese! It was like no ice cream I’ve ever tasted and a delightful twist.
READ MORE: Blackburn’s Kirk Haworth makes history on Great British Menu Waiting staff joked with a group of ladies enjoying a Friday afternoon 60th birthday get-together, dishing out a complimentary glass of fizz upon request. By mid-afternoon, tables were taken up by a mix of people – couples, pals, larger groups, all enjoying their visit. If you have something to celebrate or want to experience the warmest of Lancastrian hospitality, pay a visit to Nigel and his team at The Three Fishes, you’ll be more than welcome.
A five-course tasting menu costs £55 and an eight-course option is available for £95, as well as an a la carte menu. See thethreefishes.co.
uk for more information..
