Familiar footsteps are heard once again in the Northcote kitchen: Mat Sherry has returned to the post of head chef. He worked here before, then left for Edinburgh, where he took charge of Number One at The Balmoral and led the restaurant to four AA Rosettes. Now he is back at the stove alongside Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who is marking 25 years in this Ribble Valley.
The restaurant in Langho, Lancashire, has held a Michelin star for thirty years running. This is not merely an award — it is proof that local produce and seasonal menus here are transformed into something enduring and recognisable. In the Ribble Valley, the soil and climate yield succulent vegetables, wild game and milk that can be tasted in the sauces and desserts. The proximity to the sea adds saline notes to fish and shellfish dishes, while traditional British techniques — fermentation, smoking, long slow cooking — preserve the taste of the land and of time.
Lisa Goodwin-Allen came here at twenty and became head chef just three years later. She remembers how the kitchen changed: from strict classical dishes to a modern British style in which every ingredient must tell of its origins. Mat Sherry, on his return, speaks of "real buzz" and ambitions for the future. Together they are once again building a team in which Sherry's experience from Scottish kitchens complements Goodwin-Allen's Lancashire school.
Northcote is currently undergoing a refresh: the rooms are being renovated, the interiors changed, but the kitchen remains the centre. The appointment of a new hotel manager, Courtney Maximow, is part of the same strategy: to preserve what makes the place special while moving forward. Thirty years of the Michelin star and twenty-five years of Lisa show that what is valued here is not only technique but also continuity.
To taste it, one should come to Langho in the local produce season — in autumn for game and mushrooms, in spring for young greens and lamb. The tasting menu at Northcote is served in the evening, and that is where the Ribble Valley is heard at its best on the plate. It is best to book in advance, especially on the days when Lisa and Mat work together.
Sherry's return shows that at Northcote they still value not only the star but also the people who have held that star for decades.
