The Three Fishes
Mitton, Lancashire
‘Nigel Haworth at his best with good flavoursome ingredients and masterful cooking,’ say fans of this reboot of a famous Ribble Valley dining pub. No chef has done as much to promote the cooking and food culture of Lancashire as Haworth and, now that he has parted ways with Northcote, he’s back in control of the Three Fishes. Haworth and Northcote MD Craig Bancroft originally opened this place in 2004 before selling it on; Haworth’s reboot of the Fishes, however, is a more sophisticated proposition than its mid-noughties iteration (at prices to match), with the chef’s typically assiduous approach to local sourcing and a commitment to grow as much produce on-site as possible and serve it in flavour-forward dishes that allow the ingredients to shine. Diners order from a four-course menu, with a three-course option for Sunday lunch; a dozen individually priced ‘specials’ are also on offer (Wed-Fri) and vegans get their own plant-based line-up. Menus change every three weeks according to the seasons. That might mean a winter terrine of salmon, monkfish, hake and brill sandwiched together in pale pastel stripes, with a couple of the sweetest prawns arranged just-so on the side, all brought together by a butter sauce; a ‘masterful’ seafood cocktail wins similar praise from readers. Late spring, meanwhile, could bring a main course of Lonk lamb, a hardy breed as native to Lancashire as Haworth himself. The leg is aged on-site in a salt chamber to enhance the flavour of meat gamey enough to withstand a sauce made from diced lamb’s liver and beer from the pub's handpumps. Not everything is quite so full-on: asparagus comes with wild garlic and a cheery jumble of panzanella, while hake fillet is ‘perfectly cooked to the just-flaking stage’ and topped with frills of crisp squid. To finish, a blood orange soufflé with marmalade and brown-bread ice cream is both homely and haute – or simply enjoy the ‘great finish’ of a mini Eccles cake with coffee. The place itself looks as much proper restaurant as dining pub, with interiors designed by Haworth’s wife Kathrine. Dogs are just as welcome as their owners in the flagstoned bar, though the dining room behind is for customers on two legs only.
Dining Information:
Private dining room, Counter seating, Outdoor dining, Wheelchair access, Parking, Family friendly, Dog friendly, Credit card required
Mitton Road, Mitton, Lancashire BB7 9PQ
01254 826666
