The Highwayman
Nether Burrow, Lancashire (01524 274249), open Mon-Sat noon-2pm; Mon-Fri 6-9pm; Sat 5.30-9pm; Sun noon-8pm.
Having already struck gold with their first gastropub, The Three Fishes at Mitton, the Northcote Manor team look set to repeat their success here.
The formula couldn’t be simpler – quality North West produce is the star here. Big, bold dishes include starts such as Peter Gott’s potted wild boar with slow-cooked onions, pork dripping and sour dough toast, followed perhaps by heather reared Bowland lamb hotpot with pickled red cabbage, while gently melted Shorrock’s Tasty Lancashire cheese on toast, topped with burnished strips of sweet-cured bacon and glistening with pools of Worcester sauce, is the best comfort food in the region. With Thwaites bitter on tap, and 50 or so bins, what more could one ask ?