Nigel Haworth
Nigel Haworth
Nigel Haworth was the driving culinary force behind the Northcote for over three decades but since handing over the reins in 2018 has shifted his focus to gastropub The Three Fishes, where as chef patron he serves a sustainable farm-to-table menu.
It is in his native Lancashire that Nigel Haworth has prospered over the last few decades, displaying an instinctive understanding of his region and a cultivated awareness for diners’ needs. Haworth’s most famous dish, a Lonk lamb Lancashire hotpot, perhaps best sums up his cooking; local, rustic and laced with nostalgia.
Nigel trained at Rossendale Catering College just a few miles from his current Ribble Valley base. From there, he set off on a culinary journey which would take in restaurants in Gleneagles, London (at The Ritz, no less) and Switzerland, before returning to Britain to take a lecturer role at the same college at which he had studied.
In 1984, he was offered the position of head chef at Northcote, an attractive old building with undeniable potential situated close to Blackburn. Ten years on and Nigel was celebrating an Egon Ronay Chef of the Year Award, then one year later a Michelin star followed.
In more recent times, Nigel has appeared regularly on television shows such as Saturday Kitchen and Market Kitchen, also making a winning appearance on Great British Menu in 2009 (he went on to star as a mentor to the chefs of the North East region in 2012). Nigel also used to co-own a catering company, Northcote Offsite, which supplied local clients (such as his beloved Blackburn Rovers) with immaculate dishes.
Nigel spent over three decades as the driving culinary force at The Northcote, before handing over the reins of the restaurant kitchen to Lisa Goodwin-Allen, his protégé, who is now executive chef. 2021 saw Nigel reacquire The Three Fishes in Mitton, a gastro-pub which he first launched in 2004. As chef patron at The Three Fishes, Nigel's focus is on zero-waste, farm-to-table cookery, making use of the fields surrounding the pub to grow a bounty of seasonal produce.
SITES
