Paul Heathcote's The Longridge Restaurant

This is where the renowned chef/restaurateur Paul Heathcote made his name, since when his restaurant empire has spread across the North of England. After being awarded the coveted AA Three Rosettes rating again, The Longridge has moved to a different league altogether and is described as 'one of the best in the world'. This top accolade follows an excellent review in the Good Food Guide and Heathcote's decision to take the restaurant off the property market and work closely with Head Chef and Gordon Ramsay scholarship award winner Chris Bell and his wife, Kath who is also the General Manager.

The décor calls on creams, greys and blacks skilfully blended in to what started life as a 19th century cottage. A private dining room seating 14 increases the versatility of what has always been a forward looking range of events and happenings in this attractive restaurant. The ability to spread the word has been enhanced by the addition of a cookery school, created by designer Karen Brierley.

Much of Chris's food has an earthy base to it, using local products like excellent black pudding, but is then elevated either by being served in interesting combinations or by the sheer flavour and technical expertise deployed. Puddings have always been praised, with one of the finest bread and butter puddings in the country, served spoilingly with poached apricots and clotted cream.

Menus at any Heathcote restaurant, whilst exploring interesting backwaters, and keeping faith with British cuisine, could be expected to offer a duck terrine with toast, seared foie gras and pear and apple chutney, and Heathcote's own black pudding. A risotto of Cornish crab and sweet corn makes a real treat of a starter, but even simple dishes such as salmon gravadlax are given new meaning with seared scallops, pickled cucumber, crème fraîche and lemon.

Goosnargh chickens enjoy a reputation that appeals to the increasingly concerned and steadily growing minority who like the ingredients used in creation of their dishes to have a credible background. Here the chicken breast is served as a main course with mushroom duxelle, asparagus, peas, courgettes and tarragon butter. Bowland beef fillet with creamed potatoes, Savoy cabbage, Chantenay carrots and Madeira sauce is also worth every penny.

Leaving on one side the renowned bread and butter pudding, the sheer artistry of iced mango parfait with lime syrup and coconut shortbread is hard to ignore. Don't even try!

Those seeking value will find the lunch menu an attractive proposition, competitively priced and offering the sort of selection more commonly associated with a top notch à la carte.

The wine list is superb, but very little dips beneath the £20 mark. Console yourself with the thought that food of this quality should not be associated with anything less.

For more information, including their latest menus and details on any special offers, do visit their Website. The menu changes seasonally - three times a year - for Spring in February, Summer in June for and October for Autumn/Winter.