Clitheroe is not especially notable. A Lancashire market town about 34 miles north-west of Manchester, it is primarily known for its very small Norman castle and thriving cement, asphalt and animal feed works.
But this town of fewer than 15,000 inhabitants was elevated to gastronomic hotspot after the list of the UK’s top 50 gastropubs was published last week. First place may have gone to a pub in North Yorkshire – the Star Inn at Harome – but it was in the neighbouring county that a remarkable little cluster of winning inns around Clitheroe gave Lancashire a stunning five – 10% – of Britain’s top foodie pubs.
His English bulldog snuffling his wellies, Steven Smith is in the bar of the Freemasons, in the village of Wiswell. Smith and his wife, Aga, have owned the pub for seven years; many of their staff are locals. He is delighted with his fourth place in the list but unsurprised to find Lancashire doing so well.
“I don’t like the term gastropub much – it has become bastardised, used by big chains and restaurants,” says Smith, a chef from Blackburn, whose parents ran working men’s clubs. “We’re the evolution of the British pub and work very, very hard to stay a pub. The majority of people from Lancashire would rather come to a pub than a restaurant, so the demand is here and it just so happens they have five great places to choose from.
“Fine dining can be an exclusive club, whereas anybody can come in here. We have dishes from £5 to £40 on the menu, and whether we’re doing chips or squab pigeon, we do it the very best we can.”
He adds: “Our fish guy is in Clitheroe, the meat guy 10 minutes away. I’ve got English truffles and I’ve also got lobster, but the pigeon is French. I’ll buy good quality from anywhere. We make everything ourselves, from the bread to the butter, in a beautiful environment. We work hard but the pub environment suits my personality which is important.”
The gastropub phenomenon has been London-centric until recently, Smith says, so having five thriving pubs in his local area is indicative of a positive change, as far as he is concerned. “We’re all very different, but it’s great to have each other close by – it feels supportive.”
Sitting on bar stools, Charlotte Hopkinson and Julie McCabe are working their way through the gin-tasting menu. “The food is just amazing, the best in Ribble Valley. We are spoiled here, with so many nice places, and the nice thing is that you can dress up, or just come in jeans and wellies,” says Hopkinson.
It’s a quiet revolution, believes Nicholas Robinson, food and drinks editor of trade magazine the Morning Advertiser, which is behind the UK 50 Top Gastropubs list. “We have been running the list for nine years and have seen a steep growth this year in the numbers of pubs out there across the country that need to be recognised. The rising trend is towards more rural locals, using good local produce.
“The pub sector has been in decline and I would definitely say the gastropub is the best example of how pubs can diversify and survive.”
Around 15 minutes’ drive away from the Freemasons is the Parkers Arms, number 13 on the list, where the fires are lit and business partners Kathy Smith, Stosie Madi and AJ Nolan are preparing for the evening ahead. An old coaching inn, it’s unfussy and welcoming, and a few locals have already arrived, complete with dogs, for an early pint.
“Availability of produce helps. Everything is so good, from the salt marsh lamb on our doorstep to the venison that comes from that hill,” says Madi, gesturing outside. “Lancashire is just the most stunning larder and it’s great to see that finally recognised. Drink isn’t enough for a pub like ours to survive but local people still do want their pub. The margins are tight as a small independent business but it’s much better than restaurants – they become fussy and stressful places, they can be a bit overbearing. Now we are at the forefront of eating in the UK, we have to give good value and good quality to stay here. ”
Carol Godsmark is a former food sourcer for Raymond Blanc, a food critic and author of books including Starting and Running a Successful Gastropub or Brasserie. She says food pubs have gone from strength to strength across the country because they tap into what people love best. “The Campaign for Real Ale has 185,000 members. That’s more than the Conservative party, so it’s clear where people’s hearts are.”
However, she notes that there has been a 30% decline in beer consumption in less than a decade, so pubs have to offer something different. The gastropub, less corporate than a restaurant, without the generic food of a chain restaurant, is thriving, she says.
“When the first gastropub came on the scene in the late 1990s, lots of publicans hated the term because they saw it as elitist. But it does define a type of pub and it is quite astonishing how successful some have been.”
