Food Heaven
Just a short drive away is the Ribble Valley, a valley synonymous with beautiful scenery and fabulous food, writes Tedd Walmsley
I’m often asked by friends and indeed clients working or living in Preston and Fylde about the food scene in the Ribble Valley – where to go what’s new and so on.
The Ribble Valley really is a cornucopia of food delights with a bevy of award winning restaurants and gastro pubs and many recent additions – it truly is an ideal time to visit us. Looking at the Ribble Valley we can split it up comfortably for those not familiar with the geography. Clitheroe is a thriving market town with a great mix of cafés, bars and even a brand new food hall promoting the very best of Lancashire produce. It is synonymous with food, being host to the Clitheroe Food Festival each summer which attracts around 18,000 visitors to the town. Look out also in the magazines for the opening of a new hotel next month. There’s always plenty to see and do and our What’s On guides have all the details.
Longridge is of course closer to Preston but should never be ignored as a great new group of wine bars and craft beer haunts have sprung up along with places to eat complementing the existing café culture. After the recent successful Create Longridge art festival plenty more events are planned for the coming months. Just down the road is Ribchester, famous of course for its Roman origins and from a food perspective has a great group of cafés to tempt you with everything from home cooked meals to festive afternoon teas.
Whalley prides itself on having a great selection of independent shops and also boasts award winning delis and restaurants and very close by in Wiswell is England’s AA Restaurant of the Year – a ‘must’ if you’re shopping in the area.
Our villages are all steeped in history and often combine a great selection of walks with or without the dog in the most incredible scenery. Hurst Green, Waddington, Newton in Bowland, and Bolton by Bowland to name but a few, each village has its own great food offering from award winning pubs to cosy cafés.
With autumn well and truly upon us and Christmas just around the corner can I suggest you making the short trip to one of the UK’s most beautiful areas. The welcome from the locals will be warm and friendly the food incredible and with prices and choices to suit every budget and appetite you’re guaranteed to have a great foodie day out.
Imagine roaring fires, lazy Sunday lunches and amazing mid-week deals, I’m sure we can tempt you, enjoy!
