Basic HTML Version
easyJet
flies to...
Manchester from 24 destinations and Leeds from
Geneva. See our insider guides on pages 156 and
139. Book online at easyJet.com
“I want people
to get to know
the food and
the county”
over a decade since the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease
outbreak among livestock decimated local herds. The
north suffered gravely, with Cumbria being the worst
hit. But slowly and surely, people like Rogan, Haworth
and Robinson have been working at attracting visitors
back, strengthening and diversifying their businesses
and supporting local food.
Things are no less vibrant across the border in the
upmarket town of Harrogate, where Yorkshire produce
abounds in its restaurants, delis and the famous
Betty’s Tea Rooms (
bettys.co.uk
). It was here that a
young Tom Van Zeller cut his teeth, before working for
renowned chef Tom Aikens at London’s two-Michelin-
starred Pied à Terre. He’s now returned to Yorkshire
to open Van Zeller (
vanzellerrestaurants.co.uk
),
providing “fine food without the price tag or fuss”. On
the menu you’ll find beautifully assembled dishes,
such as maple-syrup braised turnips with grated
black truffle, pink grapefruit and hazelnut sable, and
exquisite pheasant ballotine with thick, sticky game
sauce. The cooking is, he says, “rooted in Yorkshire
with a backbone in classic French”.
Clockwise from left,
The Three Fishes in
Lancashire serves
foodmade from
regional produce;
Cliff Cowburn in his
Clitheroe sausage
shop; some of the
cheesesmade at
Thornby Moor
Dairy; behind the
scenes at L’Enclume
restaurant in
Cartmel, Cumbria
TRAVELLER
Van Zeller is proud of Yorkshire’s cuisine, citing
Frances Atkins, chef at The Yorke Arms in Pateley
Bridge and one of only six
women in the country to
hold a Michelin star
, as “the benchmark” for local
gastronomy. It’s fitting that I end my trip with a vis
to her kitchen, where I find her excited about the
freshly caught hare on the menu that night. “It’s rea
healthy, but has the most delicious flavour,” she say
“I’m very big on game – I just love the depths of tas
And guess what? Sure enough, it’s one of the bes
game dishes I’ve ever eaten. Then again, that doesn
come as a surprise now. It’s something I’ve thought
virtually every time I’ve put food in my mouth sinc
I began this northern road trip. So next time you’re
planning a foodie visit to the UK, don’t just flap lik
hungry moth to the bright lights of London – there
culinary world to explore up north.
With thanks to Europcar
(cars.easyjet.com)
056-061_ej_TheSecretNorth lg.indd 61
15/0