New pavilion restaurant at Michelin-starred Northcote given the go-ahead - this is what it will be like

A new pavilion restaurant with a "sense of theatre" will be built at Michelin-starred Northcote Manor, after plans got the green-light.

Ribble Valley Borough Council has given full permission for the new single-storey building on grazing land, which is part of a masterplan by owners the Stafford Collection to "create an iconic leisure destination with a strong local outreach and global recognition". As well as having a new restaurant run by Lisa Goodwin-Allen, the overall plan is to increase the number of hotel rooms, have a new spa/wellness/health club facility, a private events space and training academy.

Here's how you can hack a 'cheap' three-course Michelin meal at Northcote

What's happening with the existing restaurant?

Northcote managing director Craig Bancroft said he was "delighted" with the approval, and said it meant the venue would be able to offer "two exceptional dining room experiences" - with the original restaurant becoming a brasserie -offering a "high level experience and sourcing quality ingredients, but in a more simplistic and affordable way, which will suit our residents and local clientele alike."

In a planning statement, agents for Northcote said: “This single storey pavilion building will accommodate a Michelin star ‘signature’ restaurant with approximately 48 covers and ran by the renowned chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who has been Executive Chef at Northcote since 2015.

What will the new restaurant be like?

The pavilion will be a one-story building that agents for Northcote say "has been carefully designed to complement the existing house". Its ground floor level will be two metres lower than the main house’s ground level, ensuring unobstructed views of the Ribble Valley.

They add: "To create a serene dining experience with a great view of the Ribble Valley, there’s extensive large glazing on the North-facing elevation. Overheating is not a concern. The kitchen will be fully visible from the dining area to provide a sense of theatre."

The main kitchens within Northcote Manor will still be utilised for much of the preparatory works, with movement of goods to and from each building being via a ‘back of house’ buggy gravel track.

The council has applied a condition that works must be completed within three years of permission being granted.

Northcote reaction in full

Craig Bancroft, Managing Director at Northcote, said: "We are delighted to be one step further towards our plan to build a signature restaurant at Northcote. It is something that we've always wanted to do, as it will allow us to offer two exceptional dining room experiences and encourage more guests to extend their visit to a two-night gourmet experience. 

"We are very excited because this is the beginning of a new chapter for Northcote.  It has taken a lot longer than envisaged to achieve planning permission, as the application was first lodged in June 2022. The landscape has changed in terms of the economic environment and the general outlook; therefore, we will now need to recommence the process of planning the final interior design and form a clear understanding of the financial investment required. 

"It is our intention to give each restaurant a focus and its own identity, and to provide a platform of pure excellence that will be revered by many. The plan is for the traditional Northcote dining room to become a brasserie, still featuring a very high level experience and sourcing quality ingredients, but in a more simplistic and affordable way, which will suit our residents and local clientele alike.  "Whereas the new development within the grounds will be a bespoke signature restaurant to help Lisa Goodwin-Allen to reach her full potential. The signature restaurant will be a modern, diverse space that will give a fabulous dining experience in line with the Northcote ethos, and present a highly focused, bespoke operation. Lisa would continue to oversee the whole of the site’s F&B offering and be responsible for designing all the menus in every aspect."