On The Road: Ribble Valley

This bosky corner of Lancashire should be rammed but, for now, you can enjoy its posh hotpots, artisan cheeses and venison cobblers in peace

- Lucy Gillmore

When Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon careered north on their gourmet road trip for BBC2’s The Trip, their first stop was the The Inn at Whitewell (innatwhitewell.com) in Lancashire’s unspoilt Forest of Bowland. It’s mine too, after a rollercoaster journey through the Trough of Bowland. There’s not a soul on the road as I weave across open moorland and dip down into bosky dells dodging kamikaze pheasants. 

This rambling inn, its old stonework a tangle of creepers, is cradled by rolling sheep-speckled hills above the River Hodder. Inside, fires blaze and crackle in open grates, walls are crammed with hunting prints and men in tweed prop up the bar. You’re not going to stumble on it by accident, but the effort it takes to get here is worth it, as its many punters appreciate. 

Even on a Monday night the bar is rammed. From the specials board I’m swayed by a terrine of gamey grouse with slivers of crunchy homemade pickled carrots and sweet quince jelly. Then Lancashire hotpot with pickled red cabbage and crusty bread. Beneath a wafer-thin lid of crispy potato the lamb is soft and doused in a buttery gravy, the shredded cabbage adds a sweet acidity that cuts through the richness.