Freemasons at Wiswell

Cooking goes from strength to strength at the Freemasons at Wiswell in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley. Roaring fires, cast-iron fireplaces and pictures of fantastically proportioned livestock lend a cosy vibe to the renovated cottages which make up what’s been described as the original gastropub.

Traditional cask ales are served alongside over 250 international wines. Smoked salmon with sourdough crumpet and pickled cockle butter is a typical starter, followed by dishes such as aged fillet of Lancashire beef roasted over open coals and served with ox cheek stuffed mushroom and Roscoff onion.

Head Chef Matt Smith, a protege of former Chef Patron Steven Smith, handles flavour like a true master. Pairings such as rice pudding with vanilla, plum sake and rhubarb jelly don’t drop the baton at dessert.

The Freemasons treads the line between the perfect pub with classic English dishes executed to impossibly high standards and a more fine dining approach with tasting menus and wine pairings.

Expect something really special.