Provenance Food Hall and Restaurant, Westhoughton

Who would have thought it hey? Westhoughton are in the Good Food Guide; the actual one, not the Bolton Journal's version. Provenance have only been open for a year, so this is pretty impressive work. To be fair, you only have to walk through the door to see they mean business. I went when they first opened (see my Sunday roast review), and was hugely impressed by the quality of the food, attention to detail, and stunning food hall.

I went along a couple of weeks ago to try the new seasonal menu, which was explained in detail by head chef Lewis Gallagher. Anyone who listens to Lewis speak about his food will soon realise this is a labour of love, and despite being awarded the Acorn Scholarship by the Caterer magazine in 2013, and the North West Young Chef of the Year in 2012, he's a humble chap who was quick to thank and praise his team. Nice lad. 

So down to the good stuff. We were there to try out some of the team's new creations, including a few festive tasters. What do you mean it's too early for all that? I'm sat here drinking Christmas tea my friends.

What made the whole thing a little odd was the fact it was really warm outside, and still felt very much like summer. However, it mattered not when the canapes arrived.

Canapes - black pudding with apple and crackling, smoked salmon and beetroot on a homemade oatcake, and game crispbreads: How pretty are these? Although very different, they all consisted of beautifully presented, seasonal produce which tasted like a dream. My favourite was the black pudding with the tangy apple.

Pumpkin soup: Call me boring, but this was my favourite dish of the evening. I'm already wondering whether I can recreate this myself. It was everything I love about the colder seasons; warming, spicy and comforting.

Scallops, cauliflower and Granny Smith's apples: Now I'm no longer a fish hater, I thought I'd give this a go. I was massively surprised that I loved it. I often have difficulty with the texture of scallops, but the caramelised, pan fried top meant that they had a bite to them that was just lovely.

Ravioli of truffle and Jerusalem artichoke: I can't eat truffle, gives me migraines. I'd mentioned it, but here it was. Happy accident if you ask me. It didn't smell overtly truffly, so I ran with it. I'd only have myself to blame if I ended up with a numb face, seeing stars. Minor numbness later on, but Hell's teeth it was worth it!

Monkfish, ham, chorizo and lemon: Another stand out dish. A perfect plate of complementing textures; crisp ham, firm chunks of chorizo, and of course that delicately cooked monkfish. All around the table agreed that this was magnificent.

In house aged fillet of beef with onions and mushroom: Look at the colour on that beef. Lewis spoke proudly about the process of ageing the meat in house so they can 'get it just as we want it'. Cooked in a water bath and seared on the outside, the texture of this cut of beef screamed quality.

Chocolate mushroom: Caused quite a buzz around the table, this one. We'd had it a few weeks previously at the Bolton Food and Drink Festival Gala Dinner too. It's a mixture of chocolate textures, including the most delicious meringue and ice cream. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate desserts, but this wasn't heavy at all, and the perfect antidote to so much rich food on a hot evening.

General consensus around the table was one of shock that somewhere as unassuming as Westhoughton could attract such an impressive kitchen team, producing food worthy of being featured in the Good Food Guide after just a year of trading.

I urge you to go to Provenance. It's not all about the fine dining either, they do less formal lunch menus, afternoon tea, and even breakfast. They also have some cracking midweek deals, like Tuesday steak night, which includes your choice of steak and a large glass of wine, beer, or a soft drink for £10 - bargain! A lovely place run by a wonderful bunch of people with a real excitement for the task in hand.


Disclaimer: This was a press evening where we were asked to sample the new seasonal menu. I wasn't asked to say nice things. I'd already been as a paying customer, and will definitely be doing so in the future!

Provenance, Westhoughton

Stumbling across Provenance was a total accident. It opened on Thursday last week, and a friend 'liked' it on Facebook on Friday. Curiosity engaged, I went for a nosy at their website. Not only is it a restaurant, but they also have a butcher's, deli, cheese shop, hot food take away, a cake counter, ice cream counter and a cafe. I almost moved in.

We went on Sunday to sample their roast. A lovely lady (who I am assuming is one of the owners) came for a chat about the whirlwind that was the opening weekend, and how they have limited covers to get it as right as they can first time. I like this attitude. It's clear that a lot of money has been put into this venture, as the whole building is utterly stunning. Everything is finished to a high standard, down to even having Sonos speakers in each room. Nice touch.

Southern fried chicken wings - charred sweetcorn salsa, chipotle ketchup: My husband is a proper fan of fried chicken, and even having it for lunch the previous day didn't deter him from ordering it again. These plump little wings were beautiful, but the salsa stole the show for me. I nicked it... 

Goosnargh chicken liver parfait - gooseberry and ginger chutney, toasted brioche: You can't really get the perspective here, but this was a huge portion of parfait. The tangy chutney was the perfect partner. 

Roast topside of Aberdeen Angus beef with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: We went for one of each, just to ensure a fair sample... There's not much I can say about the roasts other than that they were fine examples of the British classic. Yorkshires were crisp with a fluffy bottom, the meats were tender and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. My only complaint was the addition of beetroot (mortal enemy number two), which I dealt with like a grown up and left to one side...

Roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy

Lemon meringue - candied lemon and raspberry sorbet: I could not leave without trying this. I'm ashamed to say that despite being full to bursting after two courses, I ate pretty much all of this! It was just too good... 

I adore Provenance already. I love their eagerness to get it right, what they have done with the building, the friendly staff and the homely food. I can't wait to go back for breakfast!

Tavern Fayre at Hunger Hill

We've been going to 'The Tavern' as we call it since I was a little girl. This is probably for about twenty five years. It's seen many changes, but a lot of the faces have stayed the same for years. I can't quite believe I've never blogged about it before! Sometimes it's the most obvious places that I forget about.

Before I go any further, I want to get one thing straight. This is not a '2 for 1', ready meals from a freezer type of gaff. Although the building is large, it is privately owned and run by staff who are friendly and knowledgeable. The Tavern has a large bar serving a number of cask ales (including the likes of Black Edge Brewing, Dunscar Bridge, Prospect, Three Bs and Penning Brewing Company), a comfortable lounge with squashy sofas and roaring fires, and a sizeable restaurant area.

Their manager, Jane Kelly is about as passionate as they get. She has been there as long as I can remember and always makes the effort to say hello and has a friendly word or two for just about everyone. She runs a tight ship, and her young army of waiting staff are constantly buzzing around the place checking everything is running well. Yesterday we had a lovely chat about some of the local suppliers the restaurant uses; including meat from Harmony Farms in Leyland, fruit and vegetables from Ribble Farm Fayre in Longridge, British and continental speciality foods from Hills Fine Foods in Longridge and fish from Martin Brown Seafoods in Preston. One of their chefs is ex-Longridge Restaurant too...

When I was a little girl we would go to the Tavern for chicken in a basket and an elaborate knickerbocker glory jar filled with strawberries. By my teens, they had done some extensive building work and made the pub much bigger. This is when I discovered their amazing gammon steaks. By the time I was in my early twenties, my husband (then boyfriend) and I went at least twice a week. Now I have turned thirty, I am still going for their amazing gammon. It never gets old.

Allow me to explain. Gammon at the Tavern is at the top of its game. It's thick, juicy, not too salty and comes with beautiful charred marks on the outside. I have had good gammon elsewhere, but nothing quite compares to this. I can honestly say that it has been constant in quality for at least the fifteen years. Their chips are pretty special too. Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and always piping hot. Vegetables are fresh and perfectly cooked. This is traditional British home cooking at its best.

Every now and again (if I'm feeling cocky) I get something other than my beloved gammon steak. They do a brilliant beef roast, chilli and different pies. Although the menu is quite large, they execute it well. The Tavern is perfect if you have a fussy eater in your group too. Not only can you customise your dish to suit your tastes, but there is a wide variety of meals ranging from spicy to the type of things my dad likes.

My little friend Sally doesn't actually eat much real food. She could quite easily live off chips and astrobelts. Basically she has the palate of a 75 year old chap. Meat, carbs and gravy. Needless to say the Tavern is her favourite restaurant! There's plenty on the menu for her as well as everyone else. Did I mention that they also do a mean pepper sauce? I love it. My husband opts for gravy instead.

Now then. Desserts. Granted, they don't make their own. However, they get these bad boys below from some sort of gateaux genius. Think layers of cream, meringue, fruit, choux pastry or oozing chocolate and toffee, all served with your choice of cream, ice cream or custard. As well as the gargantuan sweets in the display chiller, there are more hot desserts like sticky toffee pudding, apple pie and hot chocolate fudge cake. On Sunday my husband had the hot chocolate fudge cake, whilst I opted for a huge slice of lemon meringue pie.

If the Tavern was situated in the heart of Rivington and was half the size, they could probably charge twice what they do in Westhoughton. Don't be fooled by the size or the signage. There is nothing standard about this place. Simple food done well should never be underestimated, neither should consistency. I can't ever recall having a bad meal here, and I'm sure we'll be going for many years to come.

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Cherry's, Westhoughton

Last week, Stephanie from Cherry's in Westhoughton offered to supply me with a prize for the Bolton Bulls fundraiser I was running. We had only ever chatted on Twitter, so I was really grateful! I went over the Easter weekend to give my thanks in person, and to sample some of their goodies!

It was raining cats and dogs, so we both plumped for a full english, followed by a massive wedge of lemon drizzle cake with cream. The breakfast hit the spot, and that cake was out of this world! Really soft, yet zesty.

Pretty plates...

Cherry's is a traditional cafe with beautiful home made cakes, which change each day. They have only been open eight weeks, but I have no doubt this place has the potential to become a really popular little haunt. The owners are such lovely people, I urge you to go in for some homely food and a chat.

Follow Cherry's on Twitter here for regular updates.