It’s been quite a journey for the self-styled ‘Lancashire lass’ who was only planning to stay at Northcote Luxury Hotel and Restaurant for a year or two. Lisa started at Northcote 22 years ago as a junior chef under the watchful eye of previous executive head chef Nigel Haworth, progressing and finally taking the reins from him in 2017 as he progressed on to external projects. She was made head chef when she was just 23 years old, and was proud to retain the Michelin star in her own right when she took over the mantel as executive chef in 2017. The reason she remained at Northcote for so long, she says, is because she’s continually learning and progressing. “I have to keep learning. I’ve been able to drive forward, and had the opportunity to grow as a person. If that had stopped, I would have looked elsewhere. “When I started at Northcote, we were a small restaurant with 15 bedrooms and a little private dining room with a brigade of eight to 10 people. We now have 28 to 30 chefs, a cook school, a kitchen table, a restaurant, a private dining room and 26 bedrooms. It’s given me a challenge and it’s kept me growing as a person.”
Lisa’s passion for food and cooking came from an early age. Through school she admittedly struggled, but found she flourished in more practical subjects, especially Home Economics. “I kind of got stuck into all the things that were practical, like Home Economics,” she remembers.
“I found that food gave me that freedom to express myself, it was something I was good at; something that I was interested in. I just found myself very drawn to it, so I was coming out with better marks and I was ultimately gaining some confidence. “My Nan was a good cook. She actually had a little café, so there was a little bit of a link there, but I think it was more just the fact that I was actually good at something and I enjoyed it. “I remember making a quiche lorraine or an apple turnover and feeling real pride in what I’d made.”
Lisa’s good grades in cookery classes led to a college course in catering at Lancaster and Morecombe College which had some really good links with caterers and restaurants, including Northcote. She was hungry to learn more, and threw herself into every opportunity going, working part-time in restaurants through college, and absorbing expertise along the way.
Industry Inspirations
After college, Lisa was lucky enough to work with David Everitt-Matthias at his two Michelin-starred Le Champignon Sauvage, in Gloucester. This, she says, is where her passion for fantastic ingredients and flavours blossomed.
“David is a master at his game, and I learnt a lot of the basics, especially the value of foraging and appreciating local and seasonal produce. He was an inspiration and influenced me greatly,” she says. At the age of just 20, Lisa moved back to her roots in Lancashire which was where her long tenure at Northcote began.
Having learnt a great deal from Nigel and managing director Craig Bancroft, she is delighted to have been able to put her own stamp on the menu, and earn a Michelin star in her own right. “I am now fully able to be me. You can look at the food here and you can see the stamp of my DNA through the menu,” she says.
The key, for her she says, remains using the very best local ingredients. “We are very lucky to have wonderful ingredients and producers in Lancashire. As I’ve grown older I’ve learnt not to keep adding to a plate, and that flavour is a priority. When I was younger I’d put so much on a plate, now I think about the reasons for each element, and focus on the flavour.
“A dish needs to be pleasing on the eye, but at the end of the day, it’s got to smash in the mouth. We really delve into sorting the best quality ingredients at the proper time of the season so we can achieve that.”
Learning with The Experts at Northcote Cookery School
This message of ‘consistent quality and focus’ is also reiterated through the hotel’s ICSA-accredited cookery school which was launched 11 years ago. Recently inspected our ICSA independent assessors, they were awarded a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for their quality teaching and facilities, headed up by Head Chef Tutor Rick Ogden and overseen by Lisa.
“It’s a small, intimate cook school with an ethos of local, seasonal ingredients, and of teaching people to learn the skills, then make a dish their own.” Lisa enthuses “We try to integrate some little tips and secrets that we use in the restaurant,” she says. “I work with our wonderful head chef tutor Rick Ogden (pictured with Lisa) and tutor Ben Hinchliffe to ensure that sessions are relevant to what people enjoy at home.
“The biggest philosophy we have is that students come to us to learn skills using flavours that we’ve put together because we like them. But a recipe has got to be adaptable to be personal to someone. So, once they’ve learned it, then they can start putting their own take on it.”
Obesession
Lisa is also proud to inspire guests and her own staff with Northcote’s annual Obsession 2024 food festival. Considered the Glastonbury of the culinary world, from 19th January to 4th February, Northcote is packed to the rafters with world-class chefs. No less than 18 world class chefs with 24 Michelin stars between them will make the trip to Northcote to cook their unique Obsession menu for food and wine enthusiasts. Last year Lisa was joined by friend James Martin.
This year, the event is topped off with a visit from chef royalty Michel Roux and his daughter Emily. “I’ve been so very lucky to touch shoulders and learn from some of the elite, you know, and different people from around the world. Obsession is just an amazing experience for us all. We are very excited that Michel Roux is coming for the first time this year, with his daughter Emily. They are on last to round-off the event in style.” Read more about Obsession 24 here
Previous guest Chefs include esteemed French Baker Richard Bertinet, his Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School is a member of ICSA. Read our interview with Richard Bertinet Here. Also TV’s James Martin (pictured), who also hosts cookery masterclasses in his The Kitchen Cookery School, another of ICSA’s esteemed Centre’s of Excellence, located within Chewton Glen Luxury Hotel. Read our James Martin interview here
Time To Relax
As a busy mum with a nine-year-old son, Lisa admits she isn’t cooking gourmet at home, though her philosophy of great food with friends and family still applies. “We like outdoor cooking. My husband is south African and loves a barbecue or pizza in the pizza oven.
“Our family meals are often pasta: spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne, that kind of thing, but usually with a twist.” She is in no way a food snob, and is happy to confess to a penchant for an easy meal of tinned tomatoes on toast. “It’s my comfort food, my guilty pleasure” she says. “Piping hot tomatoes on good tiger bread toast that is soft in the middle, with grated cheese and a pinch of salt. Then I’m happy.”
Despite working in a difficult industry, where the luxury of a holiday is rare, Lisa has absolutely no regrets about her career choice.
“Hospitality is a wonderful sector to work in. You can travel the world, or you can stay local, you can do absolutely anything you want!” For this multi award-winning chef, at least for now, Northcote’s beautiful Ribble Valley provides all the inspiration she needs.
