The Barn
Aughton, Lancashire
*Following head chef Nathan Cornwell's move to the Silver Birch in Chiswick, the Barn's sous-chef Kane Williams has been promoted to the top job. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
Across the drive from the main house at Moor Hall is the renovated Barn, a jumping first-floor joint, stylishly equipped with a large bar, an open kitchen at one end, and rough brick walls. The gardens supply much of the menu with (in season) vegetables, soft fruits and herbs, while meals open with appetising servings of meats cured in-house – striking fennel salami, creamy-fatted pork coppa. Dishes, many of them served in white cereal bowls, tend to the light and simple end of the spectrum, with artfully counterpointed flavours, gentle seasonings and an impression of appealing freshness. A heap of Granny Smith, pickled cucumber and dill hides slivers of cured Cornish mackerel, or there may be a pointed pairing of pig's head brawn and smoked eel. To follow, sea bass is precisely timed, teamed with brown crabmeat and matchsticks of cured pork, while lamb is done three ways (vivid pink loin, braised shoulder and crumbed sweetbread) and offset by braised leek and a purée of caramelised onion. Light, fruity desserts might encompass a helping of late raspberries on raspberry-glazed meadowsweet panna cotta. The wine list is a broad global selection, although by-the-glass options don't quite do justice to the overall range.
Dining Information:
Accommodation, Separate bar, Wheelchair access, Parking, Electric car charging, Family friendly, Credit card required
Moor Hall, Prescot Road, Aughton, Lancashire L39 6RT
01695 572511
