Michelin star hotspot outside of London not many people know about

About 8,000 people live in Aughton yet the Lancashire village hosts not one, but three restaurants with Michelin stars – more than big city neighbours Liverpool and Manchester combined.

The latest awards were announced at a glittering ceremony this week, with Aughtons Moor Hall ascending to the catering version of Everest when it attained the prestigious three-star rating.

Judges described the restaurant, housed in a 16th Century aristocratic property since 2017, as a "delightful gastronomic getaway" where "every dish is now simply brilliant, with consistent levels of precision, balance and purity of flavour".

Chef Mark Birchall, who was born in the Lancashire town of Chorley, says its "always great to have a [Michelin-starred] restaurant in the county Im from".

Except he doesnt have one acclaimed restaurant, he has two.

Because next door is The Barn, which opened as the "more informal sister" some months after Moor Hall, and secured one Michelin star in 2022 for its "modern and imaginative" cooking.

"We start on our doorstep and work our way out to some amazing producers," Birchall says.

Moor Hall also has a Michelin green star - a rating introduced in 2021 to recognise exemplary standards in sustainable practices.

Lancashire is often dubbed the "salad bowl of England" and Birchall says there are "amazing tomato grocers literally around the corner".

"Were so lucky - its an amazing county, its got beautiful surroundings, the produce that is grown here is fantastic."

But while the location is surrounded by farms he says they will also source food from other counties and countries if necessary as the restaurants priority is "the food, its solely about that".

"We go as far as we need to go to get the best we can afford to put on the menu."

Amid his Valentines Day bookings, Tim Allen - who bagged a Michelin star in 2023 for his restaurant Sō-lō in Town Green, Aughton - says Birchalls success has "put the place on the map".

He consulted the chef before opening his venture in 2021, adding: "Moor Hall has always been world-class - were very lucky, its brought much focus and Marks three-star success is just amplifying that."

Allen says his team take advantage of being in what he calls the "larder of Lancashire", using local produce from strawberries to brassicas.

"If were buying something local, it has to be quality... the name of the game is consistency."

Despite sharing Birchalls focus on ingredients and a relentless push for excellence, he adds that Sō-lō offers "something different... otherwise it would be boring if were all doing the same things".

"We need our local regulars – of which we have a lot - and we need to develop as a destination."

Manchester-based restaurant critic Thom Hetherington told BBC Radio Lancashire: "The interesting thing for somewhere like Aughton and Lancashire generally, is that restaurants dont work as well when theyre out on their own.

"They work better when they are a cluster because then, instead of just feeding people locally, which is important, you start pulling in visitors.

"Aughton has three Michelin-starred restaurants so that is going to be pulling people from all over. So thats more money, more spend going into the local economy, more jobs thats supporting local suppliers."

Despite the cost-of-living crisis, he says "the upper end of the restaurant scene is stronger than ever".

"One of the most valuable things that restaurants do, is bring in that outside spend into an area - its almost like inward investment."

The three Michelin-starred restaurants are within a three-minute drive but, on hearing that the village had more than many northern cities combined, local butcher James Henshaw admits: "Bloomin heck, I didnt know that myself.

"If I am brutally honest, many people dont know about it."

Vikki Harris, from the Marketing Lancashire body, says theyre "delighted" by Moor Halls recent inclusion in the prestigious three-star category.

Only nine other restaurants in the UK have reached that pinnacle, including six in London, two in the royal borough of Windsor and one in Cumbria.

"Were sure that the news of an additional star for Aughton - bringing its total to five - will be very welcomed," Ms Harris says, "and well see yet more people putting the village on their must-visit list."

Mr Henshaw, who lives a 10-minute drive away, says he "jumped at the opportunity" to open his butchers shop in the area at the age of 23, adding: "It looked like a nice, busy area - I thought it would do really well. I know of other shops in this area that do really, really well.

"I think it helps being in a village where everyone seems very, very passionate about food. We also see plenty of incomers, who again love the food."

He says his business is "still growing and expanding and, more importantly, were still getting busier".

Daniel Vernon, who works for the wine bar Arthurs of Aughton, says the area is "a bit of a cultural hotspot" and that the Michelin-starred restaurants have a "positive after-effect" for its "discerning" community.

"Youve got people choosing to live here from Liverpool but also residents from way back with cultural ties that are deep."

Emma and Mark McClean moved to the area five years ago and Mr McClean reckons the place has "a Formby vibe about it", referring to the beach town which has often accommodated Premier League stars, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

"Its not as big. I think its a better place to live."

Mrs McClean adds: "I suppose were quite lucky - to have three Michelin restaurants on our doorstep."

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