The North(ish) Lass

Explore the North.

Tag: local breweries

  • The Perfect Northern Autumn Feast

    The Perfect Northern Autumn Feast

    Autumn has officially rolled around. The nights are drawing in and the weather has taken a distinctly cooler turn. I don’t know about you, but that means I am looking forward to really hearty food that comes with the season.

    Below are some ideas for ways to have a perfect autumn feast made with ingredients from Northern producers and suppliers! Which would you like to try?

    Starter – Broccoli & Blue Cheese Soup – One of my autumn/winter favourites, broccoli & blue cheese soup is so hearty and warming on a cool day. And for those of you who wrinkled your nose at the thought of blue cheese, let me just say, I don’t eat blue cheese straight up either! I don’t particularly like the strong taste just “as is,” but when it’s in soup it’s mellowed out by other flavours, and I just find it straight up delicious. Paired with some crusty or tasty bread just sounds wonderful.

    • Seasonal Veg acquired through local community food growing projects, or from local farms.
      • One near me is The Plot, which provides organic and seasonal veg to buy, as well as training people in growing and horticulture. You can order veg boxes or, if you want to get involved on the ground, can go along to help in the garden.
    • Blue Cheese – Two that I would recommend from the North is Mrs Bell’s Blue, made by Shepherd’s Purse nr. Thirsk, Yorkshire; or Garstang Blue, made by Dewlay Cheeses nr. Garstang, Lancashire.
    • Bread Side – There are so many local and artisanal bread makers and bakeries across the North, and I’m sure you could find one close to you relatively easily. I’ve just found a great bakery called Well Good Bread that specialise in delicious focaccia, but have other options as well.

    Main – Slow Cooked Lamb & Autumn Veg

    • Lancashire Salt Marsh Lamb from Cockerham Salt Marsh Lamb. You can read all about the lamb and the land it is raised on here, keeping it free from antibiotics and other products due to the high salt content of the land the lamb grazes upon.
    • Local Community Food Garden – See the information about using local and community gardens, or local farms, under the “Starter” section.

    Vegetarian Main – Butternut Squash Curry (Rafi’s Spice Box)

    • Local Community Food Garden – See the information about using local and community gardens, or local farms, under the “Starter” section.
    • Rafi’s Spice Box – Based in York, Rafi’s Spice Box have recently also appeared in selected Booths stores. They do curry mixes to order in a monthly subscription, but will also advise on different spice mixes depending on what your needs are for each specific meal.

    Dessert – Apple & Blackberry Crumble

    • Wild picked blackberries (my freezer currently has three boxes of blackberries that I picked and then cooked down). I honestly would’ve picked a lot more if I had the freezer space to store them! I was blackberrying in and around the Silverdale and Arnside AONB and the bushes were just dripping with them this year. It’s been a real bumper crop for fruit this year in the UK (apparently the spring conditions we had led to amazing blossom, which then led to great fruit outputs).
    • Foraged cooking apples: This is a bit of a “luck of the draw” type thing and depends on where you live/where you go on a regular basis. But, near me, there is a lady who has two apple trees that grow ‘Bramley’ apples, and she has tonnes come this time of year. Sometimes she’s giving them away for free, other times she asks for a very small donation to help out a bit. Either way, still cheaper than buying apples. This lady also had bags full of plums at like £4/kg, so I got a couple of bags of those as well!
    • Longley Farm Dairies in West Yorkshire for cream or Luxury Lakes Ice Cream for it’s eponymous product.

    If you like articles like this one, please consider signing up below, it really helps support my website and The Northish Lass.

    Snacks/Munchies

    • Lancashire Crisps – My favourite is the sea salt flavour (and it’s nearly always sold out in the shop!), I know that’s not the most exciting but sometimes… simple is best.
    • Farmhouse Biscuits – made in Lancashire since 1962, farmhouse biscuits are not only delicious, they also come in really cute tins and boxes that are reusable time and again for small storage, lessening our environmental impact.
    • The Honest Bean Co – on a mission to champion the (not so) humble Fava Bean, it’s nutritional value, and also it’s position in regenerative farming practices.

    Drinks

    • Northern Beers – with Lancaster Brewery, Old School Brewery, and Accidental Brewery there are plenty of local brewers to choose from – and these are just a fraction of the breweries available in the area and across the north. Find your favourite near you.
    • Gin/Vodka – Lytham Gin, Brindle Distillery, and Bay Distilleries are a few of the local distilleries that produce spirits in my local area, but again, there are many across the north. Head to your local specialist retailer and you will find any number of inspirational local bevvies to try.
    • Soft Drinks – Fentimans is a large soft drinks company based out of Hexham, Northumberland and do a number of soft drinks options including Rose Lemonade, Gently Sparkling Elderflower, Mandarin & Seville Orange Jigger, as well as a Cola, amongst other.
    • Hot Drinks – Farrer’s of Kendal or Atkinsons’ in Lancaster are good options for tea and coffee, and other hot drinks.

    There are so many incredible suppliers and producers in the North of really tasty food, and this honestly just a snapshot of what is available. There are loads of great food places out there, so go hunting!

    I’d like to just end this article by saying that there is a lot of food listed here. It’s all delicious, and I would love to try it, but I would honestly struggle to eat all of this unless I was doing it over a long period of time, with plenty of breaks to digest in between. There is a reason I titled it “feast” – I don’t want anyone to think I’m encouraging food waste, or overconsumption… these are just ideas for what you could do to have a sumptuous foodie experience using local produce and producers in Autumn.

  • Which Pub To Pick? (Part One of… Oh, Zillions)

    Which Pub To Pick? (Part One of… Oh, Zillions)

    Whilst the great British pub might be under threat (some 400 closed in 2024), of the 39,000 remaining, it seems like several of the really good ones can be found in Lancaster. In this piece, Alex Candlin explores some of his favourite Lancaster watering holes…

    One of the many unassailable rights afforded to Brits — alongside queueing and mild, persistent weather complaints—is the sacred entitlement to a proper pint: drawn with reverence, served without fuss, and consumed like it might be your last.

    If you should find yourself in Lancaster — an estimable place with plenty of character packed into it’s historic cobblestones — you’ll face not the problem of scarcity, but the frankly Herculean task of choosing from an array of establishments, each making a compelling claim to serve the best beer this side of the Tweed.

    The Sun Inn

    Louis XIV may have fancied himself the Sun King, imagining the whole of France revolved around his powdered dome and ornamental trousers, delusions of grandeur, certainly, but in Lancaster there’s no confusion: The Sun Inn reigns supreme, and with considerably more justification.

    The Sun Inn bar, with a range from Lancaster Brewery

    It’s less a public house and more a civic cornerstone—a warm, golden-lit beacon to the weary, the thirsty, and the mildly overdramatic (I would know). I’ve conducted extensive fieldwork within its storied walls (in the interest of public knowledge, of course) and can confirm that it pours the full arsenal of Lancaster Brewery’s finest. These are ales of such calibre they could coax a blush from a cavalry officer, whiskies smoother than a politician’s promise, and lagers so sharp they’ve been known to revive the conversationally comatose.

    Insert by Bryony (hello!): There are also notes of historic interest within the walls of The Sun Inn (Alex: this post was meant to be free of nerdiness), such as the Roman well that you can see underneath the floor, protected by a layer of thick glass. There is, of course, the slightly erroneous plaque on the wall that claims that some of the floorboards and/or panelling that make up the pub came from a “17th century ship used in the battle against the Spanish Armada”… now, this is either a typo or a bit of a fib, seeing as the Spanish Armada sailed into British waters in 1588, quite comfortable in the 16th Century. Ah well, it’s a nice urban legend, either way…

    (Alex: That’s better, I’ve got my article back) If your plan is to drink well and face the consequences cheerfully, there are few finer places to lay down your tab. Many a pleasant evening has been spent in The Sun before gently ambling down the cobbled street opposite towards the bus station to catch the last bus home.

    Bryony again: (Alex: Oh, for God’s sake) – The Sun Inn also does some pretty great food, some of the best “pub food” I’ve had in Lancaster. They also do sharing platters, which are great to split between friends while indulging from behind the bar. Bryony, out.

    The Merchants

    Strategically entrenched beneath Lancaster Castle—an ideal fallback should the evening take an ill-advised turn—The Merchants 1688 is the sort of pub that feels both defensible and deeply drinkable. A subterranean stronghold of stone and candlelight, it’s part wine-cellar, part drinking den, and entirely ideal for either a rendezvous or a strategic retreat.

    Its location near the station makes it a natural first or last stop for any campaigner braving the railways. Inside, the beer list is a tactical triumph: rotating cask ales, precise lagers, and brooding stouts strong enough to give even the most seasoned drinker a moment’s pause. If you like your beverages full-bodied and your exit strategy clear, this is your pub.

    Bryony: I’ve also seen it used as the setting for an amateur play. A production of Journey’s End was performed here, using the barrel cellars to great effect as stand-ins for the underground feel of WW1 Trenches. Of course, the pub in it’s clean, uplit, and delightfully warm self, is nothing like a trench in reality, but it was quite clever to use the space this way.

    It’s proven ground for social manoeuvres: I once launched a first date there that didn’t immediately dissolve into awkward silences and desperate glances at the door—a diplomatic miracle on par with the Treaty of Utrecht. And then there was the pub quiz: five pints in, fifty quid out. Not a bad night’s work for a man who can barely spell “Trafalgar.”

    Ye Olde John O’ Gaunt

    Every musician needs a stage, and every ale-seeker needs a haunt with just the right blend of chaos and charm. Enter Ye Olde John O’ Gaunt, a venerable tavern that doubles (sometimes) as Lancaster’s unofficial concert hall, confession booth, and living room.

    Step inside and take your chances. It might be a raucous evening of foot-stomping folk tunes, where the ceiling trembles and the fiddles fly—or it might be a quiet night of murmured stories and pints gently kissed by the firelight. It’s a coin toss, really, but either way, you win.

    The interior is long, narrow, and seasoned with age, like the barrel of a fine musket or the hallway of a ship about to be boarded. Acoustics are lively, proximity is guaranteed, and conversation flows as freely as the taps.

    Speaking of which—the beer. There’s always a strong cast of real ales, with guest appearances from local brewers and just enough craft oddities to keep hop-forward types entertained. Whether you’re in the mood for something hoppy, roasty, or brewed by modern-day monks in an Alpine garage (probably), they’ve got you covered.

    Food-wise, it’s honest fare—no frills, no nonsense, just something hot and satisfying to keep your second pint from ambushing your dignity. Pies, toasties, and the occasional rogue special. You won’t find foie gras, but you will find something that won’t let you down.

    A cornerstone of Lancaster’s boozy ecosystem, Ye Olde John O’ Gaunt is as much a part of the town’s identity as rain and student loans. Whether you’re here for a spontaneous gig, a solitary moment with your pint, or a late-night laugh with old friends, it delivers exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

    Until next time, and further exploration of my favourite places for excellent beer;

    Alex