One of the north’s most beautiful country pubs has been crowned as one of the best gastropubs in the country – but the news came just as it closed for good.
In a bittersweet turn of events, the Moorcock Inn – just half an hour from Manchester – received a nod from the prestigious Top 50 Gastropubs, which took place on the same weekend that the pub shut down.
While the other winners on the list were celebrating their accolades, The Moorcock staff were throwing one final farewell party in their windswept corner of Norland Moor.
The cosy Sowerby Bridge restaurant, famed for its local and wild ingredients, announced its closure with an emotional statement last spring but saw out the rest of 2022.
Owners Aimee Turford and Alisdair Brooke-Taylor wrote that the decision to shutter The Moorcock Inn was prompted by the end of their five-year lease, as well as the ‘unstable world’ of rising costs, supply issues and ‘looming recession’.
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In the end, the raft of awards and critical acclaim it has earned over its years wasn’t enough to keep the business afloat.
The platform said: “Unfortunately the pub has had to close its doors just days before the list announcement, but read all about it below.
“The pub offers an ever-evolving seasonal menu alongside views over West Yorkshire’s Ryburn Valley and is an all-round charmer of a gastropub.”
Upon reviewing The Moorcock Inn, our food and drink editor found the venue to be full of surprises and warmth, from the outdoor barbecue where a chef cooked meat over coals in a blizzard to the snug bar itself showcasing an extensive drinks selection.
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She wrote: “Let’s just say, the locals here are blessed.”
Our review of The Moorcock Inn’s food offering celebrated crispy potatoes served split in a heap of small dish of yeasty mayonnaise, a whole charcoaled flounder smeared in butter, and crispy pig tails with apple sauce and artichoke.
The restaurant was famed for its nose-to-tail ethos, from the butchering and dry-aging taking place on site to the homegrown vegetables to the handmade crockery.
The Manc’s review concluded: “This is a glorious pub, serving glorious food. This new offering feels wonderfully relaxed, combining the best of both restaurant and bar menus. We completely see what all the fuss is about.”
The Moorcock Inn was one of the greats and will be sorely missed – but at least it got to go out on a high.
Featured image: The Moorcock Inn
Eats
Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast
Daisy Jackson
Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.
Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.
From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.
First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.
He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”
When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.
Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”
For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.
The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.
When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterThe Edinburgh CastleFirehouseSome of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”
Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.
Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.
“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.
The amazing new doughnut shop that’s opened in a churchyard in Wigan
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new doughnut hatch has landed in Wigan, serving fresh bakes and speciality coffee from inside a beautiful local churchyard.
This is Holy Grounds, the latest independent spot bringing together freshly made doughnuts, excellent coffee and a spectacular setting, right beside the Wigan Parish Church.
The Lancashire-born business expanded to Wigan just three weeks ago, and it’s already proving hugely popular with the locals.
As we’re seeing all over Wigan these days, Holy Grounds have taken on a beautiful characterful space and turned it into a great new independent hangout.
The doughnut hatch is connected to the church itself, with the room believed to have once been an old school space. Today, it’s been given a very different purpose, with the smell of freshly baked doughnuts and coffee filling the building.
And you can still get a very real reminder that you’re sitting inside a church – the bells ring twice a day.
Holy Grounds was set up by Sam, who was previously a vicar, alongside his partner Hannah.
They and their team are making doughnuts fresh every day, using a 48-hour proving process, before transforming them into a monthly-rotating selection of flavours.
This month’s specials at Holy GroundsThe selection of Holy Grounds doughnuts in WiganA peach and almond doughnut, and an OGHoly Grounds stands in the churchyard of Wigan Parish ChurchFreshly-made doughnuts and coffee in Wigan
This month’s flavours include The OG, peach and almond, chocolate cornflakes, and blackberry and white chocolate.
Holy Grounds serves speciality coffee from Clifton Coffee Roasters in Bristol, making the doughnut-and-coffee combination feel less like a quick sugar hit and more like a proper little ritual.
A beautiful old building, fresh doughnuts, excellent coffee and church bells ringing overhead?
We’re not saying we’ve found heaven, but we’re definitely getting closer.
Daisy Jackson -
28th January 2023 
