Address: Gisburn Road, Gisburn
Phone number: 01200 445 581
Lancashire Telegraph review by Anna Mansell from May 1, 2010.
DRIVING out to Stirk House in the spring sunshine with my dad, I was somewhat apprehensive.
My fiancé and I had booked the country hotel for our wedding next year, and we wanted approval from someone who’d be helping to foot the bill on the big day.
We’d already been impressed by the decor – modern, yet homely and very tasteful throughout – and friendly service, and heard good things about the food, but had never sampled so much as a morsel.
The journey down the drive set the scene for my dad, and after a quick look at the ballroom and other banqueting facilities we settled by the lounge bar’s roaring open fire.
Stirk’s menu is packed with local treats, Mrs Kirkham’s cheeses and Goosnargh poultry feature, and were included in our choices of goats cheese and vine cherry tomato bruschetta and a chicken caesar salad.
Toasted goats cheese is one of my favourites, and this definitely ranked among the best I’ve had. The hot tomatoes seeped into the crisp bread, both infused with rosemary, and the creamy, crumbly cheese provided a tart complement.
The caesar salad was piled high with chicken chargrilled to moist, slightly smokey perfection, and the lettuce was crisp with a good dressing. Dad happily informed the chef, as he kept the fire burning, that it was the best he’d had.
The fresh orange juice was just that, real squeezed nectar, and the cafetiere of coffee to finish came up to standard - in fact that was worth ordering to sample the homemade shortbread alone!
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