RIBBLE Valley restaurant Northcote has been named the regional winner of The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award.

More than 25,000 diners nominated their favourite restaurants, pubs and cafes in the UK-wide competition.

Northcote, in Langho, is described in the guide as a restaurant with “impeccable service and mouth-watering food where every morsel is delicious”.

Chef Nigel Haworth said: “It is absolutely fantastic as the Good Food Guide is driven by the readers and to be chosen is a credit to the team. It is a guide that we always aspire to do better in because it is so tough and it is a tribute to the hard work of our staff and our genuine passion for local produce.”

The Northcote Group was founded almost 30 years ago by Mr Haworth and Craig Bancroft.

The company is made up of several businesses including the Michelin-starred restaurant Northcote, and award-winning pub the Three Fishes, Mitton.

Mr Bancroft, Northcote managing director, said: “ It’s always an honour to receive awards and accolades, but when we’ve been nominated by Good Food Guide readers, it means even more.

“It’s a credit to the team at Northcote.”

Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor of The Good Food Guide, said: “It’s so exciting to find culinary gems that go the extra mile for their customers and Northcote is no exception.

“Nigel Haworth has been a North West regional food hero for years.”

The ten regional winners go head to head for the title of the Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year at the annual Which? awards in London on 19 May.