The Times
Charlotte Ivers headed to a two-up, two-down terrace on the high street of an old mill town in the Peak District, half an hour east of Manchester, where self-taught chef Luke Payne has created an “incredibly chic” little restaurant and cocktail bar on a shoestring budget, and serves food that is “knockout. Really top tier”.
Spiced mutton chop, from an animal reared and slaughtered nearby, came with pease pudding and spicy chermoula, in “a clever mix of tradition and innovation, local and exotic”. Also excellent were roasted whole carrots with ‘German garnish’, potatoes with garlic and anchovy bread sauce, the “best possible version” of duck leg with lentils, and dark chocolate sorbet drizzled with olive oil and salt – again, better than versions you’ll find elsewhere, “colder, smoother, lighter”.
“It’s a triumph of a dessert,” Charlotte concluded. “This is a triumph of a restaurant.”
Charlotte Ivers - 2025-11-16
