Leading Lancashire pub/restaurant the Freemasons in Wiswell reopened this week following a short closure to prepare for the arrival of its highly experienced new chef-patron, Mike Shaw.
Mike’s task will be to restore the pub to the culinary eminence it achieved under chef Steve Smith, who left last year after 15 years in which the Freemasons regularly appeared in lists of best gastropubs and consistently achieved exceptional ratings for its food in the annual Harden’s guide. In our latest guide, to be published later this month, the ratings have plummeted to a lowly 2 – down from the 4 or 5 it achieved in previous years.
The new chef-patron’s track record that is both extensive and impressive, taking in stints working under Gordon Ramsay at his breakthrough restaurant Aubergine in Chelsea and as sous chef under the legendary Richard Neat in Cannes. He has also cooked at Hambleton Hall and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, and was head chef at Gilpin Lodge in the Lake District.
Mike says: “I visited The Freemasons a number of years ago and thought, what a beautiful place. It reminded me of my time in Great Milton at Le Manoir and Hambleton Hall. Customers can expect the new menu to offer British pub classics alongside seasonal dishes, each with our signature touch, showcasing the best of local produce as well as ingredients from further afield.”
Set in the picture-postcard village of Wiswell, near Clitheroe in central Lancashire’s foodie Ribble Valley, the Freemasons has operated as a pub for 120 years and was launched as a dining destination in 2009. It features a chef’s kitchen table and bench alongside several smart dining rooms; it also has four boutique bedrooms.
Steve Smith, meanwhile, now heads up a very different restaurant – Kaji in Manchester, which combines Japanese sushi with live-fire cooking.
