International chefs from Oslo to Athens and from Co Cork to Amsterdam will rub shoulders with some of the top chefs working in Britain at Obsession, the annual gastronomic festival hosted by Lancashire hotel Northcote that kicks off the UK’s culinary calendar for 2027.
The line-up of 19 chefs over 17 nights of consecutive dinners from Friday 22 January was announced today, with tickets now on sale. Prospective diners will need to move fast: in recent years, many of the dinners have sold out within hours.
Hosted by Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Northcote’s chef-patron director, Obsession brings some of the culinary world’s leading talents to the Ribble Valley for a mid-winter festival that was founded in 2001 and which has become a rite of passage for ambitious chefs – and for contemporary gourmets.
This year’s headliners range from Nordic heavyweight Mikael Svensson, of restaurant Kontrast in Oslo, to Lewis Barker of Terre in Castlemartyr, Cork, who was born and bred in Leeds but made his name in Australia and Singapore before moving to Ireland.
Closer to home is Lancashire neighbour Mark Birchall of Moor Hall in Aughton, this year’s No 1 on the Harden’s 100 list of the top UK restaurants, while London provides international flavours from West Africa with Joké Bakare of Chishuru, India with Sameer Taneja of Benares and South Africa with Patrick Williams of Kudu.
Host Lisa, who will cook the opening and (with James Martin and Galton Blackiston) the closing dinners, says: “Obsession has always been about bringing people together through a shared love of exceptional food. Every year, I am excited by the chefs who join us, the ideas they bring and the incredible energy that comes from having so many talented people working together in our kitchen.
“Having celebrated 25 years at Northcote recently, this year’s Obsession feels particularly special to me. It is a privilege to continue to be part of an event with such a wonderful legacy and I can’t wait to welcome this year’s chefs and our guests to Northcote for another unforgettable festival.”
The full schedule is:
- Friday 22nd January: Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Northcote, Langho, Lancashire – 1 star
- Saturday 23rd January: Adejoké Bakare, Chishuru, Fitzrovia, London -1 star
- Sunday 24th January: Benoit Dewitte, Restaurant Benoit & Bernard Dewitte, Kruisem, Belgium -1 star
- Monday 25th January: Mikael Svensson, Kontrast, Oslo, Norway – 2 stars
- Tuesday 26th January: Pierre Minotti, Orrery Restaurant by Pierre Minotti, Marylebone, London
- Wednesday 27th January: Johnnie Crowe, Restaurant St. Barts, Smithfield, London -1 star
- Thursday 28th January: Kostas Papathanasiou, Lita, Marylebone, London – 1 star
- Friday 29th January: Petros Dimas, Makris, Athens, Greece -1 star
- Saturday 30th January: Catarina Correia, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, Leça da Palmeira, Portugal -2 stars
- Sunday 31st January: Mark Birchall, Moor Hall, Aughton, Lancashire – 3 stars
- Monday 1st February: George Kataras, Cue, Amsterdam, Netherlands -1 star
- Tuesday 2nd February: Simon Hulstone, The Elephant, Torquay, Devon – 1 star
- Wednesday 3rd February: James & Georgia Sommerin, Home, Penarth, Wales – 1 star
- Thursday 4th February: Lewis Barker, Terre, Castlemartyr, Cork, Ireland -2 stars
- Friday 5th February: Sameer Taneja, Benares, Mayfair, London -1 star
- Saturday 6th February: Patrick Williams, Kudu, Marylebone, London
- Sunday 7th February: James Martin, Celebrity Chef & TV Presenter; Galton Blackiston, No 1 Cromer, Norfolk; Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Northcote, Langho, Lancashire -1 star
Tickets are priced at £245 per person, including a Louis Roederer Champagne and canapé reception, five course menu, coffee and petit fours. A specially paired wine flight can be added, starting from around £70 per person. Ticket applications open on 12 November at Northcote.com and close on 15 November, with allocations confirmed on 16 November.
For more information visit https://www.northcoteobsession.com/.
