Cassis at Stanley House

Decked out in a modish mix of patterned wallpapers, carpet, & plush velvets in shades of purple, Cassis at Stanley House near Blackburn, will not be to everybody’s taste. With its gilt chairs & candelabras, it’s all rather kitsch by Ribble Valley standards. So it comes as some surprise to find such a serious talent as Warwick Dodds cooking there, fresh from seven years’ experience down the road at Northcote Manor. Dodds’ refined take on country house dining ranges from cannelloni of lobster, crunchy fennel, lobster & citrus foam, to confit pork belly, celeriac, black pudding, sage beignet. A more traditional three-course Sunday lunch (£22.00) promises earthier fare like soups, terrines, roasts & old-fashioned puddings. The cooking is more than a match for the decor & now, with stronger service & an expanded wine list, the ambitious young team at Cassis is ready to prove that substance rules over style.