Lisa Goodwin-Allen's cooking is playful and twists the hallmarks of Lancastrian cuisine to invoke new tradition.
Many commentators have tended to fix upon the fact that Lisa Goodwin-Allen is one of only a handful female chefs to reach the top of her industry (Frances Atkins, Clare Smyth, Mary Ann Gilchrist and Angela Hartnett are other notable examples) with Lisa herself admitting that, ‘[for women] it is quite a challenge’. The fact that Lisa has prospered suggests that she possesses a great deal of spirit to go with an abundance of raw talent.
Yet, equal regard should be given to the fact that Lisa was handed the position of head chef while at the tender age of twenty-three, and after only a couple of years of service at the restaurant – originally she had been employed as a demi-chef de partie.
Her mentor at the culinary institution of Northcote is ambassador Nigel Haworth, who saw the potential in her cuisine soon after she joined Northcote. The Lancashire-born pair enjoy a symbiotic relationship based on a shared interest in local produce and a love of the region’s cuisine. ‘We have a very honest relationship,' she says. 'Nigel trusts me, I trust him, we often ramble on about what we could do, how we could make something better.' Today, she is executive chef at Northcote, taking over the kitchen fully from Nigel as he moves into an ambassadorial role.
Lisa's cooking is playful and, like her mentor, she twists the hallmarks of Lancashire cuisine to invoke new tradition. A great example of this can be seen from her appearances on Great British Menu, where in one memorable episode she reimagined Kendal mint cake (a confectionery item hailing from Kendal, Lancashire) as a delightful dessert, serving it with strawberries and meringue.
