We're willing to bet that Lancashire has never seen anything like it. Shaun confesses, though, that his iconic 'Cherry Ripe' dish - a take on the classic Australian chocolate bar - won't be making an appearance. The intricate masterpiece includes a foie gras mousse, coconut espuma and a bitter dark chocolate powder, the whole thing made to look like a single, glossy cherry.

"It would have been impossible to recreate, as I couldn't bring over all the special moulds we need. Hopefully when Northcote's guests are next in New York, they might be able to pop into Juni and try it!"

But despite the time difference and the 3,000 mile distance, he will still be deploying his philosophy - intrinsically rooted in seasonality and terroir. "I have been able to speak with Nigel in great depth about the abundance and range of ingredients they have there in season at the moment. We've been talking through the menu as if we were in each other's kitchens!" It's an ideal marriage, he says: sourcing the best and ripest local Lancashire produce and applying his New York modernist style. "Luckily the North of England seems to be blessed with excellent game, seafood and organic vegetables."

After traveling all the way across the Atlantic - will there be any time to enjoy some of the other culinary excitement at Obsession? "There is going to be a bit of a cross over with chef Margot Janse from Le Quartier Francais, so I really hope to be able to try out some of her cooking backstage in the kitchen. I really admire what she is doing in South Africa, and I'm keen to taste some of her indigenous ingredients too." What a treat for Lancashire.