The Cartford Inn: Lancashire's quirky home of hospitality

Sound a bit odd? That’s what I thought, but after staying in one for the night I fell completely in love with them. They’ve been beautifully designed, with works from local artists all over the walls, an incredible sound system hooked up to a record player, an iPad to control everything and the cabins themselves built from old floorboards and heated with eco-friendly heat pumps. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Lancashire, there really isn’t anywhere better.

After spending the night at The Cartford, tasting the food with Chris and enjoying some of the best hospitality I’ve experienced in a long, long time, we got up early to go foraging. Chris loves going out into the Fylde countryside, and as soon as we got to Pilling Sands I knew we were in for a treat. Huge swathes of saltwater marshland stretched out in front of us, and as we walked out Chris started picking samphire, sea purslane and sea coriander from the ground. These salty, umami-rich ingredients are used with abandon on The Cartford’s menu, but what really struck me is how beautiful this part of Lancashire is. The Fylde is often overshadowed by Blackpool’s sometimes questionable reputation; drive just a few miles out, however, and you’re rewarded with some absolutely stunning countryside.

Chris doesn’t just rely on his own foraging skills to keep his larder stocked, however. He works closely with some brilliant suppliers to source everything from fruit and vegetables to meat, fish and even the crockery he serves his food on. We didn’t have time to visit them all, but the ones we did echoed everything I experienced at The Cartford: a clear passion for craftsmanship and a commitment to producing the very best.

The world of farming is a bit of an unknown to those of us who don’t live in the countryside – something that became apparent when Chris took me to meet Rob Mason, who supplies the restaurant with lamb. His flock is far from average; Rob specialises in Texel sheep, a slightly intimidating rare breed originally from a Dutch island that looks like it is made from pure muscle. As we walked through the fields to take a look at the animals, Rob’s enthusiasm for things like crossbreeding, agricultural tech and farming life really shone through – perhaps that’s why he keeps winning awards for his sheep. Chris says the meat he gets from Rob is some of the best they’ve ever had at The Cartford, and whenever it goes on the menu he’s sure to point out that you can see the field where the sheep were reared from the restaurant itself.

There aren’t many fourteen year olds out there who can say they’ve set up and run a successful business, but Thomas Hayton is one of them. He’s the proud owner of a smallholding full of Saddleback pigs – some of which are very rare indeed – which he looks after and rears before selling to chefs like Chris. It all started when he asked for a pig for his birthday, and rather than being a passing interest (which fourteen-year-olds are prone to having) pig-rearing turned into a true passion. His rare breed pigs now win awards at local country shows; he’s expanded his smallholding to accommodate more animals and he looks after his pigs entirely by himself, often getting up in the early hours before school to clean them out. His father says he’s found Thomas asleep in the pen with his beloved pigs before, and it’s obvious he makes sure they’re incredibly well looked after. These must be some of the happiest pigs in the county.

All good chefs take the time to build up relationships with the people who supply their ingredients, but Chris goes one step further and ensures the plates and bowls his food is served on are produced by local artisans too. Just a short drive away from the restaurant is Pilling Pottery, where Dylan Cross creates handmade crockery for the restaurant. Experimenting with different glazes means his creations truly are works of art, and when I visited Dylan and Chris were discussing the shapes and sizes of various bowls so they would perfectly match specific dishes. It seems everywhere you turn in Lancashire there is an artisan at work, and at The Cartford Inn you can see, taste and experience all of their beautiful products.

Of all the fantastic places I visited while in Lancashire, it was The Cartford Inn that stood out the most. The people working there, the unfussy but delicious, comforting food and the inn itself made it one of the best places I’ve visited in quite a while. Patrick and Julie have created something so unique and pleasant in the heart of the North West, and in Chris they’ve found a stellar chef that knows exactly what people want to eat. I can’t recommend it enough.

For more information on Lancashire's fantastic food scene, take a look at the Visit Lancashire website.