New Michelin star blossoms within a short drive of Manchester

Ever wish there was an incredible, affordable Michelin star restaurant just a short drive from Manchester? Well, now there is. Heft in High Newton, just a few miles from Grange-Over-Sands, secured its first Michelin star at the award ceremony on 27 March 2023, making it one of the closest and most reasonably priced Michelin star restaurants within driving distance of Manchester.

Heft is the first independent restaurant from Kevin and Nicola Tickle, a couple whose pedigree includes Lake District heavyweights such as L’Enclume and Forest Side. On a visit last December, the menu was as assured and elegant. Set in a 17th-century coaching inn, the space has been converted into half ‘proper pub’ with roaring open fires, pints and doggy guests, and half fine dining.

Uniquely, dining guests are served the set tasting menu at the same time throughout the lunch and dinner service which makes for a refreshingly communal experience. The lunchtime menu (£37.50 at the time of dining – although you can expect this price to rise) is roughly 5 courses and showcases Lakes produce such as beetroot, cheese and foraged herbs and plants.

On our visit, thrills included inky lamb broth with ripples of crispy fat, homemade honeycomb in a sea buckthorn soup and 36hr slow cooked ox cheek, with curious delicacies like dittander — a type of peppergrass that’s a member of the mustard and cabbage family. The wine and overall drink list is refreshingly straightforward – think elegant French Malbec and a delightful Judith Beck Chardonnay.

Heft, which opened in 2021, was one of 20 restaurants awarded new stars last night, and the wider region of Cumbria now includes 10 Michelin One Star restaurants and 1 Michelin Three Star restaurant.  Of the award, Kevin and Nicola said: ‘’Being awarded a Michelin star is totally unexpected, we’ve just tried to do our best to bring a village pub back to life and put it back at the heart of the community that surrounds it. We really didn’t think we would be in the running this year, we really can’t describe what this means to us both, especially with all that’s been thrown at us in the last couple of years.”