The Three Fishes Mitton Near Whalley

The Three Fishes is certainly one of the best known pubs in the Ribble Valley, getting much publicity in the national press for it's food. In many ways it represents the Ribble Valley to those visiting the area, but I find it has a lot more in common with the foodie pubs you find in places like Berkshire or Oxfordshire.

Arty photos of local food producers adorn the walls and your menu has a map showing the location of the various ingredients of your food order. I always permit myself a slight chuckle at the fact that most of the fish comes from that famous nautical town Clitheroe (no sea for 50 miles?). Saying that, the Wellgate Fisheries in Clitheroe is top notch.

This being a foodie pub, you're not encouraged to hang around the bar, though you are supposed to order everything there. I'm still not 100% sure how you're supposed to order at the Three Fishes, despite having eaten there numerous times.

Beer is mainly Thwaites (and some excellent bottled beers) with a good variety of wines and some rather expensive soft drinks for the kids. The main draw is the food, though, so it's not the kind of place you'd feel comfortable in if you're dripping in sweat after a 100km cycle ride through the Ribble Valley hills.

Food, it must be said, can be a disappointment at times. On a number of occasions we've walked away thinking that this isn't really the best local food. The 'House Cured Meats' was meagre and rather bland while the 'Goosnargh Chicken in Broth' was like something you'd knock up at home when you'd run out of ingredients and had to raid the cupboard. Saying that, we've also had some excellent food there. A recent Christmas dinner was superb and their chicken liver pate is the best I've ever tasted and a meal in itself. I would make sure to read between the lines of the rather flowery descriptions, and realise the food is probably going to be a lot more basic than it sounds.

My advice is to lower your expectations slightly, get in there early as it gets packed, and realise that this is actually a Southern style gastro pub rather than a true Ribble Valley Pub.