Last Updated on June 11, 2025
The Three Fishes: A Historic Gastropub in the Heart of Ribble Valley
4.9 out of 5.0 starsThe Three Fishes, a sixteenth-century historic coach house, is located in the village of Mitton in the beautiful Ribble Valley, Lancashire. This pub and restaurant, named in the top fifty gastropubs, has been lovingly renovated by the renowned chef Nigel Haworth, formerly of Northcote, where he earned the restaurant’s first Michelin star. The Three Fishes has a spacious restaurant with comfortable chairs, a bar area, and a lovely outdoor terrace ideal for dining and drinking in the summer months.
Set behind the terrace is a large organic farm kitchen garden used to grow herbs and vegetables for the kitchen. The long rows of beds are no-dig, with a rich topping of organic compost laid on top of the seeds. A large polytunnel ensures that tender plants get a good start; the weather can be quite cold in this part of the country. Where possible, plants are left to go to seed, rather than being pulled up immediately.
Nigel Haworth has a passion for producing exceptional dishes from top-quality ingredients. He sources ingredients from local ethical suppliers, using, amongst others, Ribble Valley Farm Fare. The menus at The Three Fishes change with the seasons to make the most of readily available produce. Speciality time-limited menus add diversity to the main menus; currently, Nigel Haworth is showcasing lesser-known fish in his Forgotten Fish series of evenings.
Three main menus are available for diners: the seasonal Farm-to-Fork menu, the à la carte Choice menu, and a Plant-Based menu. The traditional pub classic, fish & chips, is offered on Fridays, with roast dinners available on Sunday lunchtimes.
We were invited to The Three Fishes for a tour of the farm kitchen garden followed by the seven-course Farm-to-Fork menu; there are options to choose either five or seven courses, with paired wines for an additional charge.
Our visit was in May; the beds for growing vegetables were relatively empty, and the polytunnel was full of seedlings waiting for the weather to be warm enough to plant them out. Trays of micro plants and clumps of edible flowers, including cornflowers, used as garnish in the kitchen, added colour to the greenhouse.
The seasonal Farm-to-Fork menu was an exceptional experience, one I would highly recommend. We started the evening with a glass of Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine from the award-winning Kent vineyard.
A plate of Nigel’s Lancashire cheese bread rolls swiftly appeared, soft and delicious cheesy rolls with whey butter, parsley pesto, and black pea hummus. They were very moreish; I would love the recipe.
Our first course was new season’s English asparagus, vibrant asparagus tips, goat’s curd, claytonia, pea shoots, and garden flowers with a drizzle of oil. The asparagus was fresh and crunchy, and the goat’s curd was soft and light.
The second course, titled wild sorrel soup, featured an Orkney scallop resting on a bed of bright green sorrel sauce served with baby leeks. The scallop was smooth, succulent, and very tasty. We accompanied this dish with the paired wine, Malvasia Eguren Ugarte Rioja, a fruity white Rioja.
For the main course, we dined on herb-fed chicken with garlic shoots, celeriac purée, and Café au Lait sauce. The chicken was soft, tender, and full of flavour. To accompany this dish, we sampled the paired wine Spat Burgunder, Von Buhl, 2021, a light and vibrant pinot noir.
The next course highlighted Lancashire cheese, aptly named “A Length of Lancashire.” An assortment of tasty, creamy, or crumbly local cheeses presented on a board with chutney and house-made biscuits. I particularly enjoyed Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire, a delicious handmade cheese, and the deep mature taste of Shorrock’s cheese.
The fifth course brought us to the sweet section of the menu. Alphonso mango with coconut blossom cream and lime granita. The dish was beautifully presented, the mango velvety and delicious, with the lime giving it zingy freshness.
Following on was the strawberry soufflé; the time taken to cook this gave us a welcome pause to the evening. The soufflé was perfectly risen, light, and full of flavour, and the clotted cream ice cream was heavenly.
The seventh course was homemade Eccles cakes; we were all replete by this point in the evening, so we chose to take them home to enjoy another time.
The Farm-to-Fork menu is exceptional; the freshness and quality of the ingredients used shine through. This would be an excellent choice for a memorable, special occasion.
We returned to The Three Fishes for lunch the following day. The sun was shining; it was a great day for eating alfresco on the terrace. It was Friday, so what could have been better than fish and chips? Delicious triple-cooked chips with a crunchy exterior and pieces of lovely whiting in a crispy batter, served with fresh buttery peas.
If you are visiting the beautiful Ribble Valley, why not stay at the award-winning luxury Everything Retreat, a short drive or taxi ride away from The Three Fishes? The Everything Retreat has twelve luxury lodges, sleeping two adults. The accommodation at the Everything Retreat is adults only. Each lodge has its own patio complete with seating and a hot tub. This is an idyllic, peaceful spot to stay in with fabulous rural views of the surrounding countryside.
The lodges are modern and stylishly furnished with full facilities for a self-catering holiday. There is a bar and restaurant on site if you wish to have a completely relaxing visit. Everything has been thought of, as the name suggests.
We were hosted at the Everything Retreat for an overnight stay in a lodge with a continental breakfast. The breakfast was delivered to the lodge in the morning in a sturdy wooden box. There was fresh milk and juice, muesli, yoghurt, and fresh fruit. Freshly baked pastries, little rolls of butter, bread, cheese, and home-cooked ham. It was a perfect breakfast to get the day off to a good start.
We were invited to visit the organic farm garden at The Three Fishes, dine from the seven course Farm-to-Fork menu, with a traditional fish & chips lunch the following day.
For more information on The Three Fishes, including menus and opening times, and to make a reservation (booking is highly recommended). The five-course or seven-course Farm-to-Fork menu is available from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch or an evening meal.
The Three Fishes, Mitton Road, Mitton, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB79PQ. Telephone: 01254 826666. reservations@thethreefishes.co.uk. Food is served from Wednesday to Sunday.
Click here to find out more details and availability for the Everything Retreat.
Everything Retreat, Pendle View Lodges, Primrose Lane, Mellor, Lancashire, BB2 7EQ. Telephone: 01254 965 095. hello@everything-retreat.com.
The beautiful Ribble Valley is easily reached by train, with a journey time of just over two hours, from London Euston to Preston station if you choose not to drive. The Three Fishes by Nigel Haworth is a short distance from the Everything Retreat.
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