Three Crowns: All change in the kitchen

PAUL COOKSON, head chef at the Three Crowns Restaurant and Inn at Scouthead, looks at his time at the pub so far since joining in January.

AFTER SERVING Charles Brierley at the White Hart at Lydgate for thirteen years, and then completing three years heading the kitchen team at Eric’s Restaurant in Lindley near Huddersfield, I have now made my way back over to Saddleworth to join Ray and Sue Hicks as Head Chef at the Three Crowns Inn at Scouthead.

Although I can’t claim to be a born and bread Oldhamer, being originally from Preston, I am reminded daily that I am now an honorary Oldhamer by my partner and two daughters who are definitely born and bred. Then there are still my Lancashire roots to thanks for my love of traditional food, and I am proud of the great produce the local areas have to offer.

So what’s new in the Three Crowns kitchen? Well, lots of organising with new equipment and staff which in turn means implementing changes to menus and service. It has been a very busy time despite the post Christmas quieter period this industry usually experiences.

What myself, Ray and Sue hope to achieve is to simplify the food by going back to basics but with a slight modern twist, using seasonal ingredients to give the customer what they expect from such a reputable, family-run business. We are always open to feedback as customer satisfaction is paramount to us so please speak to us when you visit.

To give you an insight to my seasonal cooking, there are quite a few slow cooked, braised and confit dishes on the menu. One is the braised beef with horseradish and parsley mash. The tender chuck we use is a fantastic piece of meat full of flavour. This is braised for over five hours with stock and lots of root vegetables.

I feel this is real comfort food and we’ve had some great comments on how this is just what most want on a cold Winter’s day. However, there are still the more modern dishes on offer alongside this using equally good and complimentary ingredients.

Moving forward, Valentine’s is around the corner so the menus are ready and on the website to view and the next big day will then be Mother’s Day so keep checking online as dates come up and the menus are changed to suit.

I hope this has given you a brief insight to what I and my food are all about. Future blogs will provide you with more focus on produce and menu ideas or recipes.

Hopefully we shall see you all soon at the Three Crowns!