IT caused a few raised eyebrows in the culinary world when double Michelin star winning chef Robert Owen-Brown turned up at a small pub in Stoneclough.
He has worked at top restaurants in France and Italy, the Midland Hotel in Manchester, Chester's Grosvenor and latterly Manchester gastro-pub The Bridge.
But last year, the Ainsworth based cook arrived at the Lord Nelson Hotel, with a vision of providing high-quality cuisine in more traditional surrounds.
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As you walk through its front door, there's little to suggest it's anything other than an ordinary local; standard decor, the usual scattering of fruit machines and kids running around outside.
However, its right half houses a busy restaurant.
With quality lagers and real ale to choose from, I whetted my appetite with a couple of pints of well-kept Lancaster Bomber.
Owen-Brown is fanatical about British food and ingredients, and it shows - Scottish salmon, local game and Irish Mussels all feature.
Sadly his "Farnworth Ham", a local take on the Parma variety using pigs bred in Ringley, was off the menu so I instead plumped for a sublime Rawtenstall black pudding cake with poached egg and bearnaise sauce.
My girlfriend, Clara, tried the deliciously sweet potted Morecambe bay shrimps with baby leaves and brown toast.
The menu features a "favourites"' section, including beefburgers, Lancashire hotpot and steak and kidney pudding, which offer great value at between £6 and £8.60.
But we couldn't resist choosing from the full menu. As a main, I opted for crispy slow roast pork belly, which melted in the mouth, and came with caramelised apple and beetroot.
Clara had braised lamb shank with thyme and spring vegetable, which came with a rich and tasty gravy. Both meals were served on a bed of mash.
While some of the menu items - dumplings, smoked haddock, onion tart - may not seem fashionable, they stay true to the vision of traditional fare done well and served attractively.
One of the nicest aspects of dining at the Lord Nelson was the relaxed atmosphere. Unlike some of Manchester's swanky restaurants, which can seem all about appearance, the focus is on food and there is no pressure to get dressed up.
And, despite appearing harrassed at their workload, the friendly and genuine attitude of the table staff was a breath of fresh air.
The only disappointment was a mix-up with the wine. Having ordered the house white, we were first brought a chilled red before the bottle we wanted arrived lukewarm.
The hefty portions left us too full to tackle the desserts, which included poached pear, local ice creams and cheeses and Eccles cake with cream.
After settling a £47 bill, which included the wine, we rolled home happy after a pleasant evening all round.
Lord Nelson Hotel, Ringley Road, Stoneclough, Kearsley M26 1GT. Tel: 01204 579302.
Opening hours: Mon to Thur, noon to 3pm and 5pm to 9pm; Fri to Sun, noon to 9.30pm.
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