The Barn opened on 25 October 2017 – and will be the second dining room at Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms in Aughton, near Ormskirk, West Lancashire.
Chef/patron Mark Birchall, with business partners Andy and Tracey Bell, launched Moor Hall in spring 2017, and in the first six months there has been a cavalcade of awards and accolades, including a first Michelin star in early October.
The Barn will feature an informal 65-seat dining room on the first floor in the converted building adjacent to the main manor house. The interior design features original beams and rustic brickwork, with an open kitchen, integral bar.
Additionally, over the next few months, the ground floor will include a small dairy, bakery, meat-aging and curing room and a mini brewery – these facilities, along with the extensive gardens at Moor Hall, will make the food operation increasingly self-sufficient and sustainable. Mark and his kitchen brigade do also source ingredients from local farmers for much of their menus, in both The Dining Room and The Barn.
Collaborating with Mark Birchall will be The Barn’s Head Chef, Aaron Harris, who was previously at Sixty One Restaurant in London.
At lunch, The Barn will offer a three-course set menu, while at dinner there will be a more extensive à la carte menu. Typical dishes will range from Baked callop, leek and potato; Mushroom risotto with marrow and crispy chicken wing; Goosnargh chicken with celeriac purée, grilled gem lettuce, grains and cheese; and Herdwick lamb, broccoli, whey onions and anchovy; to 35-day Aged rib eye steak; Chocolate délice with almond and bitter orange; and Carrot cake with salted caramel, walnut and gingerbread ice cream.
The 50-bin international wine list will feature 15 by the glass.There will also be a strong cocktail list and a range of craft beer.