Chef News is sponsored by the the Kitchen Porters Club
Northcote Obsession’25 is officially a wrap. With a star-studded line up featuring gastronomy’s elite and over £77,000 raised for Hospitality Action, there’s no denying that this year’s epicurean culinary festival was once again a resounding success.
Between 24th January and 9th February, 22 world class chefs with 27 Michelin stars between them visited the Ribble Valley as the annual Northcote Obsession festival celebrated a landmark 25th anniversary, helping to raise a significant amount of money for a charity very close to the heart of Northcote.
Honouring the 25-year milestone, Obsession returned to the culinary stage and firmly cemented its reputation as one of the most prestigious and internationally recognised gourmet festivals in Europe.
Some 1,572 guests enjoyed 97 different dishes with 88 matched wines in a stunning showcase of cuisine from chefs from all over the world. From Paris to Cape Town, Singapore to Denmark, Glasgow, Sussex, London and, of course, Lancashire as Northcote’s own Lisa Goodwin-Allen wowed the Obsession crowds with her usual mix of highly technical yet nostalgic cooking in a menu specially created for the event.
The festival culminated in a visit from highly acclaimed chef Alain Roux of the three Michelin starred The Waterside Inn on Sunday 9th February.
Commenting on Obsession’25, Lisa Goodwin-Allen said: “Obsession has an extraordinary history, and I feel privileged to have been part of that history since day one. Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth introduced this extraordinary event in 2001 at Northcote. The concept was unique for the UK and that’s what made it what it is today. I was proud to take over the reins in 2022 and bring collections of innovative chefs and a diverse range of cuisine to Obsession. It has been an honour to lead the 25th anniversary of this special event.
“Over the years I’ve seen so many incredible chefs work their magic on the pass and create everlasting memories for our guests. The passion and the excitement of Obsession is infectious. Beyond the incredible food, Obsession is a social gathering for industry professionals and food enthusiasts, it’s a place to network, connect and share a love for outstanding food and wine. Obsession25 has been extra special for the team, it has been a major milestone and to celebrate we invited some of the world’s best chefs to join us. It has been truly magical and we’re hugely thankful to everyone who made the journey to Northcote and helped to continue the legacy of this amazing event.”
This year, followers of Northcote’s social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook were treated to a host of behind-the-scenes footage, demonstrating not just the scale and organisational precision it takes to coordinate a festival like Obsession, but also the camaraderie felt by chefs and teams from all over the UK and Europe coming together at this exclusive event.
Below are the thoughts of just some of the chefs who took part in Obsession’25.
Restaurant Pine’s chef-owner Cal Byerley said: “Lisa asking us to take part in what is one of the UK’s top cooking events was pretty amazing for us both and it was a real honour to be involved.”
Graeme Cheevers, chef patron of UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers in Glasgow shared: “I have always been a fan of the Obsession event and followed it throughout my cooking career. Last year my wife asked if we could go to the 2025 event…months later I was asked to take part. It is a great event showcasing great chefs from all over the UK and further afield, bringing them together at Northcote. Scotland has fantastic ingredients, so I was delighted to be able to show these off in my dishes.”
Terre, Castlemartyr Resort in Cork’s head chef/found Vincent Crepel added: “I was very thankful for the chance to join the Obsession event in the UK. It was a wonderful opportunity to share a bit of what we do at Terre with the British market, and was truly inspiring to be among such talented chefs from near and far.”
Hélène Darroze & Marco Zampese of three-star Hélène Darroze at The Connaught in London concluded: “The British Isles have some of the finest produce in the world, and Obsession helps us keep that front and centre. It’s always such a diverse lineup of chefs, and it was a privilege to come together to celebrate that in such a beautiful area of the country.”
Chef News is sponsored by the the Kitchen Porters Club
