Restaurant review: The 3 Millstones Inn, Waddington Road, West Bradford, Clitheroe

Our latest ‘Dining Out’ review took us to a beautiful corner of the Ribble Valley, the tiny hamlet of West Bradford, just outside Clitheroe.
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Our destination was The 3 Millstones Inn, a charming and cosy rustic eaterie with real fires and rooms for those wanting to stay over in this lovely location.

Locally sourced

The 3 Millstones has been owned and run by Matthew Frost and wife Lauren since 2008.

Lamb dishLamb dish
Lamb dish
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Matthew is the head chef and is incredibly passionate about the business and creating dishes using locally sourced ingredients.

In 2016 they built the inn’s first five rooms in a building next to the restaurant, and in 2019 renovated the first floor of the restaurant to house a further five rooms.

However, a devastating fire last July caused heartbreak for the owners and extensive damage to the outdoor dining area. Thankfully, the restaurant, kitchen and rooms above were not affected by the fire.

Fastforward to early March and with a late winter nip in the air, what better way to warm hearts and bodies than a meal out in comfortable surroundings.

Pork dishPork dish
Pork dish
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Dining with my partner Andrea, we each chose a different course from a small but tempting menu.

Andrea opted for soup, a delicious and warming pea and ham, while I went with the very generously proportioned warm goat’s cheese.

Combination of flavours

Starters are often my favourite course and this one didn’t disappoint. The goat’s cheese arrived sat snugly on top of fire roasted red pepper, olives, grapes and toasted walnuts. A lovely combination of flavours which really worked well.

The restaurantThe restaurant
The restaurant

Other options for starters included Cornish crab cake, which came with rocket salad, radish, parmesan cheese, cucumber and lemon mayonnaise.

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Diners can also choose from a seafood tapas dish, fruit cocktail or crispy fillet beef strips. The latter tempted me but I opted to sate my carniverous appetite with my main course, a choice from the Specials menu of lamb.

Too often today, main meals arrive lonely and bereft of accompanying vegetables. Whilst not cheap, thankfully mains at The 3 Millstones arrive with plenty of ‘veg’.

My lamb came with perfectly cooked carrots, roast potatoes and sweet and crunchy red cabbage. The perfectly cooked lamb came in a rich and tasty gravy.

Crispy beefCrispy beef
Crispy beef

Andrea also opted for meat – roasted local chicken breast set on chorizo, pea and spring onion risotto, with a chive and white wine sauce. She said it was a winning combination of light but still filling ingredients.

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Other choices included slow cooked pork belly with braised savoy cabbage, Bury black pudding, creamy mashed potatoes and cider sauce; grilled plaice fillets topped with red onion, baby caper, parsley and brown butter sauce; and a 40 day dry aged ribeye steak with grilled vine tomatoes, sauteed button mushrooms, battered onions and hand cut chips or French fries.

Showstopper

For dessert, Andrea won the day with her choice of ‘Frosties Finale’. A showstopping melange of crushed meringue, honeycomb, marshmallows, vanilla fudge, caramel ice cream, chocolate brownies, butterscotch sauce and toasted almonds.

My fruit crumble was less decadent, tasty but perhaps lacking a little in fruit.

The 3 Millstones is a great choice for a special night out in lovely surroundings. For those wishing to explore this stunning corner of Lancashire, it must surely also be a great place to lay one’s head.