Manchester has its fair share of great pubs, but when it comes to a hearty meal after a walk in the countryside, you need to venture a little further out in the city. Luckily for Mancs, you’ll find top-notch pub grub and cosy vibes within an hour’s drive of the city centre – including some award-winning gastropubs too.
The Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK for 2026, which are voted for by the hospitality industry, were revealed yesterday (January 26). It is a list of the best places to eat chosen by peers, meaning these highly acclaimed venues are being recognised as the best in the business by the most influential people.
One of Britain’s cosiest pubs and top 10 gastropubs is just an hour from Manchester
One pub nestled in the rolling hills of the glorious Ribble Valley and only an hour from Manchester made the top 10 and is certainly one to visit. The rural pub and restaurant The Rum Fox came in ninth place, and has been described as “one of Britain’s cosiest pubs” by the Good Food Guide, while the Michelin Guide praises its “textbook execution”.
Other gastropubs included on the Top 100 Gastropubs list in and around the North West region were Parkers Arms (Newton-in-Bowland, Lancashire) in 7th place, The White Swan at Fence (Fence, Pendle) in 51st place, The Pack Horse (Hayfield, High Peak) in 66th place, The Three Fishes (Mitton, Lancashire) in 70th place, The White Hart (Lydgate, Oldham) in 85th place and Manchester’s own The Edinburgh Castle in 58th place.
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The stylish country pub and restaurant in Grindleton, just a few miles away from the Lancashire town of Clitheroe, was previously called The Buck Inn but was put up for sale in 2019. Locals campaigned to bring back the pub as the village had lost both its pubs, but luckily in 2023 the pub reopened as The Rum Fox, by chef-proprietor Bob Geldeard, who was also a former head chef at the other closed pub in the village, the Duke of York.
But appearing in the Top 50 Gastropubs in the UK list is not The Rum Fox’s only accolade – it is one of only two restaurants in Lancashire to have been named in the Good Food Guide 2024 for the 100 best local restaurants.
What to expect at The Rum Fox in Grindleton
The Top 50 Gastropubs praised The Rum Fox’s seasonal menu, which “boasts delicacies such as pig cheek, treacle-glazed, crispy pork bits, champ potatoes, black pudding, apple caramel, and Doddington cheese soufflé, cheese sauce, and onion chutney for starters.” Diners will also find the likes of Wild Morecambe seabass, garlic-roasted potatoes, smoked bacon, creamed cabbage and chicken truffle butter sauce, as well as dry-aged sirloin of beef, smoked bacon and potato gratin, trompette mushrooms, roscoff onion, and bordelaise sauce on the main menu.
The Rum Fox also offers a seven-course tasting menu and a Sunday lunch menu that offers traditional roasts along with innovative dishes such as Curried Eaves Hall Farm goat pie and partridge Wellington.
In addition to the main pub area, The Rum Fox also has The Den, an intimate dining area for up to 10 people, which has its own menu. With a comforting menu, roaring fire and plenty of walks nearby in the Forest of Bowland, The Rum Fox solidifies itself as one of the cosiest pubs.
How to get to The Rum Fox and book a table
The Rum Fox is located at Sawley Rd, Grindleton, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4QS. The pub is an hour’s drive from Manchester city centre, taking the M60, heading north onto the M66, followed by the A56, then A59. You can also get a train from Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe, which takes 1 hour and 17 minutes, followed by a 16-minute journey on the 66 bus to the village of Grindleton.
You can book a table in the main pub or The Den via The Rum Fox website here.