One of the great things about living in Manchester, is that not only do we have some amazing bars and restaurants in and around the city, but we also have some beautiful towns and villages to explore just around an hours drive away.

One such village, is Sedbergh, situated just south of Tebay. Exiting the M6 and turning right, takes you into the Yorkshire Dales, although Sedbergh is within the administrative area of Cumbria.

Known for its private school, which has numerous stunning buildings dotted around the village, it is also home to a culinary shining star, in the name of The Black Bull.

Owned and run by chef Nina Matsunaga and her partner James Ratcliffe, who had previously came to peoples attention with The Moocher, a street food company, that showcased wild game and other local ingredients.

The Black Bull Inn, is a former 17th century coaching inn, which the pair refurbished and opened in 2018, with it not being long before it started to receive applause from a number of well known food critics.

Taste of The Black Bull, is Ninas first tasting menu, which focuses on seasonal ingredients, with influences from her Japanese and German heritage.

We set off from Manchester on a cold Saturday afternoon at the start of December, with temperatures below freezing and snow on its way (Which later stranded people in their cars across Cumbria).

The drive from Manchester took 1hr 20mins, and we were soon turning into the car park, off the narrow, and picturesque high-street of Sedbergh.

As well as trying out their taster menu, we were also going to stay over in one of their rooms above, which are beautifully decorated, with ours having a free standing bath, in the huge bathroom.

After settling in and having a walk around the village, we decided to have a pre dinner drink in the bar.

Locals and visitors alike, were taking in the warmth of the bar, which was also dog friendly. Offering up a host of beers, some from local breweries, and have a wine list to cater for even the most fussy of wine drinkers at every price point.

After drinks and a freshen up, we made our way to the restaurant, which is across from the bar area. Shown to our table at the back of the restaurant, the decor was warm and sophisticated, with lots of natural elements, bringing the outside in.

The menu started with a trio of snacks.

Tuna Tartare was served in a crispy case, with soy which bought an umami hit and made you want more.

Pork Brawn and Lime, was melt in the mouth with citrus throughout, but not overpowering. It matched perfectly with the Riesling that we had ordered, and was the matched wine for the optional wine pairing.

The last of the trio was Brisket with Pickles, which had a beautiful Smokey flavour with a great taste of pepper, that lingered on the tastebuds.

Homemade Bread and seasoned cultured butter was next, and again they didn’t disappoint. Nduja butter on the warm bread warmed the soul, which was needed with snow now falling hard outside and coating the countryside like the scene from a Christmas card.

Next up was Celeriac and Apple, which had an acidity which excited the senses, combined with a sauce that was so creamy in the mouth, I almost wanted to lick the plate clean. I had to own up to not being a massive celeriac fan, but had to finish every little bit because of how good the sauce coating it was!

Locally sourced, yorkshire beef was next, served with an XO bringing more umami flavours to the perfectly cooked beef. A side of beef shin in bowl also went down a treat. To accompany this, I ordered a glass of Cote du Rhône, which helped to elevate this dish further.

We then moved onto the dessert dish of Dark Chocolate, Coffee and Yuzu, which like so many of the other dishes, was so well balanced, with different elements combining to bring complexity to such a simple looking dish.

Afterwards, there is also a small cheese board to finish off the evening.

The food here is amazing, and the staff were in the main fantastic too. It’s not stuffy as can sometimes be the case with taster menus, although I did question how much we had bonded with one of the servers when she apologised and stated ‘we have a problem with wind’, it turned out she meant that all the garnish on one of the dessert dishes had blown off as she was carrying it to the table!

At a cost of £79 per person for the taster menu or combined with bed and breakfast for a special price from £279 (Runs until 29th Feb 2024), its a bargain not to be missed – check out their website to book here

Disclaimer

We were invited to visit The Black Bull Inn to try the taster menu complimentary for honest feedback. The review and all opinions are those of Manchester Food Tourist and are honest.