E may have dined in some of the finest eating establishments in the country and is clearly no stranger to finding his way around the kitchen.

But Michelin starred chef Nigel Haworth enjoys nothing more than tucking into a dish from his local Chinese Yu & You or feasting on a burger from Almost Famous.

But now the celebrated chef and owner of Northcote in Lancashire has turned his attention to his next culinary venture, The Nag’s Head in Tarporley, which opens on June 9.

Nigel, who secured the coveted Michelin star in 1996, said: “We are hoping for great things up at the Nag’s Head and will try our best to give Cheshire something special.

“We will be using some of the best suppliers, producers and farmers in Cheshire. I think the provenance of Cheshire hasn’t really been explored that well before.”

This will be Nigel’s fifth pub, having already opened The Three Fishes in Mitton, The Clog and Billycock in Pleasington, The Highwayman in Nether Burrow and The Bull at Broughton.

But Northcote is the jewel in his culinary crown and is where his heart lies after spending almost 30 years transforming the restaurant into a hotspot for fine dining.

He said: “Northcote is my home. It where I still cook and it has been 30 years of my life next year.

“I have made it my main focus in life outside of my family and it can be very demanding at times but it is also very rewarding.

“I have worked with Craig Bancroft for nearly 30 years. We have had a great partnership and it just works.”

Born in Lancashire, in 1958, Nigel trained as a chef at Accrington and Rossendale College and has worked at a string of restaurants including the Royal Berkshire Hotel in Ascot and the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. But it was his work at the multi-award winning Northcote that got him noticed by eagled-eyed inspectors for the Michelin Guide.

After many years as the owner of the prestigious accolade, Nigel knows there is no room to be complacent and always strives for perfection.

He added: “It’s like anything that you achieve you never take it for granted. It is a quality control standard which says you’ve got something special and I think that will always be the case for a Michelin star.”

Now Nigel is bringing his cooking talents to Cheshire for the first time, he promises it won’t disappoint and has worked with head chef Michael Carter to create a menu that ‘celebrates the local larder, the seasons, and excellent, artisan ingredients’.

* For more information about The Nag’s Head visit ribblevalleyinns.com or call 260265.