The Cook in the North

The Cook in the North I'm Shaun, travelling private chef for hire in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Lake District & beyond. I come to your home or holiday cottage and cook

Canapés and a three course meal for 40 guests!A huge thank you to the team at Growing with Grace for picking 200 of thei...
27/07/2026

Canapés and a three course meal for 40 guests!

A huge thank you to the team at Growing with Grace for picking 200 of their beautiful organic edible flowers to decorate these starters - honeydew melon and cured serrano ham with raspberry balsamic glaze, fresh pea shoots and nasturtiums. A very colourful start to welcome diners to the tables.

At The New Hobbit holiday let, Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire
Edible flowers from Growing with Grace in the Yorkshire Dales
Private dining by The Cook in the North, independent travelling private chef in the North of England

This is my butcher Nathan at his shop here in Barnoldswick, who sources and prepares all of the meat I use (like this po...
18/07/2026

This is my butcher Nathan at his shop here in Barnoldswick, who sources and prepares all of the meat I use (like this pork belly destined for a meal in Whitby). I'll admit to being a bit fussy on my customers' behalves and particular about everything, but we work really well together and the meat is always spot on. I get endless compliments from diners about the quality of the local beef, lamb, pork, turkey and chicken, which I always pass on to Nathan, his wife Lucy and their little team. We have some great traditional food suppliers in and around our town - drawing on local farms and producers in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria - which all form an integral part of the service I provide as an independent travelling private chef.

Read about Nathan Brown Butchers and the other places I source ingredients from at thecookinthenorth.com/ingredients

Vanilla panna cotta with crystallised root ginger. Great with Yorkshire rhubarb and brown sugar compote. Photographed wh...
18/07/2026

Vanilla panna cotta with crystallised root ginger. Great with Yorkshire rhubarb and brown sugar compote. Photographed while I was making these on the clifftops near Whitby... they look like the kind of dessert you'd eat in the sunshine, surrounded by garden flowers, listening to the waves and looking out to sea.

'He absolutely delivered' - 5 stars:"We hired Shaun to cook a surprise birthday dinner for my Mum at a private cottage w...
15/07/2026

'He absolutely delivered' - 5 stars:

"We hired Shaun to cook a surprise birthday dinner for my Mum at a private cottage we were renting, and I genuinely can't recommend him highly enough.

From the very first enquiry the experience was seamless. The website made it easy to check dates and get a rough idea on cost, and the automated confirmation system was a great touch - we knew instantly where we stood. What impressed me most early on was the turnaround; we booked fairly last minute and Shaun had us fully planned and confirmed with a bespoke menu within days.

As a group we weren't the simplest to cater for - one nut allergy, one vegan, one vegetarian - but Shaun navigated it all with complete confidence. Every person had a meal that was personalised to their needs, which isn't easy across that mix. All ingredients were fresh and sourced from local suppliers, and the menu choices were seasonal and well thought out. I particularly appreciated that Shaun wasn't just order-taking - he'd offer suggestions and steer you in the right direction. We gave him a couple of choices, highlighted the foods our Mum liked and trusted his judgement - and he absolutely delivered.

This was the theme for the entire evening - Shaun managed everything in the background, working around us so we could just enjoy the night. When we were late back from a daytrip he adapted without any fuss, offering different timing suggestions and tailoring things to us. When he was done, the kitchen was spotless - true to form, not a trace he'd even been there.

Every dish arrived beautifully presented, and the food was just as impressive as it looked - the flavours were incredible, everything was well balanced and the combinations worked perfectly together. Shaun walked you through what you were eating and that kind of personal touch is what made the whole evening feel genuinely special. For one person cooking solo for five people, what he produced was incredible.

Most importantly, my Mum had the most wonderful evening - thank you Shaun, a night we won't forget."

James Freeman

Booked me as a private chef in Skipton to cook a surprise birthday meal
Broughton Sanctuary

Heading down to a cottage in Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby, ready to cook for a family over from the United States holida...
14/07/2026

Heading down to a cottage in Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby, ready to cook for a family over from the United States holidaying with grandparents from Yorkshire. The meal was booked and organised from America so all that's left for them to do today is get the jetlagged kids to bed, relax and enjoy the meal.

Raspberry and strawberry pavlova for one, as an alternative to the panna cotta the rest of the group were tucking into i...
14/07/2026

Raspberry and strawberry pavlova for one, as an alternative to the panna cotta the rest of the group were tucking into in a seaside cottage on the Yorkshire coast.

For this I used raspberry coulis from Hawkshead Relish company in the Lake District after picking up a bottle at near Kendal, plus freshly picked organic mint leaves from Growing with Grace in the Yorkshire Dales near Settle.

Leaving Hazel Brow House with its beautiful sunny views from Low Row up, down and across Swaledale. I was asked to cook ...
12/07/2026

Leaving Hazel Brow House with its beautiful sunny views from Low Row up, down and across Swaledale. I was asked to cook for a lovely intimate wedding here... what a stunning backdrop to the ceremony, drinks and meal - all of which were held outside with this view.

At Hazel Brow Farm & House in Low Row, Swaledale

The way home tonight: head to the mountain in the far distance and turn left.After cooking a vegan meal at a beautifully...
11/07/2026

The way home tonight: head to the mountain in the far distance and turn left.

After cooking a vegan meal at a beautifully sunny wedding in Low Row it's a drive up Swaledale, over into Wensleydale and over into Ribblesdale. Then down Ribblesdale, up to the edge of Airedale and I'm home!

This photo's from the top of Buttertubs Pass, looking towards Hawes and, furthest way, Ingleborough (my left turn at Ribblehead Viaduct).

The dining room at Fallbarrow Hall in Bowness, decorated for a 90th birthday meal. 22 diners - family of all ages - were...
11/07/2026

The dining room at Fallbarrow Hall in Bowness, decorated for a 90th birthday meal. 22 diners - family of all ages - were there to make the day special. On the menu: prawn cocktails, beef wellington, salmon en croûte and chocolate fondant puddings.

At Fallbarrow Hall, Bowness-on-Windermere

'Doughball-mini-hotdogs' for a repeat booking family visiting for a second year from the USA. They wanted canapés that e...
09/07/2026

'Doughball-mini-hotdogs' for a repeat booking family visiting for a second year from the USA. They wanted canapés that everyone of all ages would enjoy so I asked my local butcher to make these tiny sausages. What a great reaction this tray got when it was taken out into the garden before the meal - the kids in particular immediately stopped their games of football and rushed over (though I think they had to fight the grown ups!).

At a Yorkshire Dales holiday cottage in Bolton Abbey.
Sausages from Nathan Brown traditional family butcher, Barnoldswick

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Barnoldswick

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+447379818840

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