Northcote's Obsession festival raises £77,000 for Hospitality Action

Northcote’s Obsession festival, a celebration of culinary talent that attracts chefs from across the country, has raised over £77,000 for Hospitality Action.

The 17 day event at Northcote in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley saw 22 top chefs with 27 Michelin stars between them prepare dishes for over 1,500 diners.

It was the 25th anniversary of Obsession, which launched in 2001 and in that first year featured chefs including Phil Howard, Nick Nairn and Terry Laybourne. 

The 2025 event included chefs from Paris, Cape Town, Singapore and Denmark, as well as Northcote’s Lisa Goodwin-Allen.

Goodwin-Allen said: “Obsession has an extraordinary history, and I feel privileged to have been part of that history since day one. 

“Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth introduced this extraordinary event in 2001 at Northcote. The concept was unique for the UK and that’s what made it what it is today. I was proud to take over the reins in 2022 and bring collections of innovative chefs and a diverse range of cuisine to Obsession. It has been an honour to lead the 25th anniversary of this special event.”

Chefs who developed menus for a night at the festival included Rafael Cagali from Da Terra in London, Paul Cunningham from Henne Kirkeby Kro in Denmark, Michael Wilson from Marguerite, Singapore, and the Waterside Inn’s Alain Roux. 

Restaurant Pine’s chef-owner Cal Byerley said of the event: “Lisa asking us to take part in what is one of the UK’s top cooking events was pretty amazing for us both and it was a real honour to be involved.” 

Graeme Cheevers, chef patron of Unalome by Graeme Cheevers in Glasgow added: “I have always been a fan of the Obsession event and followed it throughout my cooking career. 

“Last year my wife asked if we could go to the 2025 event…months later I was asked to take part. It is a great event showcasing great chefs from all over the UK and further afield, bringing them together at Northcote. Scotland has fantastic ingredients, so I was delighted to be able to show these off in my dishes.” 

Vincent Crepel, head chef and founder of Terre at Castlemartyr Resort in Cork said he was grateful for the chance to join the Obsession event.

He added: “It was a wonderful opportunity to share a bit of what we do at Terre with the British market, and was truly inspiring to be among such talented chefs from near and far.”