Northcote’s Obsession raises £85,000 for charity

Northcote’s Obsession culinary festival has raised £85,000 for charity after 17 guest chef nights. 

The hotel in Lancashire, which was bought by Alf and Clare Ellis last year, hosted 20 chefs across the festival, which ran from 23 January to 8 February 2026.

The chefs, who come from restaurants holding a total of 27 Michelin stars, prepared 117 different dishes enjoyed by 1,698 guests over the course of the festival, raising £85,000 for Hospitality Action and Eye Nepal.

Last year Northcote won the Best Marketing Campaign Award at the 2025 Cateys for its work and charitable contributions over 25 years of the Obsession festival. It was credited with a marketing strategy that had delivered exceptional reach, sales and engagement.

Northcote managing director Craig Bancroft said: “Obsession 2026 has been phenomenal. Welcoming 20 world-class chefs to the Ribble Valley and raising £85,000 for charity is an achievement the entire team is incredibly proud of. Every year we ask ourselves, ‘How can we possibly match last year?’ – yet somehow, we always find a way. That’s what happens when a dedicated team comes together with a shared passion to achieve something truly special.

“The atmosphere this year has been electric – from the kitchens to the dining room and now through the podcast as well, which added a whole new element of fun that everyone embraced wholeheartedly. Obsession continues to evolve, but the heart of it remains the same: incredible chefs, exceptional food and wine, and a real sense of community. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Discussing the podcast, in which she chatted with guest chefs, chef-patron and director Lisa Goodwin-Allen said: “We wanted to do something a little bit different this year. We’re always looking at how we can improve Obsession and with the podcast we thought it would be great to really get under the skin of the chefs and to find out why they’ve created certain dishes, what inspires them and, of course, to have a bit of fun along the way.”