<a target="_blank" href="http://www.theblackbullsedbergh.co.uk/">The Black Bull -
Sedbergh</a><a target="_blank">

</a>44 Main Street,

Sedbergh,Cumbria,&nbsp;LA10 5BLTel.&nbsp;+44 (0) 15396 20264

BY NEAL MARTIN | JANUARY 17, 2020

The
Food:

Wild
rabbit karaage

Pumpkin panna
cotta with grains and black pepper

Local
apple-fed goose, bone marrow dumpling with yuzu dressing and cabbage

Wild
halibut with butternut squash, corn, polenta and kale

Howgill
Herdwick lamb with Moroccan spices, lentil, apricot and squash, kale 

Chestnut
parfait, pecan and pear

Orange
mousse with aerated white chocolate and meringue 

Sticky toffee
pudding with vanilla ice cream

The
Wines:

<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>2017 Tasca
 d'Almerita Regaleali Bianco Sicily</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">89</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2017 Soto y Manrique Albillo
 Real La Viña de Ayer</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">83</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2018 Michel Delhommeau
 Muscadet Symbiose</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">87</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1975 Haut-Batailley</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">91</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2015 Aci Urbajs Modra
 Frankinja Organic Anarchy</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;86</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2017 Deboutbertin Aunis
 L’Étoilé</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">92</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>2017 Truffle Hound Unico Zelo</td>
 <td class="wysiwyg-text-align-right">88</td>
 </tr></tbody></table>

The Lake
District is a magnet for those seeking lakeside panoramas and bracing walks
across the fells, or simply wishing to retrace the path where Peter Rabbit
hopped out of Beatrix Potter’s imagination. For this writer, the allure of the
Lakes is strongest when they are veiled in midwinter gloom; it brings out the
majesty of the rain-lashed hills, tumbling screes and mountaintop tarns. Directly
east of the Lakes is the western flank of the Yorkshire Dales, a vast nothingness
of moorland, hidden valleys and babbling brooks populated by grazing sheep and
villages searching for a raison d’être. I headed here for a New Year break, to
the village of Sedbergh in the Lune Valley. It is one of this country’s three
official “book towns,” boasting eight independent bookshops and an annual book
festival, an initiative designed to boost the local economy after foot and
mouth disease. But I didn’t choose this destination for literary reasons; I
wanted to check out The Black Bull and booked two dinners during my stay.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276811427-black_bull_facade.jpg"> 

The main thoroughfare of Sedbergh.
Interesting positioning of Christmas trees, don’t you think? 

The Black
Bull is located in what was once a 17th-century coaching inn, its thick walls
sheltering guests from the inclement weather and manifesting a warm feeling of
coziness that the north of England excels at. A bar greets you at the entrance should
you fancy one of several excellent local ales, and the restaurant is snugly
fitted on the right. The owners are husband-and-wife team James Ratcliffe and
Nina Matsunaga. Ratcliffe trained in the hospitality industry before meeting
his wife in 2010. Matsunaga has Japanese parentage but was born and raised in
Düsseldorf, Germany. Together, they established a successful catering business
around Manchester before relocating back to the Lune Valley, where they founded
lauded café-cum-bakery The Three Hares, which is just a few meters down from The
Black Bull. They acquired The Black Bull in 2018 and – much like <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-the-wellington-arms-baughurst-uk-sep-2019">The&nbsp;Wellington Arms</a>, which I reviewed in a previous Vinous Table – turned the upper floors
into a smart, bijou hotel and the ground floor into the bar and restaurant. The
menu is just what you look for in a rural restaurant in these parts: locally sourced
traditional English dishes from Cumbrian farmers, ostensibly hearty fare to
warm you up after a hard day’s hiking over moorland. Matsunaga’s heritage lends
a subtle Japanese spin; you are unlikely to see karaage on many pub menus.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276830130-black_bull_karaage.jpg"> 

A nice touch: the karaage served in a
traditional Japanese wooden box 

And this
is where we began. I am a huge fan of karaage, which is deep-fried chicken
traditionally coated in soy, sake and ginger. (Mrs. M has perfected her own
recipe but refuses to reveal her secret ingredient.) Matsunaga uses wild rabbit
instead of chicken, a perfect substitute since it has a consistency similar to chicken
thigh, although pernickety me might have added a pinch more spice to the
coating.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276872779-black_bull_pumpkin_panna_cotta.jpg"> 

Pumpkin panna cotta – one of their best
dishes 

The other
starter was superb: shaved raw pumpkin served with pumpkin panna cotta and a
wafer biscuit with grains (caraway seeds certainly in the mix) and black pepper.
This was a knockout dish, subtle in flavor with just the right amount of
sharpness. And before I move on, I must mention the outstanding sourdough bread
that came with an equally outstanding pistachio butter.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276894332-black_bull_halibut.jpg"> 

Wild halibut with butternut squash, corn, polenta and kaleFor the
mains, we chose a variety of dishes. My wild halibut was perfectly cooked; likewise
the accompanying ring of butternut squash that delivered melt-in-the-mouth
consistency while the charred leeks provided crunchiness. The corn lent texture
to the creamy sauce and the kale contributed a welcome bite, lest the dish
taste cloying. This was a wonderful, surprisingly hearty dish that was very
well executed and displayed the subtlety of Matsunaga’s cooking. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276917012-black_bull_goose.jpg"> 

Local apple-fed goose, bone marrow dumpling with&nbsp;yuzu&nbsp;dressing and cabbageSince it
was the festive season, we had to order the locally sourced apple-fed goose in
a Japanese yuzu dressing with bone marrow dumplings and cabbage. The goose
was pink, perfectly cooked and without excessive fat. It combined beautifully
with the bone marrow dumpling, whose flavors oddly reminded me of chestnut. On
the other side of the table, it was obligatory, no-messin’, tummy-fillin’ beef
pie with creamy mash, the meat lean and packed full of flavor, the pastry crust
not too dry and not overly moist. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276950960-black_bull_lamb.jpg"> 

Howgill Herdwick lamb with Moroccan spices, lentil, apricot and squash, kaleOn the
second visit, I opted for the Howgill Herdwick lamb with Moroccan spices,
lentil, apricot and squash, and kale. This region is the cradle of Britain’s
finest four-legged animals that moo and bleat, and Herdwick is native to
hillsides above 1,000 feet and a favorite breed of sheep for many fancy London
restaurants. It was no surprise to find the lamb extraordinarily tender, though
had I not been on a meat-restricted diet, I might have wanted a little more on
my plate. It was hearty fare, rich in flavor and not overpowering; the lentils were
a wise choice since they kept the dish light and healthy. 

For dessert,
the chestnut parfait, pecan and pear was light and airy, the parfait
wonderfully executed, though I felt that the pecan flavor was a little too
subtle and needed to be brought out more. Better was the orange mousse with
aerated white chocolate and meringue, an irresistible combination, fresh and
light; slices of fresh orange imparted a welcome bitterness to offset the
sweetness. Both dishes were on the not-too-heavy side, unlike the sticky toffee
pudding, which oozed deliciousness and probably used up my entire calorie
intake for 2020.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276973430-black_bull_orange_mousse_copy.jpg"> The orange mouse with aerated white chocolate – probably the standout dessert 

The wine
list is definitely worth mentioning. Speaking to Ratcliffe about the vinous
fare and reading the preamble to the list, I noted a clear intention to create
an eclectic, perhaps “funky” list that seeks to expand horizons without
breaking the bank. One aspect I must commend is not just the range of wines by
the glass, but the fact that they stretch from entry level to the more
expensive wines. I also appreciate a menu that clearly explains and indicates
organic, biodynamic and low/no SO2 wines (orange wines were even separated into
their own section so I could avoid them!) There are a dozen or so Japanese sake,
although I did not partake on either visit. Prices are keen, with most bottles between
£30.00 and £60.00.

I started
with a Sicilian IGT, the 2017 Regaleali Bianco from Tasca. I
loved this. The nose bursts with red apple and floral aromas, hints of white
peach and shellfish emerging with time in the glass. The palate is both weighty
and decidedly saline, and blessed with a pleasant bite on the finish that keeps
you coming back for more. I do not drink Sicilian wines enough, and this modest
white was a reminder of how good they can be. Then I chose the 2017 Albillo
Real La Viña de Ayer from Soto y Manrique, from the Spanish DOP of
La Sierra de Gredos, because I had good experiences with this lesser-known
grape variety. Alas, this was not a great example, being worryingly deep in
color, rather flat on the nose and slightly oxidative on the palate, although it
demonstrated decent precision on the finish. The third white was a 2018
Muscadet Symbiose, courtesy
of Michel Delhommeau, which comes from three hectares of limonite soil.
There was a little cloudiness in the glass and I wanted a bit more salinity and
sea spray on the nose. The palate was better, delivering a pleasing sharpness and
energy. I finally found the desired tang of saltiness on the finish, mixed with
touches of pink grapefruit and stem ginger. Intuition tells me that another
bottle might taste better.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276987090-haut_batailley_1975.jpg"> 

For the
reds, the restaurant allowed corkage on a bottle of 1975 Haut-Batailley.
Left Bank wines born in this vintage have a propensity to be tannic and very
austere. This, plus the fact that in this era, Haut-Batailley was a rather down-at-heel
estate, meant that my hopes for this Pauillac were tempered. Well, blow me down
if this bottle didn’t exemplify everything I love about proper mature claret! Clear
in color with just a little bricking, it sported an elegant tobacco and autumn
leaf bouquet, thankfully replete with more residual fruit than other 1975s I
have encountered, maybe even compared to Grand Puy Lacoste. The palate is well
balanced, mellow and harmonious. There is nothing complex or profound; it’s what
you might call an “honest” mature Pauillac that is comfortable in itself. It
passed the crucial test: the bottle was polished off in no time at all. If you
happen to find an example with sound provenance, then it comes highly
recommended. 

At the
other end of the spectrum, I took a punt on the 2015 Modra Frankinja from
Aci Urbajs in Slovenia. This biodynamically grown Blaufränkisch cuvée is
limited to 600 bottles and sports a label that declares “ORGANIC ANARCHY.” Their
wine list alluded to Burgundy Pinot Noir in all but name, and though I think
there is a tangible difference, I can see where they are coming from. Black
plums and cola on the nose, and just a tad too much VA for my liking, although
I appreciated the soft, pliant palate and the balsamic-tinged red plummy fruit,
perhaps just missing a little complexity on the finish. The 2017 Aunis
L’Étoilé from Deboutbertin is 100% Grolleau from 3.5 hectares of
60-year-old vines close to Faye d’Anjou, matured for 12 months in old barrels
without any SO2 addition. Sound the “Natural Wine” klaxon! There was initially
a bit of funk on the nose (baby’s nappies!) although this ebbed away to reveal
attractive red cherry and cassis fruit. It really hit a home run on the palate,
delivering vivacious maraschino cherry fruit, blueberry and a touch of orange peel.
The wine came across as a delicious Loire red rather than a natural wine. Just
superb. Finally, a Barbera and Nebbiolo blend not
from Italy but from the Adelaide Hills. The 2017 Unico Zelo from
Truffle Hound oozes black currant and hints of camphor and licorice on the
nose, quite antipodean despite the blend, the palate lush and sweet with morello
cherry, cassis and hints of bubblegum on the finish. It did not pack a load of
complexity, but it was smooth and harmonious and kept its hedonistic tendencies
on a leash. I appreciated its easygoing, laidback personality and sheer drinkability.
&nbsp; <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1579276998192-modra_frankinja_bottle.jpg"> The Black
Bull is certainly worth a detour over to the “wrong” side of the M6. It’s not
fancy or pretentious, but Matsunaga gives the traditional dishes a sense of modernism
and sophistication, while at the heart of every mouthful is a sense of
meticulous sourcing from this most beautiful part of England. Restaurants such
as The Black Bull play a crucial role in attracting tourists and epicures to
less-traveled parts of the country, and reasonable prices mean that you are not
breaking the bank for either food or wine. And since the menu is being continually
tweaked, this is a place that will keep you coming back, as we did two days
after our first visit.

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