The story
The Blind Bull sits at Little Hucklow, SK17 8RT, in High Peak, where a modern British kitchen cooks inside a 12th-century inn. The Good Food Guide rated it Good for 2026, and the menu changes with the seasons.
The owners cook bold, simple food built on good ingredients, with suppliers they know well. They aim to source 80% of the kitchen's produce within 10 miles of the pub. A fruit, vegetable and herb garden supplies some plates directly, so the kitchen often works from what is growing outside the door.
Recent plates praised by the Guide include wild mushroom and Hartington Bomber twin ravioli with king oyster mushroom and gremolata, and roast lamb rump with braised carrot and Cambridge sauce. Desserts take pub classics into smaller portions, such as warm Bakewell tart and sticky toffee pudding with ginger ice cream. The weekday lunch bar menu runs from battered sausage with curry sauce to seaweed-cured cod with pickled cucumber.
The ground floor has comfortable armchairs around the hearth and a conservatory that puts food first. Upstairs, a few tables sit close to the open kitchen. Dogs are welcome in both dining and overnight stays, with water bowls and treats at the bar. The ground floor is step-free and has an accessible toilet.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Dating from the 12th century and secluded even in this quiet corner of the Peaks, this classic (and beautifully restored) country pub – real ales, open fires, dogs – has a seriously ambitious kitchen. But make sure you arrive hungry in order to make the most of the ever-changing seasonal menu, which shows off the owners’ dedication to local producers. The main action is on the ground floor, where there are comfy armchairs around the hearth for drinkers and a conservatory space that puts food first. Upstairs, a handful of tables are laid out within metres of the open kitchen, which allows you to scope out the full range of food on offer. On weekday lunchtimes, the bar menu ranges from proper bar food (battered sausage with curry sauce) to more experimental light bites (seaweed-cured cod with pickled cucumber, buttermilk and caviar). Roast lamb rump, shoulder, braised carrot and Cambridge sauce was a great example of the kitchen’s ability to make even the most everyday ingredients into something memorable, but an undeniable highlight of the main courses was the many-layered flavours that were piled into wild mushroom and Hartington Bomber twin ravioli with king oyster mushroom and gremolata. Desserts are elegant takes on pub classics in very manageable portion sizes, from warm Bakewell tart to sticky toffee pudding with a superb sauce and ginger ice cream. Save for a few extra wines by the glass, the drinks options are roughly what you’d expect from a historic coaching inn in the UK’s original National Park. It’s the food that brings it bang up-to-date.
Location
Facebook
Instagram
X