New Sunday lunch menu brings Basque style feasting to Freight Island

Ramsbottom restaurant Baratxuri was this week voted Restaurant of the Year by the public at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival Awards.

Known for its serious cooking (indeed, chef Rachel Stockley also won the award for Chef of the Year) and a welcoming, laidback atmosphere, the restaurant excels at rustic big cuts of meat and whole fish carved theatrically at the table and designed for sharing.

So we were absolutely thrilled to hear that its indoor Freight Island restaurant is now doing a special Sunday lunch menu.

The new menu features meat, fish and vegetarian options, cooked up over their Basque wood fire ovens, for a serious Sunday feast.

Starters include excellent red pepper kroketas, which on our visit were crisp and golden on the outside but perfectly gooey and only just holding together inside, served with piquillo pepper jam.

There’s also rich-flavoured butterflied and grilled sardines, or smoked beetroot braised figs, earthy yet sweet, served with strong, slightly spicy Picos blue cheese.

Mains include suckling lamb or braised Dexter beef cheek from Cheshire, both designed to share.

Our milk fed lamb shoulder was treated simply and with respect, well seasoned and sweet with pomegranate, and beautifully grilled for a charred exterior and fall-apart tender meat, served with fragrant, herby baby potatoes.

If you’d rather have a dish to yourself, there’s an 8oz hanger steak from Cheshire, or a vegetarian option of cauliflower steak, chargrilled with bravas sauce.

The desserts are inspired by Baratxuri’s founders, Joe and Fiona’s travels.

Options include Basque style trifle, silky smooth with an aromatic rum and orange syrup, and the traditional pastry from the Basque region of France, the Gâteau Basque, a buttery short pastry baked with vanilla.

Drinks, meanwhile, range from Basque Country beers, Cava and wines available by the glass or bottle to a selection of sherries.

Prices are £21 for a starter or dessert plus the steak or cauliflower, or £25 for all three courses; or £42 for the sharing menu (two starters or two desserts plus the lamb or the beef to share), or £50 for two starters and two desserts plus the lamb or beef for two to share.

The Sunday set menu from Baratxuri at Escape to Freight Island is available from 12pm to 9pm on Sundays. Walk-ins are available, or bookings are open here – to book, use the ‘Baratxuri’ widget.