Provenance, Westhoughton

Stumbling across Provenance was a total accident. It opened on Thursday last week, and a friend 'liked' it on Facebook on Friday. Curiosity engaged, I went for a nosy at their website. Not only is it a restaurant, but they also have a butcher's, deli, cheese shop, hot food take away, a cake counter, ice cream counter and a cafe. I almost moved in.

We went on Sunday to sample their roast. A lovely lady (who I am assuming is one of the owners) came for a chat about the whirlwind that was the opening weekend, and how they have limited covers to get it as right as they can first time. I like this attitude. It's clear that a lot of money has been put into this venture, as the whole building is utterly stunning. Everything is finished to a high standard, down to even having Sonos speakers in each room. Nice touch.

Southern fried chicken wings - charred sweetcorn salsa, chipotle ketchup: My husband is a proper fan of fried chicken, and even having it for lunch the previous day didn't deter him from ordering it again. These plump little wings were beautiful, but the salsa stole the show for me. I nicked it... 

Goosnargh chicken liver parfait - gooseberry and ginger chutney, toasted brioche: You can't really get the perspective here, but this was a huge portion of parfait. The tangy chutney was the perfect partner. 

Roast topside of Aberdeen Angus beef with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy: We went for one of each, just to ensure a fair sample... There's not much I can say about the roasts other than that they were fine examples of the British classic. Yorkshires were crisp with a fluffy bottom, the meats were tender and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. My only complaint was the addition of beetroot (mortal enemy number two), which I dealt with like a grown up and left to one side...

Roast leg of lamb with roast potatoes, roast root vegetables, cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy

Lemon meringue - candied lemon and raspberry sorbet: I could not leave without trying this. I'm ashamed to say that despite being full to bursting after two courses, I ate pretty much all of this! It was just too good... 

I adore Provenance already. I love their eagerness to get it right, what they have done with the building, the friendly staff and the homely food. I can't wait to go back for breakfast!