Published Friday 14 March 2025 at 8:46
Lancashire has a new foodie hotspot, and it’s right on your doorstep!
When people think of Lancashire’s top dining destinations, the Ribble Valley usually steals the spotlight. With Michelin-starred restaurants like Northcote, it’s long been the county’s culinary capital.
But another area is quietly making a name for itself on the food scene: Blackburn.
Blackburn is so good at the minute. You can see it with all the new places opening,
says Kalam Patel, general manager of the newly rebranded Masala Fusion, which is drawing diners from across the North West with its Instagram-worthy take on Indian street food.
Blackburn is a real hidden gem, and people are starting to wake up to it.
While Lancashire’s food reputation has largely been built on modern British fare, Blackburn is carving out its own niche.
There’s a bold, global flair to its offerings and a growing confidence in what’s being served up.
From the stylish Akbar’s, set beside the historic King George’s Hall, to Thira’s delicate South Indian flavours, Blackburn’s food scene is evolving fast.
Add in The Drummer’s Arms – recently crowned CAMRA Pub of the Year – the new Blackburn Gigs live music initiative, and restaurants like Firepit – known for its trendy cocktails and indulgent bottomless brunches – and there’s a real buzz about the town’s dining landscape.
And the town centre offer goes right through from day to night too with the likes of Heavenly Desserts, Café Impresso, Café Blanc and RF Café… the list really does goes on and on!
Word is spreading, too.
When The Shuttle visited, diner Sarah Bennett had travelled from Preston to celebrate her mum Deborah’s birthday at Akbar’s after hearing rave reviews.
People kept saying it was the best Indian food in the area,
And they weren’t wrong. The food is unreal, and the atmosphere was brilliant. I haven’t been to Blackburn in years, but I’ll definitely be coming back.
With the town centre undergoing a multi-million-pound transformation – anchored by the new Cultural and Cathedral Quarters – Blackburn is a town on the up.
Council leaders are enthusiastic about its culinary rise too, viewing it as part of a broader effort to redefine the town’s image.
We’re incredibly proud of how Blackburn is evolving,
says Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Growth and Development.
Our food scene is just one example of how the town is becoming a destination in its own right.
To get the inside scoop, we sent local writer and super foodie Karl Holbrook to check out four restaurants that are helping lead the charge. Check out his full rundown now at: www.discoverblackburn.co.uk
Akbar’s
Akbar’s was the vision of founder Shabir Hussain, who sadly passed away last year after a courageous battle with cancer, but his influence is felt throughout.
Manager Fareen Hanif explained:
We usually focus on big cities, but Shabir absolutely loved the way the council was bringing new life into the town – and we felt we could help. There is a real passion here that we wanted to be part of.
Situated in the heart of Blackburn’s £50m Cultural Quarter, Akbar’s stands beside the Grade II-listed King George’s Hall, which is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound revamp. Inside, the ultra-stylish restaurant is a riot of colour, with floral arrangements draped over every surface. That attention to detail – along with a 90% ‘excellent’ rating on TripAdvisor – has made Akbar’s one of the town’s must-visit dining spots. Fareen added,
We wanted it to be special, Shabir had the vision. He saw something and brought it to life. We wanted it to be a focal point, and I think we’ve achieved that.
Masala Fusion
Nowhere exemplifies Blackburn’s global inspiration quite like the super-trendy Masala Fusion, which rebranded from Saffron Street in January.
Over the past 18 months, it has quietly become the go-to spot in the town for Indian street food favourites like its chaat platter, deep-fried puri snacks, and masala chips, drenched in its signature sauce.
But with the rebrand, the King William Street restaurant is taking its fusion even further, with quirky new mashups such as Indian-inspired lamb tacos, chilli chicken bao buns, butter chicken naan pizza, and the belly-busting Indo-Chinese thali, which includes everything from Chinese spring rolls and Schezwan fried rice to Indian chilli paneer and sweet, sticky gulab jamun.
The younger generation expects something a bit different,
explains general manager Kalam Patel.
They want something fresh and new, which is why we went for the street food vibe. We’ve really conquered that now, and we’ve got people coming from all over.
He believes the ease of getting into Blackburn is becoming one of the draws too.
My social media manager lives in Manchester, but it takes him 30 minutes to get into the centre. So it’s actually just as quick – and cheaper – for him to come here. And the restaurants are as good, if not better.
Thira
Locals have long known about Thira, but the South Indian restaurant is now gaining recognition beyond its hometown too. Specialising in Keralan cuisine, it offers a taste of South India in the heart of Lancashire.
We pride ourselves on introducing diners to the subtle flavours of our heritage,
says co-owner Subramaniam Iyer. The restaurant is the brainchild of chef and owner Bijumon Pillai, who previously worked for the Taj Hotels group in his native India. He takes pride in bringing the flavours of his hometown of Alleppey to Lancashire.
Known as the ‘Venice of the East’ for its vast waterways and backwaters, the coastal town also inspired the restaurant’s name. Thira, meaning ‘waves,’ is a nod to those roots.
Most people have never heard of the dishes on our menu
But we take pride in explaining them and introducing people to new things. Kerala is known as the land of coconuts, which we use a lot in our cooking, and 90% of the world’s spices come from there, so it’s very vibrant.
During our visit, Varsha Chitlur, 27, an engineer in the cybersecurity industry at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, shared her love for Thira. Having moved to the area two years ago, she says she can’t get enough.
You can’t get dishes like these anywhere else around here, that’s for certain
I come a couple of times a week she says.
Honestly, it’s the closest thing to home I’ve ever had – and I’ve travelled a lot.
And she’s not alone. Accolades such as being shortlisted in the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Curry competition have helped put this hidden gem on the map.
Istanbul
Istanbul is another restaurant making a name for itself in Blackburn’s growing dining scene. Located next to Reel Cinema, near the town’s new Cultural Quarter, the huge 200-seat restaurant is flying the flag for the food of the Mediterranean.
With two successful branches in Manchester, the team chose Blackburn for their expansion two years ago, recognising its potential as an emerging place to be.
People didn’t used to talk much about Blackburn, but that’s really changing
says floor manager Sakhi Ebrhimi.
There’s a lot happening here now, and people are starting to notice.
He credits the town’s multiculturalism for its diverse food scene.
There are so many cultures in Blackburn, and that’s created a really varied dining landscape. We’re proud to fly the flag for Turkish cuisine in the town.
While the charcoal-flamed grills and kebabs are popular, Sakhi says they take particular pride in the authentic pide and lahmacun – savoury Turkish flatbreads made from unleavened dough and topped or stuffed with meats and cheeses.
Discover more! For a full rundown of places to eat in Blackburn and a guide to what’s on, visit: www.discoverblackburn.co.uk