Northern Belle: Luxury train voted one of world's 10 best is coming to Sheffield, with local chef on board

The Northern Belle earned an 86.79 per cent satisfaction rating this month from readers of the Condé Nast Traveller magazine, making it the highest rated train in Britain and putting it ahead of some of the world’s most famous trains such as Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer and India’s Maharajah Express.

When does the Northern Belle arrive in Sheffield, and how much does the luxury train journey cost?

The 1930s Pullman-style train will next pull in at Sheffield on November 24, departing at 9.10am and returning at 8pm, for a Christmas shopping and sightseeing trip to Oxford, including a welcome cocktail, a three-course brunch and an indulgent five-course dinner with wine. On December 20, passengers can enjoy a slap-up seven-course Christmas lunch during a trip from Sheffield and Doncaster, while next year there will be steam-hauled journeys over the spectacular Settle-Carlisle line. The Oxford trip costs £390 per passenger and the Christmas lunch journey is priced £340.

Key to the Northern Belle’s success is chef Matthew Green, who studied catering and hospitality at Barnsley College, and now performs wonders cooking up mouthwatering meals for 300 passengers in a cramped kitchen while travelling at 70mph. Conde Nast Traveller was full of praise, calling the meal services on the lovingly-restored train ‘exquisite’ and writing how those on board can ‘enjoy classic British fare as the heaths, meadows and dales roll on by’.

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Matthew, aged 42, told how the space constraints mean menus have to be painstakingly planned with that in mind. “Things you take for granted in a normal kitchen – like putting out the rubbish or popping out to the shop for something you’ve run out – obviously cannot be done on a train,” he said. “But whether you’re cooking for 30 or 300, what makes it work is being organised and prepared.”

Yorkshire businessman David Pitts, who bought the train from the iconic Orient Express group for an undisclosed sum, is a big fan of Matthew’s cooking. He said: “We’re not surprised that Condé Nast readers raved over his food. He always manages to prepare the most delicious meals.”

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The Northern Belle featured on Channel 5’s The World Most Scenic Railway Journeys, with actor Bill Nighy describing it as ‘the grand dame of luxury travel’. For more details, visit: www.northernbelle.co.uk.