Nina Matsunaga

We have another  incredible chef  joining The Secret Table! After competing on Great British Menu in 2019 representing the North West, Head Chef Nina Matsunaga is bringing her exceptional talent to your table here at Underscar!

As co-owner of The Black Bull in Sedburgh, Nina creates dishes that beautifully blend local British produce with bold Pan-Asian and German influences – a reflection of her unique heritage and culinary journey.

Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, to Japanese parents, her food is characterised by these two very distinct cultures. Aged 18, Nina made the move to London to study Culinary Arts Management, quickly followed by a master’s degree in Food Policy. By the age of 22, she was back in Germany, helping in a friend’s bakery and heading up a leading cookery school delivering courses in baking and game cooking. She made a trip back to the UK, to Manchester, where she discovered a burgeoning street food scene, which fascinated her and where she met her partner, James. They hit it off, Nina made the move to the UK and the rest is history.

Nina has a simple food ethos, and that is to use only the best seasonal ingredients available from what they refer to as the neck of Britain, the counties of Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland, Durham, Derbyshire, and Cheshire. She prefers to use animals that are reared traditionally on small farms from across the Lune Valley, including Herefords, local sheep breeds like Rough Fells and Herdwicks, pigs like Yorkshire Middle Whites, game in the form of wild venison, rabbit, and grouse. Her menus champion sustainably sourced fish from the North Sea alongside local freshwater varieties, including trout, salmon and even pike. Add to that the abundant seasonal woodland and hedgerow larder, offering an ever-changing array of forageable ingredients – from garlic mustard to mushrooms in all shapes and sizes.

During Nina’s tenure, the Black Bull has won numerous accolades, including being recognised in the Good Hotel Guide Editor’s Choice Awards 2025 as the Best Hotel for Foodies. Nina’s signature nose-to-tail approach was highlighted in the Green Pub Guide, celebrating her commitment to ethical sourcing and waste reduction and she recently collected the Be Inclusive Hospitality Chef of the Year Award 2025.

Come and enjoy celebrate a wonderful spring menu at The Bistro at Underscar- 6:30pm Arrival and 7:00pm Dining.

Tickets – £80 per person

Snacks

Homemade organic Sourdough Bread & Cultured Butter

Howgill Herdwick Lamb & Kimchi Tartare

Kombucha Oyster mushroom, British Butterbean Hummus & Chilli crisp

Venison wellington, allium & pickled walnut

Yuzu & Jasmine

Preserved Yorkshire Rhubarb

Please note down any dietaries on booking which will be discussed with the organiser.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to meet Nina, learn from her expertise and experience a culinary whirlwind!

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