The Discerning Diner

ith its spacious village green ringed with stone-built houses – not to mention the romantic, albeit crumbling, remains of a 14th-century castle – Ravensworth, some five miles north of Richmond, is a charming spot on a summer’s evening.

The Bay Horse stands behind a handful of picnic benches at the northern end of the green, and gives the impression of having been cobbled together from two formerly separate cottages. To the relief of locals it reopened last December under new management, following a four-month refurbishment.

Step inside and you’ll find exactly what you would expect from a traditional Yorkshire country pub: dark oak beams, gleaming brassware, an eclectic mix of furniture and floor coverings, a selection of sporting scenes on the walls. A bold white and dark olive paint scheme helps pull the diverse elements together.

What strikes you most forcibly, though, is the atmosphere – the buzz of conversation, the laughter, the bonhomie. This is a friendly, happy place that clearly has a loyal local fanbase, and where everyone gets a warm welcome.

Frying High

There was a cosily retro feel to the menu, with prawn cocktail, scampi and mushroom fritters all featuring. For starters we chose cod goujons with tartare sauce – another classic example of comfort food – and grilled black pudding with haggis fritters and onion marmalade.

With goujons the quality of the batter is crucial, and The Bay Horse’s version had the ethereal light crispiness of a tempura batter as opposed to clunky standard-issue local chippy batter. Inside the crackling coating the fish was moist and flaky. The tartare sauce was caper-rich, sharp and bright; call me greedy, but I would have loved a slightly bigger serving.

The black pudding was as refined as the goujons –not the uncooperative, claggy black lump you despair of ever finishing, but a beguilingly light and savoury interpretation. The haggis fritters too were soft and fluffy inside their wafer-thin crispy coating. I’m no great fan of haggis (cue outrage from friends north of the border) but these were lovely. The luscious onion marmalade, with its finely balanced sweet-sharpness, cut through the rich oiliness and helped everything slip down nicely.

On, then, to mains, beginning with a celebration of lamb in the form of roast rump accompanied by a mini shepherd’s pie and served with dauphinoise potatoes, char-grilled asparagus and a minted pea purée dotted with broad beans.

One thing is certain: at The Bay Horse they know how to cook meat. The lamb, obviously a quality cut, was nicely seared on the outside and pink inside, creating that winning conjunction of soft meltingness and crisp charring. The dauphinoise potato was buttery and garlicky, and the green veg not only brightened up the plate but added further tantalising textures.

Melting Moments

Our other main, pan-fried calves’ liver and bacon with creamy mash and onion rings, was another textbook example of conscientious meat cookery.

Liver, bacon and onions is, of course, a classic combo, but liver is notoriously hard to get right. There’s a fine line between underdone and rubbery, with chefs usually erring in the direction of rubbery. Not so at The Bay Horse, whose liver was so tender it seemed on the point of dissolving. Crisp salty bacon added oomph and crunch, as did a generous serving of tenderstem broccoli, and there was plenty of creamy potato purée. If you’re looking to fill your boots, this dish fits the bill.

After all this meaty indulgence it was touch-andgo whether we could accommodate any puds, so we chose the two lightest-sounding items on the menu: a mixed berry pavlova, and a lemon and amaretti trifle.

The smart trifle, served in a glass, was less lemony than the menu description might have you believe. The predominant impression from the upper layers was of raspberries, raspberry coulis and cream, this giving way to the almondy amaretti below as one’s spoon probed more deeply. I presume there was lemon in there somewhere, but it kept its head below the parapet. No matter, it was a decidedly delightful dessert.

The pavlova was a perfect example of its kind: crisp but gooey meringue, a luscious fruit compote, lashings of cream and a generous pile of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Bliss!

Indulgent, expertly cooked food served in a cheery village pub: what’s not to like? With rural hostelries in crisis, the inhabitants of Ravensworth are lucky folk indeed to have The Bay Horse on their doorsteps. I plan to visit again before too long has passed – and if you enjoy good food and good company then so should you. For more information about The Bay Horse at Ravensworth visit thebayhorseravensworth.co.uk or call 01325 494437.

What To Expect

Unpretentious but immaculately cooked, crowdpleasing food.

Atmosphere

The friendly, informal, relaxed vibe that you get in the best of British country pubs.

Service

Cheerful and extremely efficient.

The Bottom Line

Three courses each for two cost us just under £80, that’s to say around £40 each, drinks not included.

Down The Hatch

Wines by the glass start at £4.25 (175ml). Fine ales on tap.

Stepping Out

Ravensworth makes a good starting point for a variety of gentle circular walks in Holmedale, including a pleasant circuit to the southeast taking in Whashton, Gilling West and Hartforth.

A little bit of luxury in the Yorkshire Dales

Great food focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients

Exciting new menu for summer

Extensive new wine list with a vintage section for those Bordeaux lovers

Luxurious and relaxing new rooms

Always a warm welcome at The Blue Lion after a long day walking

Log burning fires

Friendly service

Fantastic breakfasts

Main Road, East Witton, Nr Leyburn, DL8 4SN 01969 624273 enquiries@thebluelion.co.uk thebluelion.co.uk