5 minute read
THE DISCERNING DINER
by Dales Life
Claudia Blake eats Sunday lunch at The Bay Horse in Hurworth
here’s plenty of new housing in and around Hurworth-on-Tees – and more being built by the day – but the core of the village is a genteel, tranquil haven. Fine old buildings line its broad green, amongst them The Bay Horse, a two-storey coaching inn dating back to the 15th century.
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Behind the neat facade with its 18th-century sundial (said to have been made by eccentric local genius William Emerson) The Bay Horse offers a finely balanced mix of traditional cosiness and clutterfree contemporary chic that incorporates dark wood floors, panelling decorated in a fetching shade of slaty blue and a scattering of artworks that are obviously modern but not stridently so.
In keeping with the general air of brisk, reassuring efficiency the staff are plentiful, young, cheery and well trained. Once we had been installed at our table we were presented with four tiny loaves in a miniature wooden crate and a tiny quenelle of creamed butter atop a hunk of marble. The bacon-studded mini-brioche was especially delightful. All very promising.
PICTURE PERFECT
The arrival of starters elicited murmurs of approval. The presentation – as proved to be the case with everything we ordered – was immaculate. Stylish crockery and precision plating made for eminently Instagrammable photos. If you want to fill your food-savvy social media buddies with envy, this is the place to come.
The Thai spiced butternut squash and coconut soup with coriander yogurt was a miniature Jackson Pollock painting, its rich orange background overlaid with vigorous squiggles of red and white, set off by the dark ellipses of toasted pumpkin seeds. I can’t say the soup delivered the subtle, multilayered flavours of classic Thai cooking – and as a coriander lover I would like the coriander content dialled up – but it was a satisfying coldweather warmer, smooth and silky with a sensible dose of chilli heat. Our other starter, pork rillettes with celeriac, bacon and apple rémoulade, apricot relish and pickled gherkin, was a judicious mélange of tastes and textures. The pork was delicate and mousselike, the vibrant orange relish thick and sweet, and the rémoulade crunchy and tangy.
There’s no better test of a Sunday lunch than roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and The Bay Horse had made a decent fist of it. But if I was being pernickety – which is my job, after all – I would say I felt it was a few tweaks short of perfection. For one thing, if you’re informed by your waitress that Chef likes to serve his beef rare, and you enthusiastically sign up for beef served rare, you’re entitled to feel mildly disgruntled when it arrives well done.
MORE IS MORE
More crucial was the question of gravy. ‘Red wine jus’ was advertised, but what arrived didn’t bowl me over with its flavour, meaty, winey or otherwise. Worse still there was very little of it. To maintain balance in the universe, every massive Yorkshire pud requires a correspondingly generous lashing of something wet and tasty, a balmy fluid that should be measurable in tablespoons rather than the scant teaspoons provided. Sometimes less is not more.
Accompanying vegetables were nice enough, and included roast potatoes, red cabbage, roast carrots and cauliflower cheese, although the latter might have benefitted from more – or cheesier – cheese. It would also have been sensible to provide salt and pepper on the otherwise well-appointed table; some of us like them.
No complaints, though, about our other main: roast chicken ballotine, black pudding, buttered kale and Jerusalem artichoke. The chicken was moist and tasty, the diminutive cubes of black pudding were soft and broodingly flavoursome and the kale was crisp. Once again, however, the promised red wine jus was conspicuous by its near absence (is there a worldwide jus shortage?) although in this case it wasn’t so vital to the success of the dish as a whole.
Any lingering disappointment, though, was banished by the dashingly handsome, finely honed desserts that followed. A smoulderingly dark and sensuous chocolate mousse served with equally dark and delicious cherries revelled in a delightfully postmodern Black Forest gateau vibe. Across the table, a light, airy sticky toffee pudding with a genuinely addictive caramel ice cream ticked all the required boxes – although a tad more of the toffee sauce would have been welcome.
In short then, full marks for serving splendidlooking food in a smart and stylish environment. But style isn’t everything, and it wouldn’t harm to consider making a few minor modifications to ensure the substance keeps pace with the style.
For more information about The Bay Horse visit thebayhorsehurworth.com or call 01325 720663. WHAT TO EXPECT
Photo-friendly food and divine desserts.
ATMOSPHERE
The perfect blend of traditional warmth and contemporary chic.
SERVICE
Prompt, efficient and willing.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Sunday lunch menu is priced at £27.50 for two courses and £35 for three courses, not including the 10% service charge.
DOWN THE HATCH
There’s a wide-ranging wine list with prices per glass starting at £5 (125ml).
BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS
A children’s menu is available, priced at two courses for £13.75 or three courses £17.50.
WHEN THE WEATHER WARMS UP…
There’s a tasteful and well-appointed outdoor seating area set in a walled garden at the back.
Welcome to The White Bear
A LUXURY INN, RESTAURANT AND PUB IN THE HEART OF MASHAM
There’s always a warm welcome awaiting you at The White Bear
High quality food, cooked to perfection using fresh local, free range produce. New winter menus • Excellent selection of wines, craft beer and ales. Seasonal cocktails • 14 beautiful bedrooms.
The White Bear Country Inn Wellgarth, Masham, North Yorkshire HG4 4EN • 01765 689319 • sue@whitebearmasham.co.uk
Enjoy Roux Scholar Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn. Modern British food using only the fi nest local ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented. Fine wines, real ales and friendly service. Accommodation available.
Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5AT sandpiperinn.co.uk
