The George and Dragon, Hudswell

NEED a loaf of bread? Want to change a library book, or possibly even pick a few sprouts for dinner? There can’t be many places where you can do all of the above and enjoy a pint, but the villagers of Hudswell, near Richmond, are fortunate to have The George and Dragon, which stands high above the River Swale with fine views across the dale.

It was a very different story in 2008 when The George and Dragon closed and it looked like the village, in common with hundreds of others around the country, had lost its only pub. But the residents were determined to save their local.

A community share scheme was set up, The George and Dragon was bought by Hudswell Community Pub Ltd, and in 2010, it reopened, incorporating a small shop, which is run by volunteers, along with a library and allotments in the large garden that slopes down towards the National Trust-owned Hudswell Woods. It was the first community-owned pub in Yorkshire.

After four successful years, the pub now has a new tenant, Stuart Miller, who took over in July. Stuart, 35, who is originally from York, spent 15 years working in IT in the City of London, where his partner, Mel McDermid, was an accountant, but he has always been passionate about beer and food and wanted a change.

“We looked down south for a pub for about a year, but couldn’t find anything,” he said. “Then Mel decided she didn’t want to continue working in London so we thought we would try Yorkshire and this was the first pub we found. It all happened very quickly.

“We liked the community aspect of it – that was a big draw for us – and we thought it had a lot of potential.”

The past few years have been tough for pubs, but Stuart was not deterred. “We decided we could do it on a break-even model with Mel carrying on working full-time up here in accountancy,” he said.

“It’s all down to what you offer the customer. I offer simple, good quality, affordable food and good beer.”

All the food at The George and Dragon is home-made, including the bread and even the pork scratchings. “The only things we don’t make are the crisps and nuts,” said Stuart. “Although we did have a go at making crisps the other day.”

Evidence of Stuart’s culinary heritage stands on the bar in the form of a book of his late grandmother Nora’s recipes for cakes, biscuits and puddings. “My grandma was a very good cook – a proper wartime cook,” he said. “She judged everything by how many eggs it contained.

“My dad, Keith, became a chef because of her, then my brother, Sam, became a chef and I have always had a keen interest in cooking. When grandma went blind, she asked my dad to give all her recipes to me and Sam.

“They were all on scraps of paper, so dad typed them up and eventually decided to get them printed properly as a book. We sold them in the pub for £7.50, with £5 going to Age UK because they really helped grandma when she was old.

“People loved the book and we sold out. It contains real, old-fashioned recipes, the classics – there’s eight Parkin recipes.”

Stuart helps out in the kitchen on his chef’s days off, but otherwise is usually to be found behind the bar where up to five cask beers are on offer – all from Yorkshire – as well as a hand-pulled cider, a couple of unusual English lagers and Marston’s Oyster Stout instead of the ubiquitous Guinness.

For in spite of his love of tasty, uncomplicated food, beer shares centre stage at The George and Dragon, and Stuart has no intention of turning it into a gastropub.

He has redecorated the pub to give it a slightly more modern feel, but it is still at heart a village local. “Mel and I love it here,” he said.

The George and Dragon, Hudswell, Richmond DL11 6BL. Contact: 01748 518373, info@georgeanddragonhudswell.com Web: georgeanddragonhudswell.co.uk

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 11am-3pm and 5pm-11pm. Saturday, 11am-11pm. Sunday, 11am-11pm. Dogs and children welcome.

Food: Monday to Saturday, midday-2pm and 6pm-9pm. Sunday, midday-4pm. Regular dishes on the menu include pies at £7 – steak and kidney; rabbit, mushroom and leak; and Wensleydale cheese and onion. There are also daily specials. Vegetables and side dishes are priced separately.

Cask beers: Up to five, including Copper Dragon Best Bitter and Rudgate Mild.