EATING in the White Swan in Danby Wiske, near Northallerton, can be a bit like the canteen of the United Nations. The nationalities are myriad.

Initially, the unfamiliar accents are a little disconcerting.

For a nano-second I wondered if an advance party for the G8 summit had set up shop in North Yorkshire.

The voices were Canadian, American, German and something that sounded vaguely Scandinavian.

The folk on the one table that was out of earshot might have been from Timbuktu.

Then suddenly the penny dropped. The collection of muddy boots around the brick fireplace reminded us that Danby Wiske and its pub is a key staging post on Alfred Wainwright’s famous Coast To Coast walk, a midpoint between the Dales and the Moors.

Walkers on the 192-mile trek between St Bees in Cumbria and Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Yorkshire coast are directed through the village by the great man’s guide which is, however, thoroughly rude about the countryside hereabouts.

“There is nothing to see,” he wrote, “nothing worthy of illustration, nothing of interest to anyone but farmers.”

I guess that’s forgiveable given the glories of northern England the walk passes through either side of Danby Wiske and Steve and Gill Danby, owners of the White Swan, must be grateful that Wainwright’s chosen route from Richmond to Ingleby Arncliffe was direct and takes thousands of footsore trekkers past their front door.

The Danbys have had the Swan for four years, rescuing it from a year’s closure, which begs the question what walkers did for rest and sustenance during that period.

They have done a good job of reviving what was a shell when they took over. It’s simply done out. Stoneflagged floors, white walls, some exposed brick and beams here and there. It feels homely, almost as if this is just an extension of the Danbys’ living accommodation.

It’s not very big which means booking is essential in the summer months and explains why when we called to make our reservation we could have a table for two at 7.20, 7.40 but not 7.30. It is a tight ship staffing-wise and when there’s a lot of mouths to feed schedules have to be kept to.

The menu is also small but well-formed and clearly aimed at diners who have built up a substantial appetite walking 15 miles or more and needing to be sustained through the following day’s mileage.

There are two starters and four main course choices which I think is as many as any pub or restaurant needs to offer. Why not restrict yourself to a few things that you can do really well rather than be too ambitious, or rely on the freezer and microwave?

Not having walked 15 or so miles in preparation for dinner, we skipped the starter choices (prawn cocktail or soup) and went straight to mains – sausages, onion gravy and new potatoes (her preference over mash) for Sylvia, and steak pie for me (both dishes £9.45).

Both had their genesis just a few miles down the road, across the A167 at Langthorne’s farm. Perhaps best known for their innovative breeding of buffalo, they also do less exotic meat products like Sylvia’s pork sausages which were so leanly meaty they tasted like beef. And my steak pie was so beefy it almost mooed at me. The tender meat chunks were complimented by a richly intense gravy and a light flaky pastry casing. Outstanding.

The veg – supplied by a Northallerton greengrocer and featuring some particularly flavoursome carrots – were plentiful and served plain and unadorned, even by butter.

Sylvia only managed two of her whopping sausages so dessert was definitely out for her despite the sweet menu being the most extensive of all, numbering eight, four of which were hot stomach-busters – the sort one would be grateful for 12 miles in to your next day’s walk.

I didn’t have that excuse but went for broke with Yorkshire fruit pudding (£4.55) and custard, a lighter (only a bit, mind) version of Christmas pudding.

As soon as it arrived steamily at the table, I thought: “I’m not going to finish this.”

That I did is a testament to its fruity excellence as much as gluttony.

Service from single-handed Steff was excellent.

So was the pint of beer from a Tyneside brewery I’ve forgotten (but I did notice they had at least three other cask beers on, including Walls of Northallerton, and a Camra pub of the year award for 2012).

The bill was £27 and well worth it, but walk at least ten miles first.

RATINGS
(Out Of Ten)

Food quality 8
Service 9
Surroundings 7
Value 10

The White Swan, Danby Wiske, Northallerton DL7 0NO
Tel: 01609-714159
Web: thewhiteswandanbywiske.co.uk
Open: Summer hours (April -October) Sunday to Wednesday, noon to 10pm; Thursday to Saturday, noon to 11pm.