Meat is king at ‘country pub and cafe’

Having tried twice and unsuccessfully to book a table at the relaunched Black Bull at Moulton, we thought we give the new-look Fox Hall Inn at East Layton a try – our appetites whetted by the recent arrival there of Gill and Adrian Barrett (ex- Overton House, Bowes Musuem etc, etc).

Ringing the day before to book, we were told that because it was Easter Saturday they were not taking bookings. If we just turned up they were sure they could accommodate us.

So, at 6.30pm we duly arrived to find the car park packed and pub even more so. It was clear they might well be able to accommodate us – but probably not until Easter Sunday. We turned tail and headed back on the A66, frantically thinking of a Plan B, or was it Plan C?

The turn to Gilling West loomed and we remembered the White Swan – for two reasons.

Firstly, we had reviewed it at the beginning of 2012.

The assessment, which was by no means damning, provoked the ire of villagers who felt longstanding landlady Ann Collinson deserved more than the faint praise we had dished out. No fewer than 59 of them were signatories to a letter castigating the D&S.

Six months later, we published a report saying the White Swan was to close. A week later, we published a correction saying Ann Collinson had decided to carry on. However, it did close later that year.

Secondly, we had paid the White Swan another visit last year, not to eat but to see the incomparable Smokin’ Spitfires R’n’B band (your reviewer is the combo’s unofficlal PR consultant) play there, and noted the new ownership, refurbishment and menu.

The White Swan reopened in July last year with former Met policeman Dean Hodgson and wife Victoria returning to the North of England (they are from Teesside originally) to take over and refurbish the inn from top to bottom.

The new White Swan is a slightly different re-working of the traditional village inn.

It bills itself as a “country pub and cafe” and there are elements of the both in the broadly contemporary decor and styling – stone-flagged floors, muted colour scheme, bucket lounge-style chairs in the bar area, local artists’ work on the walls.

In the spring early-evening half-light, it appeared a little gloomy. Sylvia, with her interior designer hat on, thought it would be improved immeasurably with the addition of a few fairy lights, but then it should be said that this is Sylvia’s solution to most decor dilemmas – the Warne household can look like the Blackpool illuminations, especially as Christmas nears.

There were a few service hiccups initially. No diet Coke (“waiting for a delivery”), no diet lemonade (no explanation), no flat-iron steak(fair-enough). We were invited to pick a table, as long as it wasn’t reserved.

We duly picked one only to be told that it was actually reserved (no indication on the table). A second choice table was actually reserved as well. Our third choice was successfully approved.

There were two menus – a heavily beer-stained (“last copy, I’m afraid”) specials list of two starters, four mains with one fish dish and two desserts.

The main menu includes some tapas dishes but is primarily made up of steaks and “boutique burgers”.

Clearly, meat is king here.

The 35-day aged beef is sourced from a grass-fed Limousin/Shorthorn-stocked herd on a farm near Harrogate and butchered by David Hodgson at Brompton-on- Swale. It is unquestionably good quality meat.

But first we had starters of tomato and beetroot soup (£3.95) and crayfish tails with chilli and lime (£6.95).

Sylvia thought the soup excellent.

The beetroot flavouring was muted but the tomato element was sweetly tangy and it was well-seasoned overall. I thought the crayfish tails, while not the finest examples I had ever come across, were a good vehicle for the chilli lime dressing which had really fresh, zesty, kick to it. For £6.95, I thought I might have been offered some bread to go with it but none appeared. Perhaps I should have asked.

Sylvia’s 12oz rib-eye steak (£21.95) was a beautifullyflavoured lump of well-marbled beef, cooked as requested medium, and accompanied by some excellent twice-fried skins-on chunky-ish chips and a dressed rocket salad.

My “boutique burger” was from a list of 16 which covered beef, pork, fish, game and vegetarian options such as rabbit, marjoram and thyme (the Thumper burger – geddit!), duck with a orange relish (the Duck burger), beef with blue cheese, mushroom and red onion jam (Mould and Fungus burger.) My venison and juniper burger (£11.95), inevitably called Bambi, was very good. The juniper flavouring was prominent in a chunky pattie that was slightly pink in the middle and moist with no hint of dryness. There was some dressed rocket (they do like rocket at the White Swan) a very creamy and chunky coleslaw and some of the same rustic chips Sylvia enjoyed.

My only quibble was the bun. It was certainly fresh but the rather chewy surface presented some logistical plate-to-mouth issues. A soft-topped bap might have better.

Two courses were more than sufficient so we skipped the dessert offerings of chocolate pudding, Gilling (Eton) Mess or STP to settle a bill of £50.

Service was better when the food was being served and we appreciated being asked if the attentions of the resident hound (an English Setter- cross we thought) were unwelcome. They weren’t but others might take a different view.

Although we didn’t partake, there looked like there was a good range of handpumped real ales available and the wine list covered most bases.

Ratings:

Food Quality: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Surroundings: 7/10

Value: 7/10