WITH Yorkshire Day looming fast, a trip to Mickleton in County Durham (oh, yes it is) seemed highly appropriate.

Actually, that is really a poor excuse for a trip to one of the village’s two pubs for a Sunday lunch which has been long renowned in these parts for its quality and value.

But Yorkshire Day is still a big deal round here. For many years, it was celebrated in singular fashion at the Rose and Crown, as it was then called, by landlord Jack Robinson who never got his head round the local government reorganisation of 1974 which quixotically shifted Mickleton and a big chunk of Teesdale from Yorkshire into County Durham.

Every August 1, Jack would declare UDI for Yorkshire in Mickleton with a proudly-displayed Yorkshire flag – it was something of an annual fixture in the Echo and D&S photographers’ diary.

Jack died in 2008 and the pub had a troubled time until Andrew Rowbotham managed to secure the freehold in 2010 and transformed it into a what might now be considered the classic take on the 21st century village pub – absolutely traditional in feel but with all the modern finishes, furnishing and facilities one would expect in a decent dining establishment.

The name changed too. There being another rather more famous and celebrated Rose and Crown in the next door village of Romaldkirk, it made marketing sense to change it. It is now just The Crown. The Yorkshire rose is retained symbolically in the frosted glass of the pub’s windows. Jack Robinson would have approved of that at least.

He would also have been impressed with the Sunday lunch trade. It was packed when we turned up just after 1pm. Because, rather stupidly, we hadn’t booked we faint heartedly asked if there was any chance of a table. After a bit of hum-ing and ha-ing, sucking of pens and stabbing at computer tills, it was decided that they could squeeze us in at a table for two at the front of the pub.

Now this may seem a bit churlish given our failure to plan our visit and the staff’s willingness to go out of their way to fit us in but the service, while perfectly friendly and accommodating in every other respect, was glacially slow. We waited more than an hour for our starters and 30 minutes after that for our main courses. We skipped desserts because we thought it best to get home before dark.

Clearly the kitchen was under enormous pressure. Andrew Rowbotham, who is the proprietor/chef, was glimpsed from time to the time through the kitchen serving hatch. Engaged in Herculean endeavours, we could almost see the steam coming out of his ears.

But good things come to those who wait and the delay did gave us plenty of time to catch with villager David Kelly, one-time chief honcho of the company which publishes the Echo and the D&S.

The one hour and five minute wait for the starters was worth it. Sylvia thought her black pudding salad (£6.50) a great combination of the home-made pudding – crisp on the outside, smooth and softly moist on the inside – small new potatoes, crunchy bacon, mixed leaves and the finishing touch of a smear of HP sauce.

My charred peach, mozzarella panzanella salad (£5.95) was another great flavour/texture combination – sticky, slight caramelised fruit, fluffy, mild buffalo mozzarella and leftover country bread (from the Moody Baker at Barnard Castle) chopped up and slightly toasted/roasted for a bit of crunch – all drawn together with a honey and balsamic dressing.

The roasts were top quality too. Sylvia’s 28-day aged Aberdeen Angus beef (£10.95 from butcher extraordinaire Joe Simpson at Cockfield) was served well done (as advised on the menu) was super tender and “very beefy” (well, thank-you darling for that).

My shoulder of pork (£10.50) was the ideal combination of fat and lean for my taste although I could imagine some might like rather more lean. Flavour was also excellent but what really stood out was the crackling. Done to T, it was perfectly crisp without being teeth-threatening and not over salty.

The roasties were spot-on, the Yorkshire puddings crisp and softly doughy in the right sort of proportions and the mixed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, mange tout among them) were faultless too.

We had opted for regular portions of all the dishes we had, but could have gone for large ones at a couple of pounds extra. Children’s portions were also available so we could see why The Crown is popular with families. Also, for those not fans of the Sunday roast there were plenty of alternatives available, including an Andalucian-style chicken stew with chorizo, roasted peppers and chickpeas (£7.95). Vegetarians and those requiring gluten or dairy-free diets are also well catered for.

Our bill was £59.60 of which £33.90 was drinks. For those worried that this was a bit of a session for a party which clearly could not have reached Mickleton by public transport, the driver restricted himself to a pint of Corby real ale and Mr Kelly did have a couple of glasses of Merlot.

FOOD FACTS

The Crown at Mickleton, Barnard Castle, DL12 0JZ
Tel: 01833 640381
Web: thecrownmickleton.co.uk
Open daily from 10am; food served from noon
Vegetarian and other specialist diets well looked after. No access problems.
Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 9 Service 5 Surroundings 8 Value 9