THE sweet smell of success may well be among the tempting aromas at the Bay Horse, in Hurworth, which has just received a third accolade in four weeks.

The Grade II coaching house, which dates back to the 1400s, is listed in The Morning Advertiser’s Top 30 gastro pubs of 2009 – the only establishment in the North- East to feature in the trade publication.

Business partners Marcus Bennett and Jonathan Hall bought the pub 12 months ago and spent £250,000 on improvements, including a new kitchen.

In the past month, the hostelry was awarded a feature in the 2010 Michelin Eating Out in Pubs guide and will have a similar accolade in the Sawday Pubs & Inns Edition 7, to be published next year.

Mr Hall said: “The entry in the Michelin Guide is the first for any pub in Darlington receiving an ‘inspectors favourite’ approval, so we are especially pleased to have won the award after only a year in business.”

Mr Bennett, previous head chef/proprietor of McCoys@The Baltic in Gateshead and former head chef at The Tontine in North Yorkshire, said: “We pride ourselves on using the best quality ingredients and local produce, including Grand Reserve beef from a farm just two miles away.”

The pub uses local producers and suppliers as much as possible, including free range eggs from Sadberge and meat from Country Valley Foods, the catering butcher in Hurworth.