Foodie thoughts

BACK WITH THE INN CROWD, OUTSIDE ONLY

Last week I sat outside an actual pub with actual friends and had an actual lunch. It was bliss. The sun shone, the birds sang and we were a bit dazed but happy. The pub was the recently revamped Horseshoe Hotel, inset ,in Egton Bridge, near Whitby, and the menu is terrific: homemade bread, scotch eggs and flans, interesting salads and excellent beer, coffee and cakes. There’s loads of well spaced-out seating on the big lawn and precise Covid protocol. It felt totally safe. Pubs with outdoor space are opening up across the region – here’s a rundown of some of my faves...

In Mytholmroyd, Barbary’s closed after the Calder Valley floods and was on the point of reopening when the pandemic struck. How’s that for bad luck? But Ben Adey and his partner Ruby Creagh are made of strong stuff and have thrown their doors open; there are benches at the side behind attractive greenery and a wide range of beers.

Leeds is open for business and there’s a big choice of pubs with either gardens or outside seating. Put the Midnight Bell (with its bijou suntrap of a courtyard) and the Cross Keys (epic Sunday roasts) on your list – both serving great food and good ale – and in Headingley, the Original Oak has a huge back garden.

The Dales is well-served with beer gardens: the Lister Arms in Malham, with its fabulous patio, and the Crown in Hawes now has a purpose-built “garden house”. Bang in the middle of Ingleborough and Whernside is the Station Inn with jaw-dropping views of the Ribblehead Viaduct from the garden. I’ve spent many a lost afternoon at the White Lion in Cray, with its unpretentious food and a lovely terraced garden overlooking the Wharfe. It opens on May 17.

These pubs and thousands more need your support after the toughest 12 months they’ve ever had. But ring before you travel – you might need to book.