Pub of the week THE STIDDY, WHITBY

I’ve driven past this pub a thousand times and it’s always caught my eye – it’s a handsome, whitewashed, slate-tile roofed place set back off the road at the top of Lythe bank just out of Sandsend – but it’s invariably been closed, for reasons unknown. My spirits lifted when I saw it wasn’t just open, but looking loved, with tables outside, pot plants and hanging baskets.

Fresh flowers grace the window ledges, candles flicker and the smells coming from the kitchen are very good indeed. ‘One Pot Wonders’ include a house stew made daily and is already proving to be a hit, Moroccan casserole and beef chilli. ‘Pub Classics’ include ham & eggs, sausage & mash and scampi, and there’s a good pasta selection and of course a chicken parmo. Guest cask ales include Pirate’s Treasure from Lady Luck Brewery in Whitby and Big Old Brown Ale from Guisborough and there are plenty of gins and a decent wine list.

Jane Veysey and her partner Chris Wilkinson took the Stiddy in January. They both have backgrounds in stage and theatre management, and, added Jane ‘‘comedy – which will probably stand us in good stead for running a pub!’’

If you’re a caravaner or camper, there’s an attractive, quiet site at the back of the pub with fabulous sea views, and the Cleveland Way runs along the back of the field – so the Stiddy is the perfect spot for lunch and a breather. My heart skips a beat when a sorry old pub has new life breathed into it.

■ The Stiddy, High St, Lythe, Whitby YO21 3RT t: 01947 893 295. www. thestiddy.co.uk. Open: MondayThursday, noon-3pm and 5pm-10pm; Friday and Saturday, noon-11pm; Sunday, noon-8pm.