THE WOOLPACK, BEVERLEY

Something is happening at the Woolpack. The small, cosy pub a couple of hundred yards from Westwood, in the handsome Georgian area around Beverley’s historic Newbegin, changed hands again last summer and it looks like the new custodians are getting serious about their food.

The pub itself is still primarily a one-room affair (although there is a tiny bar) and it’s been given a lick of paint and a new look exterior. So far, so similar. But the food – which has always been fairly good – seems to have gone up a level. There are still pies and fish and chips and burgers and Sunday lunches but there are now also very intriguing specials.

I wasn’t, for instance, expecting to find bacon-wrapped partridge with mash and cabbage, or guinea fowl braised in cider with caramelised apples or even a rabbit stew. Yet there they were. Large as life and twice as delicious. Whoever is in the kitchen seems to know what they’re doing.

It’s always been a great pub to settle down in after taking the dog for a yomp across the Westwood (it’s dog-friendly and there are also board games to keep the kids amused, should they be in tow) and the redecoration appears to have attracted an influx of ladies who lunch, but hardcore foodies may well be the next to discover the delights of the Woolpack.

There are also simple lunch options (the homemade scotch egg is one to try) should you want to dip your toe before going for a full meal but, be warned, the evenings are regularly selling out so it’s well worth booking in advance.

■ 37 Westwood Road, Beverley, HU17 8EN. Phone: 01482 867095.