Grassington House Hotel.
THOOUGH it might not seem it, Grassington is a real place. With its abundance of tea shops, winding little streets and a gorgeous backdrop of river and dale, it's like stepping into a postcard.
Visit at its peak, when the streets are filled with ramblers and the shops are filled with browsers, and it veers into theme park territory.
But catch it off-duty and you're presented with a living, breathing village. And for the new owners of the Grassington House Hotel, sitting smack bang in the middle of town, it's the support of these people that really matters. Tourists come and go, but if you have the backing of the locals you're on solid ground. Luckily, they appear to have gone down a storm.
It's easy to imagine a small community bristling at the idea of an outsider taking over such a key business – particularly when it's done in such a contemporary style. Chef John Rudden and his wife Sue have converted this impressive three-storey Georgian pile into something of a boutique hotel.
Instead of resistance, they've discovered an audience hungry for a touch of the urbane, happy to swap the gaslamp for designer Italian lighting. Chatting with some locals beforehand, we're told to expect great things. On arriving, there seem to plenty of tourist diners, but there are many who have clearly popped in from down the street.
The warm welcome we receive from our waiter keeps the positive momentum going and we scan the menu, which changes frequently –though certain favourites stay put. Over a pint of Wainwrights plus a Peroni from the somewhat disappointingly small selection of beers, we opt to start with the potted Goosnargh duck and a spatchcocked quail. They seem appropriate fare for this neck of the woods.
Though the flavours are good and hearty, the elegant manner in which they're presented – and the long thin plates they appear on – gently reminds us that this "restaurant with rooms" is aiming higher than rustic pub fare. The service tries this too, with less success – I'm presented with the wrong starter at first, and despite our wine being a screwcap I'm still offered a chance to see if it is corked. But these are quickly forgotten. A few tiny imperfections help make a place feel human.
Precisely what the service was like during our main courses, who knows? We were utterly captivated by the food. Local lamb served three ways proved a wonderful mix of texture and taste, with thin slices of tender leg, nicely seared liver, and melt-in-the-mouth belly.
A stout, satisfying rosti waited underneath, and made a fine accompaniment.
The beef skirt rag pudding, already much talked about in testimonials and the like, is worthy of the hype.
Tender slivers of beautifully slow-cooked beef in a rich gravy are rolled up in a blanket of comforting suet pudding to produce a splendid example of comfort food.
The roast root veg alongside are good and sweet, but the bubble and squeak feels like the overlooked sibling. With a little more love it could make a wonderful co-star.
The wine goes nicely with all so far, and tastes more expensive than its price of 18.25.
Natural contrarians, we avoided the Rioja bias of the wine list and chose an Amano Primitivo, an award-winning wine made from the Italian ancestor of the Zinfandel grape. It's fruity at first but with a touch of smokiness shortly after.
Desserts are, again, very pretty to look at. The dark and white chocolate fondant with raspberries doesn't quite steal
the show as it should, but it is still deliciously rich and oozy in all the right places.
A last minute substitution means the peach savarin I ordered is in fact a strawberry savarin, but as this is because chef has rejected the peaches rather than not ordering enough of them, it serves to further underline quality.
The sweet and syrupy sponge of the savarin and the perfect tartness of the strawberries is nicely countered by the buttery richness of a dollop of homemade almond ice cream. Frustratingly, we are full, and an ambition to tackle the enticing cheese plate is ditched. A shame.
The so-called "battle of the counties platter" offers four great cheeses – Mrs Bell's Yorkshire Blue from Thirsk and a handmade goat's cheese from Yellisons Farm in Carlton take on Lancashire's white creamy Sandhams and the Stilton-like Blackstick Blue.
The cheeseplate originated at the Rudden's previous pub, The White Hart, which makes sense given that its Saddleworth location put them near the county border. Here's hoping
they keep it on despite jumping to the other side of the fence.
All in all, then, a very rewarding encounter, and a place you'd be very happy to have in your neighbourhood. Not quite as perfect as it sets out to be, but if perfection is what you seek, head to the Devonshire Arms in nearby Bolton Abbey – and be prepared to pay about twice the very reasonable 77 we paid here.
Grassington House Hotel, 5 The Square, Grassington, BD23 5AQ.
Tel: 01756 752 406.
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