Adjacent to free car parks, it is only just visible from the main street. Allan handles the "meet and greet" with cheery confidence, backed by spot-on home cooking, courtesy of Vicky in the kitchen. The only baked goods bought-in are the breads, and they come from a distant relation of Allan's with a nationally known name for the family's bread.

Décor is as cottagey as you get, with cakes displayed on a dresser, a blue and white dinner service displayed on a rack and tea served in bomb-proof stainless steel. Hot water comes unbidden and butter is in curls, not those fiddly wrapped portions. Tables are covered in linen and the whole show looks smart and appetising.

Traditional sandwiches, join triple deckers and toasties, from £3.50 to £5.95, with garnishes including homemade coleslaw with the triple decker. Meal deals include a small bowl of soup and a sandwich (£5.50, or toasted, £5.95). There's a hunter's plate of turkey and ham (strange prey?), plus variations on afternoon tea. High Tea consists of toasted muffin, scone with jam and cream, a biscuit and a pot of Taylors tea at £5.95. The toasted currant teacake is an ample snack at £1.50, while the baked beans on toast seem a bit steep at £3.25. Vicky's cakes, a tempting array, feature buttered barabrith, date and walnut, chocolate fudge and fruit cake with cheese. Route finder: West Street runs from the village hall to the High Street, opposite the summer seat bus shelter. The White Cottage is half way down.


White Cottage Tea Room
5 West Street, Gargrave, Skipton, North Yorkshire BD23 3RD. Tel 01756 748229. Open Monday, Thursday, Friday from 11am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. No cards.