The traditional farmhouse B&B that's still serving one of Yorkshire's best breakfasts

In doing so, by then taking an alternative, there are those who are, in the words of many a wise Yorkshire person ‘cutting their nose off to spite their face’ or at very least denying themselves a privilege that at Hazelwood Farm B&B is a culinary breakfast banquet including sausage, bacon, your eggs whichever way you fancy them, your mushrooms, tomatoes, fried bread or hash browns.

Annette had me at fried bread, one of the traditional breakfast elements to have seemingly fallen from grace in the past half century so much that it is only very rarely heard of in any breakfast combination these days.

But why are we talking farmhouse breakfasts?

It’s because it is Farmhouse Breakfast Week from Monday 23 to Friday 27 January. Don’t ask why a week no longer includes the weekend. I’m sure we in Yorkshire would include all seven days if we were organising it.

Farmhouse Breakfast Week was started in 2000 by the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) to promote cereals such as oats and wheat grown by arable farmers for breakfasts and it very soon became a big promotion for those running farmhouse B&Bs and promotion of the traditional Full English, as well as porridges and other famous brands of cereal.

The sad fact is that Farmhouse Breakfast Week is now far less supported than it used to be when special events would take place, often raising funds for charity, and major farming names of the era including our own Ben Gill, at the time NFU national president would be in attendance.

I struggled to find anyone on a farm in Yorkshire who was using the special five days (I cannot keep calling it a week any longer) as a promotional opportunity.

Perhaps it is because there are far less traditional farmhouse B&Bs, with the change to self-catering, glamping pods and bell tents, and that of those left there isn’t the time or inclination to cook for guests.

That’s where Hazelwood Farm B&B is the jewel in the crown of Farmhouse Breakfast Week so far as I’m concerned, and Annette doesn’t just cook a fantastic, flavoursome Yorkshire farmhouse breakfast either!

“My husband Eamon and I had a B&B by the river in York before we came back here to the farm where I was born and grew up. I’ve been cooking breakfasts for 21 years and it can get so boring cooking the same things every day, so my breakfast menu includes eggs royale, eggs benedict and lots more including vegan and vegetarian options, and grilled haloumi on toasted muffin with sliced tomato and sweet chili and balsamic glaze.

“Everything we can provide from nearby we do. Sausages and eggs come from the farm next door. You can’t get much closer than that. Apple juice comes from Orchards of Husthwaite. Smoked salmon is sourced from a local independent and fruit, vegetables and dairy from Shirley’s Fruit & Veg in Easingwold. Our preserves come from The Fruity Kitchen in Sutton on the Forest and who knows, maybe some of the oats and wheat in our porridges and cereals come from our own fields.

Annette is the consummate professional B&B owner. She and Eamon, who works in the railway industry, have ensured that every detail is right on track for the guests they accommodate.

“Everything is review led,” said Annette. “In 2006 we totally rebuilt what had been a previous extension to the house and made bespoke, up to date, accommodation for B&B comprising three en-suite bedrooms.

“When people go away today they expect better standards. People are well travelled, they expect different things. The days of simply bacon and eggs at breakfast have gone.

“We have international guests too. Everyone wants really good value and that extra something.

“Our main selling point is our incredible views. We have incredible sunsets and sunrises. We’ve won several awards since we started here, including a breakfast award!

“We also count ourselves as extremely environmentally friendly tourism. We have solar panels, a biomass boiler and we harvest rainwater.

Annette said that since Covid and the various lockdowns her business and that of many others has blossomed.

“I think Covid brought an epiphanal moment for coming back to the countryside and staying in a B&B and for many it was a pleasant surprise. Farm B&Bs used to be classed as the second cousin of city B&Bs. It’s not like that now. Our guests appreciate the views, the house, the approach and of course the lovely Durham Ox just half a mile away in Crayke. Yorkshire’s favourite country pub.

Annette’s father David Knowles took on the farm, initially as tenant, from Crayke Estate before purchasing it in 1976. Annette’s mother Anne sadly passed away in 1993 and at 89 years young David still lives on the farm in buildings he had converted across the garden from the farmhouse where Annette and Eamon moved back to with their baby boy Callum 26 years ago. They have a daughter Moia who is studying in Glasgow.

“Callum was a few months old when we moved here. He now contract farms the land which includes 200 acres owned by dad and 100 acres rented. Hazelwood Farm is arable, growing winter barley, spring barley, winter wheat, spring oats and spring beans.

“Callum is into regenerative farming including direct drilling to increase nitrogen in the soil and uses bio-stimulants. He grows cover crops as well and does some contracting work for others.