Pub of the week: Rose & Crown, Beverley

Despite being ideally positioned to service anyone seeking a lunchtime libation or to cater to the hoards of bet-fatigued punters exiting the racecourse on race day seeking refreshment in the town, it has been off the serious gastronaut’s radar for a long, long time.

Recently, though, it has been purchased by the very savvy Stuart and Kate Fenn who own the popular Panizzi eatery just a few yards away on the other side of the Bar. They have stripped it down, shabby chic-ed it a bit and stocked it with decent booze and grub. The result is a very successful transformation.

Drinkwise, the hand pulls are nothing to get excited about but there are some intriguing imported bottles and a decent wine list. It’s the food, though, where the Rose & Crown now packs a punch. The lunchtime sarnies and salads are dear but handsome and filling (the Jamaican pulled pork is recommended) and the evening menu features the same mix of Mediterranean/ British offerings that 
make Panizzi a winner. Charred Moroccan chicken with carrot and orange salad, 
that sort of thing.

Very neatly the kitchen also encourage local fruit and veg growers to bring in their crop and barter it for beer. A fine old tradition well worth rekindling.

The pub has yet to acquire the friendly feel of a classic local and the furnishings are a little too stripped back to make it appealing to lunching ladies, but it is quickly building a reputation and within a few months you can expect the Rose & Crown to be high on the list of top Beverley boozers.

• North Bar Without, Beverley HU17 7AB, Tel: 01482 862532

Welcome ***

Drinks selection ****

Atmosphere ***

Food ****

Prices ***