The General Tarleton: 'I ate at Tommy Banks's new venture and here is what I thought'
The General Tarleton is the latest venture involving Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks and it shows that the great British pub is still alive and well despite all the challenges, writes Chris Bond.
George Orwell liked a good pub. So much so that he wrote an essay in 1946 describing his ideal drinking establishment – a small place with China pots, creamy stout and most importantly, a convivial atmosphere. He even gave it a name, The Moon Under Water.
A lot of beer has flowed since Orwell penned his famous essay and the pub landscape in this country has changed dramatically, but the notion of a friendly local still has real appeal for a lot of people.
It certainly does for Tommy Banks. In 2023, the Michelin-starred chef took over the Abbey Inn at Byland, where he worked as a teenage pot washer, quickly earning rave reviews.
Banks holds Michelin stars at both the Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots in York with friend and business partner Matthew Lockwood and has become a familiar face on TV thanks to his appearances on shows like the BBC’s Great British Menu (he’s a three-time winner and now one of the judges).
So when businessman Neil Armstrong was looking to save his local, The General Tarleton, which had been closed for a couple of years, he felt Banks was the man to help him.
This led to the creation of Jeopardy Hospitality, involving Banks, his brother James, Lockwood and Armstrong, which has transformed the much-loved pub in Ferrensby, just outside Knaresborough.
The 18th century former coaching inn reopened at the end of summer following an extensive and sympathetic refurbishment as a pub with eight boutique bedrooms – there’s something comforting about being able to stumble upstairs to bed at the end of an evening when you’ve been well watered and fed.
A bar/dining area has been split in two, including a conservatory-style atrium, and there’s a dedicated area for those who just want to come in for a drink.
The General Tarleton does lunch and dinner with the food rooted in British pub classics. There’s a danger when it comes to traditional dishes that you end up trying to reinvent the wheel.
Here, though, it’s all about paying homage to the classics by using the best of British produce. Amen to that.
There are occasions when you look at a menu and it sounds interesting without making your mouth water, and others when you feel bamboozled by the sheer amount of choice.
And there are also times – like this – when you know you’re going to eat well and a warm sense of anticipation and smugness washes over you.
Anticipation at what's to come, and smugness at deciding to wear those slightly looser fitting trousers.
We eschewed the snacks, tempted as we were by the likes of pork crackling with apple butter and the cheese and leek croquettes, and went instead for a couple of starters.
Not so long ago, scotch eggs were something you avoided at weddings and buffets, but they have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years and this scotch egg was a revelation, a perfect balance of flavour and texture elevated by the piquancy of the brown sauce.
The twice baked cheese soufflé with Old Winchester cheddar, watercress and Pommery mustard, was also on the money.
It seems perverse to describe a soufflé as being “light”, given it’s as rich as a rich thing, but this had a lightness that belied the calories it doubtless contained at the same time as packing plenty of welly, as my gran used to say.
The main courses consist of seasonal dishes, pub classics and a small, but enticing-sounding grill, featuring the likes of pork cutlets and Barnsley chops.
We opted for the fish of the day (a whole plaice), which came with a lemon caper butter, barbecued leeks, sea vegetables and fries. Everything on the plate was there for a reason which was to enhance the star of the show, namely the perfectly cooked plaice.
Everything we ate was sublime, but if I had to pick a favourite (I know, we should love all our children equally) it would be the steak and Black Sheep ale pie.
On paper, pie and mash sounds quite simple and to some (not me) even a bit boring, but there are plenty of pitfalls that can trip up even the most experienced chefs.
The pastry needs to be buttery but not too crumbly, the meat needs to be soft and tender, the gravy needs to be unctuous (and not a wretched jus), and the same care and attention should be afforded to the veg.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have scoffed plenty of pies in my time, but I’m hard pushed to think of one better than this. Put simply, it was faultless.
For pudding we shared the chocolate pot with sour cherries and miso. Like everything that came before, it was a brilliant combination of flavours and ingredients put together with care and skill by people who know what they’re doing.
As with any good pub the staff were friendly and attentive, and the throng of Saturday lunchtime diners were filled with bonhomie.
The bill for two, including three glasses of wine and service, came in at £141.13.
This certainly isn’t cheap for a pub lunch but given that it ranks among the best pub meals I’ve ever had, it feels churlish to quibble about the cost.
In a recent interview with this newspaper, Banks spelled out his hopes for The General Tarleton.
“You want to be that place where people can call in for a quiet pint, somewhere they can come for a midweek meal, somewhere to go on a date night on a Saturday and somewhere you can bring your whole family for a celebration or even a wake. The whole circle of life can be encapsulated in a pub.”
He’s right. For all the well-documented challenges facing them pubs remain at the heart of our cultural life.
So when people come together to create a great one like this, they deserve to be applauded.
Welcome 5/5
Food 5/5
Atmosphere 5/5
Prices 4/5
The General Tarleton, Harrogate Road, Ferrensby, Knaresborough. HG5 0PZ.