The Star Inn at Harome review: Michelin-starred North Yorkshire restaurant's tasting menu shows it is better than ever at 30
As Andrew Pern celebrate 30 years at Michelin-starred The Star Inn at Harome, Elaine Lemm pays a visit and is, as ever, bowled over by the food, this time the ten-course tasting menu.
It is 1996, and a young couple sit in a solicitor’s office, chequebook in hand, ready to hand over a handsome sum as a down payment on their new venture: a closed, run-down, thatched pub. I was told by one of the couple that this was not only a pivotal moment in their lives but also a terrifying one, as the reality of what they were about to do sank in.
That couple was Andrew and Jacquie Pern, names now familiar to many of us, but back then they were unknowns buying The Star at Harome.
I first met the Perns in 1998, around the time I opened my café-restaurant in Helmsley. By then they were already making a name for themselves, attracting attention far beyond Yorkshire, receiving awards and putting Harome firmly on the map. Yet despite all they had on, I remember them being exceptionally kind to me, offering help and advice and sharing tales of the struggles they had faced when starting out. Their kindness is something I have never forgotten.
On June 20 this year, Andrew will mark 30 years at the helm. If ever an anniversary deserved recognition, this is surely one. What has been achieved in that time is phenomenal. Not only has Andrew become an industry icon, but The Star is now known nationwide and beyond.
Naturally, getting the Star to where it is now has taken a huge amount of hard work. There were difficult periods too: a Norovirus outbreak and a painful divorce. There was the delight of a Michelin star in 2002—only the second pub in the world to do so—the disappointment of losing it in 2011, and three years of dedication to regain it. Then, to cap it all, came the devastating arson attack in 2021, which closed the pub for more than a year.
As I look at The Star now, what defines it for me is that, although it is universally known as a Michelin-starred restaurant, it is, foremost, a pub. On most nights, the bar is packed with locals, farmers, walkers and the like. You can come in your wellies or your Louboutins; enjoy the bar menu, dine à la carte or perhaps linger over the ten-course seasonal tasting menu. Or, simply have a jolly good time over a pint, a glass of chilled wine, or Champagne. It is this that I love about The Star: its offering extends far beyond the restaurant. It is open to everyone, and that is what makes it unique.
On this occasion, we were there for the ten-course tasting menu and, sadly, had to pass on the wine flight. We were delighted when the hugely talented executive chef Stephen Smith introduced it to us. Stephen has worked alongside Andrew for 18 years, mainly as head chef, and since the reopening following the fire has taken on a more prominent role in shaping not only the food but also the direction of the pub itself. The Early Spring Tasting Menu (£150pp) is a profusion of ingredients, and I knew we were in for a treat. There is far too much to detail every dish here, but I hasten to say there was barely anything we didn’t like or that didn’t work.
We begin with whipped house-smoked cod roe with langoustine essence and towering breadsticks, then move on to a beautifully balanced Yorkshire-reared Saddleback pork rib with rhubarb, chilli and ginger, followed by a broth of Texel spring lamb with griddled calçots - sweet Catalonian onions.
A dish of butter-poached cauliflower with black spring truffle and a Moorland Tomme cheese whip is a nostalgic creation inspired by Stephen’s childhood, recalling his mother’s cauliflower cheese, which I found unexpectedly touching.
A Nori-roasted wild turbot from Robin Hood’s Bay with white asparagus, queen scallop, mussel, clam and a three-corner leek ragout was, at this point, my favourite. The beautifully cooked turbot and scallops, with the added savoury saltiness of the nori, worked so well for me. A superb dish.
Across the table, however, his undoubted favourite of the evening was a tender, deeply flavoursome roast fillet of Harome shot venison with a hefty mushroom raviolo. He only regretted not saving some bread to mop up every last bit of the sauce.
We had both been looking forward to The Star Inn’s Signature Dish, which has remained on the menu since opening. This is a stroke of genius, and I make no apologies for its contents of Black Pudding and Pan-fried Foie Gras with Pickering watercress salad, chutney and Scrumpy. Timeless, bold and part of the restaurant’s history - we both loved it.
Conversation around a Royal Squab Pigeon livened things up for us, as we each preferred different elements and had a good natter about why. I loved the Pigeon Tea and Madeira jellies; he favoured the leg meat and the “Rascal” (think miniature versions of those from Bettys). We did agree this is a quirky, memorable dish.
And suddenly we arrive at dessert - it always creeps up on me. The highlight was the delicate hexagonal crisp, which looked almost too pretty to eat, set atop the scrumptious white-chocolate and cep ice cream. We both went slightly mad for the banana sticky toffee pudding, with a luscious salted-caramel and rum syrup. Give me sweet and salty together any time.
What can I say? There is a reason the Star is here, at the top of its game 30 years later: the food, the service, the atmosphere, and the ongoing dedication, passion and inclusivity. This is the best I have seen the Star Inn over the years, and I have been here many times. Like all of us, it has grown up and matured, and I truly believe that everyone involved has helped bring it to where it is today, thanks to Andrew’s dream. Thirty years on, the stars seem very much aligned and shining brightly.
Congratulations to Andrew, Fran and the whole team on this lovely anniversary.
Ratings:
Welcome – 5/5
Food – 5/5
Atmosphere – 5/5
Prices – 5/5
The Star Inn at Harome, Harome, near Helmsley YO62 5JE www.thestaratharome.co.uk