Why The Alice Hawthorn in Nun Monkton is worth the wait – and the detour
A restaurant I was poised to visit and write for this month, sadly, had closed unknowingly.
Their demise, I can only assume, was swift, as they had neither the time nor, I imagine, the inclination to let me, a confirmed booking, know; this made me think about the difficulties in the industry. New places open daily; others have run out of steam, while others remarkably keep chugging away, simply getting on with the job
So, I trundled my way through my loosely called little black book, the contents of which go back a long way, to see how many there were that I know are still working away and was pleasantly surprised at the number, though I will add that it doesn't mean it isn't tough for them, too.
Hence, I found myself on a glorious, sunny Sunday afternoon at one of my long-standing favourites – The Alice Hawthorn in Nun Monkton, York – despite not having been there for several years. Nun Monkton is a beautiful village complete with a duck pond, maypole, church and historic cottages.
The village is ideally positioned between York and Harrogate, accessed off the very busy A59, and by the time you reach the village down the long cul-de-sac road, the hustle and bustle feels a world away.
The Alice is named after a 19th-century racehorse renowned for winning 52 of its 71 races between 1841 and 1845.
There are numerous pictures scattered around the walls of Alice bearing testament to its fame. Despite this fame, the pub has had its ups and downs and closed several times until an upturn in its fortunes came, thanks to a local entrepreneur, Richard Harpin, who believed the village was in danger of losing its pub and bought it.
Thank you, Richard. It is a treasure, and thank you for bringing in great operators in John and Claire Topham, who are hugely admired for their work at The Angel at Hetton and The General Tarleton.
Nun Monkton could not have looked prettier on the day we visited, and the Alice was packed inside and out. Surprisingly, we had managed to bag an elusive booking, and I expected not to have the best seat in the house.
I was, unsurprised therefore when we were placed in the snug, which is quieter and smaller than the main dining room.
We were next to a welcome open window, bringing in a much-needed breeze, and across from a small bar that backs onto the main bar, where coffee is made, empty bottles are tipped into bins, and collected glasses are piled up ready for washing. Not the relaxing lunch experience I had been looking forward to.
We weren't there long, though, as supremely helpful front-of-house staff Emma had cannily already worked out that this was perhaps not the best table, given there were a couple now free in the main room. We were moved immediately.
Though this was Sunday lunch, the day was far too hot for a roast, though that didn't seem to be stopping many around us. There are some tempting lighter dishes for starters: dynamite shrimp, Kohl Rabi (my choice), goat's cheese croquettes (for him), as well as York and ham terrine or seared scallops.
For mains, Fountains Gold stuffed arancini, cod (for me), and Chorizo stuffed Yorkshire chicken supreme for him. If a roast is what you want, on our visit, there was roast rack of saddleback pork (£26) and dry-aged roast sirloin (£28), both with all the trimmings you would expect.
If there were the perfect summer starter for me, it was the supremely fresh, bright Kohl Rabi nestled in a lovely bowl, the long strips woven around a fat quenelle of glossy, pea guacamole, with crunchy, sweet caramelised pecans, pea shoots, and a light lemon jam. I've been dreaming of it constantly since.
Fat, perfectly formed golden fried goat's cheese croquettes had a similar reaction to mine across the table; they sat atop the freshest-looking summery salad of ever-so-lightly pickled beetroot, apple, hazelnut, and watercress.
Two triumphs of serving the best food to suit the weather outside. I could have stopped eating right then and there, but I'm so glad I didn't.
The fattest hunk of squeaky fresh cod came wrapped around a pile of buttery, piped mashed potatoes and baby spinach, surrounded by a pool of exquisite prawn and chive Beurre Blanc – the renowned sauce that intimidates even the most competent chefs.
Not here; it was all sweet and salty, buttery but not cloying – just the textbook cooking I have come to expect at the Alice. The supreme of chicken was, however, not my cup of tea. Chorizo rarely does it for me, and I wasn't overly enchanted by the presentation either. However, he loved everything about it.
I gave it a try and could find no fault; the seasoning was spot on, the rice was cooked, and the vegetables were tender.
The lunch was finished off with two cracking desserts, Annabel's deliciously British Eton Mess was delicious and neatly messy in a sundae glass. Roast pineapple was a chunk of a pudding, all sticky caramelised sugar with spiced rum and raisin ice cream.
It doesn't take much to work out why the Alice Hawthorn is so popular, and booking ahead is a must. The staff are excellent, professional, pleasant and on the ball. There's superb food from highly skilled chefs; food is freshly cooked with generous Yorkshire portions without looking greedy.
Both inside and out, the Alice is smart yet retains the quintessential country inn charm, with all its beams and flagged floors. The bar is still a bar and open to non-diners. If you get a chance, have a peek at the award-winning garden rooms.
I dropped several hints to the husband that it might be nice to stay over next time. And there will be a next time, but I will not be leaving it so long.
The Alice Hawthorn, The Green, Nun Monkton York YO26 8EW Tel: 01423 330 303. [email protected]