As part of our Green Traveller's Guide to the North York Moors, Paul Bloomfield picks out a selection of pubs, restaurants, tea rooms and local markets in this wonderful National Park in the north of England.
What matters in the North York Moors is not so much where you eat as where what you eat came from. Whether you’re tackling gourmet cuisine in a gastropub or international bistro, tucking into a pork pie in a village local or licking the last crumbs of moggie cake off your saucer, chances are the ingredients were the products of the hills, fields and seas around you.
Whitby, of course, is the source of seafood and fish, along with little brother Staithes, just up the coast. Rare-breed cattle, sheep and pigs graze the hillfarm meadows, providing succulent meat, and there’s ample game among the heather on the moors. All of the eateries listed in this guide, from pubs in slumbering hamlets and vintage tearooms to chic restaurants and country inns, take pride in their produce, many growing their own vegetables and salads in gardens and allotments – and the result is a distinctive array of flavours unique to the region.
Google map: shows the location and details of all the places to stay, local food and drink, nearby visitor attractions and activities in our Green Travel Guide to North York Moors:
Green = Places to stay Blue = Local food & drink Yellow = Attractions Purple = Activities
Places to eat in North York Moors
Beadlam Grange Farm Shop
Beadlam Grange offers the finest fresh country produce to eat in its tearoom or buy from its lovely shop, on a traditional, family-run working farm. The Old Granary has been converted into a tearoom, which seeps with old country character, and a wood chip boiler provides its heating and hot water. In the shop, you can buy home-reared, top quality meats; these are complemented by a huge range of other local produce, from fine Yorkshire blue cheese to Brymor ice cream, plus home-prepared quiches, pies, and salads. beadlamgrange.co.uk
Hunters of Helmsley
A truly bespoke shopping experience awaits you at Hunters grade II listed premises in the heart of lovely Helmsley: this family-run business sources over 70% of its produce from Yorkshire, and endeavours to provide the best range of top quality food (and drink) to its clientele. Hams, beef and pork are cooked on the premises, and deliciously creamy Brymor ice cream is available, as well as local cider and even Yorkshire fruit wine: the perfect opportunity to try out something new. huntersofhelmsley.com
Stonehouse Bakery
Ian and Fiona Clacherty have been running the lovely Stonehouse Bakery in the heart of the North York Moors for twenty years. Now with three outlets, Stonehouse remains a small craft bakery that hand produce all their own products using natural ingredients. Offering a range of breads, pies, and cakes, which range from old favourites to more inventive offerings, there’s something here to appeal to everyone. There's also a tea shop next door. stonehousebakery.co.uk
Arches Cookery School
Proud to be different from other cookery schools, the Arches are based on a family-run working farm, and use the vegetables and herb grown by owner Sarah Muir’s mother, as part of a commitment to using local producers and the best of North Yorkshire cuisine. Sarah, who was previously a personal chef for some of the world’s top music acts, teaches courses herself, which range from pastry to seafood and vintage tea parties and much more besides. archescookeryschool.co.uk
Cedarbarn Farm Shop and Cafe
The owners of Cedarbarn, Mandy and Karl, proudly declare that they are “passionate about growing, cooking, and eating fabulous food” and you can discover their passion at their farm shop and cafe. With everything from their own home-reared meats to freshly landed fish from the Yorkshire coast, you can sample all the finest locally sourced produce sit down and try some in the cosy cafe, or peruse the shop and take something away to cook it yourself. cedarbarnfarmshop.co.uk
Hares Leap Farm Shop and Café
If you’re looking for a place to stop off for a snack or a meal on your trip up the dramatic Yorkshire coast, look no further. In a beautiful location, within easy reach of Whitby and Scarborough, Hares Leap is a fantastic place to pick up the finest homemade foods. The deli serves all kinds of locally sourced, made on premises delights, and you can sample everything from a freshly made pie to a full roast in the lovely café. haresleapfarm.co.uk
Kala King Patisserie & Chocolates
Part of the larger Beadlam Grange family, Kala King takes a traditional approach to creating exquisite, top of the range pastries, cakes, and chocolates from the finest ingredients. Focusing more on commissions, catering out, and supplying to local shops, you can nonetheless sample her delights and even take part in chocolate and pastry making workshops periodically at Beadlam Grange. kalakingpatisserie.co.uk
Real Meals
Home made, locally produced, and at reasonable prices: what more could you look for when buying your food? Real Meals stocks a huge range of produce, including delicious North Country cheeses; frozen meals, terrines, pies and pates, all made on site; free range eggs and local meat and dairy. The mouth watering list continues and they even provide a range of recipes to help you make the most of what you buy! realmeals.co.uk
Wykeham Village Market
The area’s only weekly market, every Friday morning fills the Downe Arms car park with fresh, delicious, local produce. Especially good for fresh or frozen game (depending on the season), you can feast on everything from luxury handmade cookies, to local cheese and dairy; and why not indulge in organic aromatherapy products or locally grown plants while you’re at it? dawnay.co.uk
CottonHouse
Coffee meets cakes meets cards meets crafts, cushions and candles. Rising from the ruins of a disused old stable yard, CottonHouse offers a small but perfectly formed menu of bagels, sandwiches, dips and soup, plus that all-important array of homemade cakes, in a light-filled, vintage-style cafe with outdoor seating for sunny days. The giftshop showcases the work of talented local and national artists and craftspeople, from sculptors and dress-makers to photographers and lamp-designers, and there’s a tempting haberdashery section to fuel your own creative endeavours. cottonhousehelmsley.co.uk
Farmhouse Fodder Tea Garden
All routes lead to Rosedale - at least, that’s how it seems when you read the instructions for accessing this ‘proper Yorkshire tea garden’, with directions for ramblers approaching from no fewer than four starting points. Walking is the raison d’etre for Maggie’s enterprise on this remote hillfarm, fuelling hikers en route from and to all corners of the moors. Flop on the grass or let yourself be enveloped by the hug of the sweeping stone windbreak-bench, and drink in the blistering view as well as the tea, coffee or elderflower cordial while pondering which of the homemade sandwiches, scones or cakes to munch (try Yorkshire tea bread, funeral biscuits or even ‘Moggies’, a local speciality baked with thick black treacle). teagardenrosedalenyorksmoors.co.uk
Hawnby Stores and Tearoom
It’s a local shop, for local people and a treasure trove for the rest of us. For a dozen years this charming tearoom and village stores has provided the community with local produce fruit, veg, meats and other treats as well as cream teas and delicious homemade cakes. And if the store echoes Open All Hours in its vintage feel, the range of local goodies couldn’t be more different alongside the newspapers and sweets nestle homemade jams, ales from Yorkshire breweries and all manner of necessities that you didn’t know you needed. hawnbytearoom.co.uk
Ryeburn of Helmsley
Few places can boast that their ice cream has twice been voted best in the country, but Ryeburn isn’t most places. With delectable hand-made chocolates and creamy, dairy ice cream, this lovely cafe and small producer in the centre of Helmsley is the perfect place to treat yourself. Be sure to try the Toffee and Fudge or Cookies and Cream flavour ice creams, they won gold in the National Ice Cream awards! ryeburn.com
Lavenders Tea Room and Delicatessen
In an historic 14th century building, Lavenders offers some of Yorkshire’s finest and freshest produce, whether you want to buy a hamper to take away, or maybe just a piece of local cheese. Alternatively, make yourself comfortable in the tearoom and enjoy delicious home made cakes with a cup of tea or coffee. lavenders.uk.com
Old School Coffee Shop
After a sensitive, yearlong renovation of Grosmont’s beautiful former primary school, the Old School coffee shop opened in April 2012, to the delight of gourmands near and far. With delicious home-baked cakes and snacks to complement fine coffee and other drinks, this is an atmospheric spot with thorough attention to detail that also extends to their customer service ethic. grosmontcoffeeshop.co.uk
Falling Foss Tea Garden
“Magical” is an adjective that’s bandied around rather too readily, but in the case of this enchanting tea garden, it’s entirely apt. Built as a gamekeeper’s cottage in the late 18th century, Midge Hall was abandoned in the 1960s and suffered half a century of decay. Then, in 2008, Steph and Jack Newman lovingly restored it and reopened the site as a tea garden. And what a garden: it sits alongside the Coast to Coast Path, above Falling Foss Waterfall and in the verdant wilderness of Sneaton Forest. Cakes are moist, scones cream-laden, bacon and sausage baps (courtesy of local butchers in Ruswarp near Whitby) succulent. fallingfossteagarden.co.uk
Geall Gallery & Art Cafe
Chris Geall made a name for himself creating large-scale oil paintings of the North York Moors, Whitby and the region’s dramatic coastline. He still to be found with his palette knife in the studio at the back of his gallery café, if you can tear yourself away from the fresh design-your-own sandwiches, homemade cakes, quiches, scones, pies and other delectables. Handy for both Grosmont Station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and the last stop (eastbound) on the Coast to Coast Path, the gallery also has three tastefully refurbished bedrooms for lucky guests can enjoy a custom-cooked dinner prepared with that day’s catch or other local produce, rustled up in the open kitchen by chef Jay. chrisgeall.com
Suggitt’s Café and Shop
Opened in 1925 as an ice cream store, Suggitt’s has become a local institution. Retaining a retro vibe that will take you back to your childhood - or beyond – a range of sweets and other confections now complement the celebrated ice cream, which you can enjoy outside, in a lovely brook-side setting. Be warned: on a sunny summer’s day, the queues can become very long! facebook.com/Suggitts
The Star Inn
Step back in time when you cross the threshold of this ancient inn just outside Helmsley skewed angles and ageing beams let you know that this is somewhere special, and that preserving its heritage is just part of the wider attitude. Chef and director, Andrew Pern, is a luminary of modern Yorkshire cuisine, focusing on the region’s plentiful not to mention delicious - local fish and game. thestaratharome.co.uk
The Moors Inn
Nestled in a tiny village in the south of the Moors, this traditional stone inn ticks a lot of boxes flickering fire in a black iron range, dark wood beams, ales to savour, and generous helpings of freshly prepared nosh. Meat there’s plenty of it comes from local gamekeepers, farmers and butchers, and the vegetables or salad on your plate might well have been dug up from the landlord’s allotment that morning. As well as pub standards such as fish and chips and steak and ale pie, the kitchen gets adventurous with the specials when the right ingredients arrive Moroccan lamb tagine, pheasant casserole, baked trout. Seven simple, comfortable rooms provide B&B accommodation, above the pub or in a converted barn. moorsinn.co.uk
The New Inn & Cropton Brewery
Not only does Cropton’s New Inn offer up a mouth-watering selection of fine local produce, it also boast its own brewery, enjoy a tasty range of home brewed beers on tap and bottled in the pub, or you can even book a brewery tour. Despite remaining a small, family-run affair, the New Inn also boasts a separate restaurant offering a relaxed dining experience apart from the hubbub of the bustling pub, which offers live music every day. newinncropton.co.uk
The Hare Inn
The Hare Inn is ideally situated in the centre of some of the North York Moors finest walking country so whether you want to fuel yourself with a hearty lunch, or take a relaxing drink in traditional country surroundings, look no further. The Inn, whose origins date back to the 12th Century, was renovated with love and care in 2012 and now serves up a fantastic range of local produce, including some of the country’s finest game, when in season. thehare-inn.com
Royal Oak Inn
A long, low stone pub in a small village at the southern edge of the national park, there’s more than meets the eye here. This Grade-II-listed 17th-century inn is decked out in a fairly typical style, for these parts at least, with the beams and log fires you’d expect. But food is the focus: the extensive menu is groaning with delights of a sophistication you’d expect at a city bistro rather than a country pub, and mostly magicked from local ingredients. Naturally there’s game and fish aplenty, bolstered by a bountiful range of vegetarian options. Eight fresh, comfortable en-suite rooms and find local ales complete the picture. theroyaloakgillamoor.co.uk
Blacksmiths Arms
That a pretty but compact hamlet like Lastingham (population well under 100) can support a pub feeding nearly 60 in two dining rooms speaks volumes about the quality of food, elevating classics such as scampi and Yorkshire hotpot to new levels. It’s all about the ingredients: both produce and suppliers are proudly local - fabulous, creamy Bradleys ice cream travels less than 7 miles to reach here. The bar is snugness itself, warmed in winter by a roaring fire in the old black range, with frankly alarming ranks of pewter tankards dangling from the beams above drinkers’ heads. Three guest rooms, two with four-posters, offer refuge for those who’ve overindulged in the fine Yorkshire ales downstairs (tipples from Copper Dragon, a Skipton brewery, are particular favourites) blacksmithslastingham.co.uk
The Carpenters Arms
Close to the soaring heights of the North York Moors, this traditional inn, which won Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub for 2013, pays special care to the provenance of all the delicious food which it serves up daily. It also has rooms, and is within easy reach of historic York but it’s the wonderful local beers, and freshly made meals that can be enjoyed on the lovely outdoor terrace (weather permitting) that are the real draw. thecarpentersarmsfelixkirk.com
Birch Hall Inn
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. This tiny pub, overlooking the ford over the Eller Beck, has barely changed in the best part of a century, and it’s all the better for it. The ‘Big Barâ’, warming in winter by an open fire, is small enough but the ‘Little Barâ’ must be one of the tiniest in the country, record attendance stands at 30 people and two (small) dogs. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in character: the two bars, sandwiching a pocket-sized, old-fashioned sweet shop, dish up traditional flatcake butties, locally made pork pies and the legendary Beck Hole Beer Cake. And, of course, pints. Ales change regularly, but a constant is the organic Beckwatter bitter, brewed for the inn by the North Yorkshire Brewing Co. beckhole.info
The Board Inn
The Board Inn’s setting is impossibly idyllic: this traditional country pub dates back to 1742 and sits by a little bridge over the river Esk in the heart of the North York Moors. You won’t just be impressed by the exterior, however – carefully preserving its historical ambience, the Board Inn offers real ales and ciders, as well as over 60 malt whiskies, and a wonderful riverside terrace from which to spot wildlife and watch the salmon and trout spawn in summer. Additionally, a fine selection of meats from the pub’s own herds complement a range of other local farm produce, game, and Whitby catch for the ultimate gastronomic pub meal. theboardinn.com
The Fox & Rabbit Inn
Proudly overlooking the North York Moors from the edge of Dalby Forest, this wonderful 18th Century country pub is the perfect placed for a relaxing drink with a view, or a hearty evening meal. The Fox and Rabbit source as much as possible of their produce locally, taking advantage of the bounty that each season brings, to create a high quality modern take on traditional pub grub. foxandrabbit.co.uk
White Horse Farm Inn
Surrounded by heather-cloaked moors, with views over Rosedale Abbey, The White Horse Farm ‘s location is immediately appealing, but it isn’t just the views that won it Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub of 2012. This restored 16th Century country inn exudes old world character and charm, serving an extensive menu of local (and locally sourced) fare, accompanied by fine whiskies and wines, and hand-pulled beer. Choose between the cosy atmosphere of the bar area or the stylish restaurant to enjoy your food and drink. whitehorserosedale.co.uk
The Black Swan at Oldstea
These days we’ve got used to the idea that pubs can, and often do, serve up some wonderful gourmet delights, but the Black Swan is the only one in the North of England that can claim both a Michelin Star and three AA Rosettes. If you like the old world ambience of a traditional pub, but have a seriously sophisticated palette, it’s the perfect place for you. Not only is attention paid to the finest detail in creating an innovative menu using the finest local ingredients, but attention has been paid to the environment in which you eat, too: understated elegance without sacrificing the charm of a North Country Inn. With everything from scallops to halibut, wood pigeon to duck hot pot, there’s something to tickle everyone’s fancy. blackswanoldstead.co.uk
The Anvil Inn
For most of the Anvil’s three centuries of existence, it was a working forge: and despite its recent incarnation as pub and restaurant, the relics of its past have been meticulously preserved and take pride of place in the building. This cosy, low-ceilinged inn sources local food, including fine Whitby fish, and if you aren’t tempted to eat, then enjoy a pint of local beer at the bar, and maybe you’ll come to change your mind. theanvilinnsawdon.co.uk
The Inn at Hawnby
The Inn at Hawnby isn’t afraid to sell itself: “stunning views; seasonal menus; beautiful bedrooms; local ales by a cosy fire,” it proclaims, and so it should. In the midst of the high moors, this is a great stop for locally produced, seasonally changing food: meals made the traditional, sustainable way. Meals made well - they hold both a rosette and a Taste of Yorkshire award. innathawnby.co.uk
White Swan Inn
You can come to the White Swan for a drink, or even stay the night, but the real draw of this inn at the heart of pretty Pickering is the food. Taking simple, traditional pub fare but doing it the way it should be done is the White Swan’s philosophy: they’re not trying to be real, they actually are sourcing the best local and national food wherever possible, and paying attention to everything from the supply chain to the final details. white-swan.co.uk
Fox & Hounds Country Inn
It’s a brave landlord that revamps a 17th-century coaching inn in this neck of the woods, the moor’s southern fringes, but the Fox & Hounds successfully pulls off an update that brings the best of gastropub style and culinary innovation but stays faithful to three-odd centuries of heritage. The bar sticks to a more traditional feel, with calming green walls, dark-wood settles, hops festooning the ceiling and (of course) that essential open fire; the restaurant complements a stone fireplace with vibrant colours and sparky, generous cooking. Ten en-suite doubles keep things simple, with classic bedsteads and bright hues. thefoxandhoundsinn.co.uk
The Fox and Hounds Restaurant
Breathtakingly located on the dramatic coastline between Sandsend and Runswick Bay, the Fox and Hounds made a big splash when it opened a few years back, and has since garnered a reputation as one of the region’s real culinary hotspots. The food is locally sourced and organic, served up in a romantic setting with stunning views, and with a focus on local specialities such as scallops, crap and turbot, as well as local meats and more. foxandhoundsgoldsborough.co.uk
Green’s of Whitby Restaurant & Bistro
More than ever before, we’ve come to value traceability of food and it’s rarely as specific as it is at Green's, where expertly cooked fish and seafood has been the hallmark for a dozen years. Whether you settle into an intimate booth in the restaurant or the more relaxed bistro, not only can you be assured that the special on your plate brill, halibut or sea trout, perhaps is fresh from Whitby or Staithes, you’ll also know which boat and which skipper landed it. The seafood tasting menu (4/5/6 courses £30/£37/£44) showcase the best of the Yorkshire coast’s bounty. greensofwhitby.com
Lord Stones Country Park
The cafe, restaurant, shop and campsite on this 160-acre park have been revamped by a family on the adjoining estate, who have injected new life and energy into the site. It's as green as can be, with a biomass boiler providing all heating and hot water. Locally sourced food is big business: the fabulous shop is packed with great local produce, selling grouse, beef and lamb from the estate. Glampers will love the camping pods which come with their own cosy woodburner, and it's right on three main walking routes: the Coast to Coast, the Cleveland Way National Trail and the Lyke Wake Walk. lordstones.com
The Cleveland Tontine
With a bistro, conservatory, bar, restaurant and even a ‘snug’ (a private dining room, to you and I), the Tontine’s range of eating options certainly takes some beating. Choose your ambience, then choose your food a range of lunch and evening menus are available, as well as afternoon tea, and you can even just pop in for a drink or coffee. theclevelandtontine.co.uk
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