Sunday best (From Living Northeast)

Sunday best

1:56pm Thursday 25th February 2010 in

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It’s worth braving a bit of bad weather for good Yorkshires, says Mike Amos.

ONE recent Sunday, The Boss and I walked a snowy four miles south from Middleton Tyas to Scorton in search of lunch. The road was filthy, a slush fund job, so that on arrival at the Heifer we resembled a couple of speedway drivers after a bad dose of the bends.

There’d even been a Good Samaritan, though we declined the offer, and these days there are precious few of those. Not this side of Samaria, anyway.

Scorton’s a pleasant place, best known for its raised village green, its annual archery contest and for the former St John of God hospital.

The crowded village noticeboard contained everything from minutes of the parish council to two dozen regulations for running the cemetery. We didn’t bother reading them: life’s too short.

The Heifer, formerly the White Heifer, will have been run for ten years in April – real licensed trade longevity these days – by Pauline Billau and her son Adrian.

It’s now fashionably described as a bar/restaurant, the atmosphere relaxed, informal and friendly. The chap on the next table, clearly a regular, was mopping up the last drop of his gravy as we took a seat.

“That was dreadful, “ he said, jocularly.

“We aim for consistency, “ said Adrian.

Someone else had a birthday, with candles. Half the restaurant joined in, like all their birthdays had come at once.

Lunch is served Tuesday to Saturday and, from a different menu, on Sunday. Whatever the day, one course is £7, two £10, three £12. It was impossible not to compare it with a £11.50 stir-fry at the Scotch Corner Hotel the day previously.

She began with garlic mushrooms, I with pate, proper toast, good chutney. Nice bread, too, and butter in a bowl.

Nine main courses included two vegetarian options – Yorkshire pudding filled with fresh vegetables with vegetable gravy and a hot honey and mustard sauce and a spinach and ricotta cannelloni – and a substantial, cheesy, delicious fish pie.

The Boss, role reversal, had the beef. While not as good as that at home the week previously – Marks & Spencer, hung for 28 days, wonderful – it made for a thoroughly good meal. Well cooked Yorkshires, too.

Puddings included raspberry and chocolate sponge and quality ice cream. Real ales might have been Copper Dragon or the equally enjoyable Thwaites Original.

The bar area also had a mute flatscreen television, this one showing snooker. It seemed pretty pointless as no one was watching.

It was really just about everything a good Sunday lunch should be. We headed home with the wind in our faces – and at our backs, simultaneously.

The Heifer Scorton, near Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Tel: 01748-811357.

Lunch Tuesday to Sunday, dinner Monday to Saturday.

Closed Monday lunchtime. No problem for the disabled.