The village inn
Set in a deep valley bordered by farm, forest and shooting moor, the estate village of Hawnby feels remote. The green-painted livery lets you know this is an estate village, the sandstone buildings, the shop, the pub and the 12th century church, make it a place apart, yet Hawnby is only 7 miles from Helmsley.
In 1757 John Wesley came here and wrote, ‘rode over one of the pleasantest parts of England to Hawnby’, and so it remains, a pleasing village with All Saints church at the bottom of the village and the Owl at the top.
The inn is making its mark under the direction of Sam Varley, who ran Bantam in Helmsley, before closing it to put all his energies into the Owl.
It really is all you could ask of a village inn. Comfy armchairs and a fire in the bar where snacks and light meals are available for weary walkers: pork pie with pickles, devilled kidneys on toast, a cheeseburger or Cheddar rarebit and a portion of chips with everything.
The strapline is ‘Good food cooked well’, which accurately sums up the Owl. The menu offers elevated pub favourites. Monkfish ‘scampi’ with tartare sauce, cured sea trout with soda bread, game and ham hock terrine followed by Barnsley chop and lentils; chicken leek and bacon pie; spinach and ricotta cannelloni and naturally, ribeye steak and Roquefort butter.
Sunday lunch is popular, so book a table for Hereford roast sirloin, roast chicken or celeriac wellington all served with Yorkshire pudding, roast spuds, and veg. To finish, there are traditional British puddings like steamed lemon sponge and custard, treacle tart and rice pudding.
Two hundred and fifty years after John Wesley trotted into Hawnby on his steed and proclaimed the area’s loveliness, it now has food to match the location.