Bucking the trend – The Castle Inn at Cawood, North Yorkshire.

Details: Category: Food & Drink; Created on Saturday, 27 February 2016 09:03; Written by Northern Living

The trend in the Public House sector all seems to be bad news at present. With many pubs struggling and several a week in any given region closing their doors, often never to reopen. It's good to see new publicans swimming against this tide and making a notable success in a very short period of time.

The Castle Inn at Cawood has recently undergone a total refurbishment including all public areas, a complete kitchen refit and even the private living quarters, at the cost of £250000 The bar and restaurant areas were busy with a warm and friendly atmosphere when we arrive on Friday evening. There were a mix of regulars and local at the bar with accents from further a field noticable as we headed towards our destination, the kitchen. You get a real feel about a gasto pub or restarant if you are allowed behind the scenes. Although their accomplished head chef Daryl Salt was expecting us to drop in, by design we arrived exactly an hour early. A mildly devious trick, perhaps, but his kitchen was well presented, tidy and running like a well oiled machine. Even though we caught him off guard. To achieve that level of confident happy co-operation in a commercial kitchen is often beyond the abilities of a team, to achive it in less than a week is extraodinary.

So to the food. The dishes were presented with the sort of panash you might expect in a top London restaurant without the accomanying extortionate priceing. Not a small gastro pub in a village between York and Selby. Chef took the time to decorate each plate before assembling the dish. A balsamic glaze floral design on your steak plate, or perhaps a chocolate and fruit syrup palm tree beside your sweet. The portions were generous, without being excessive and the family sharing platter from the "Family Friday" menu look outstanding. We wish Kathy, Alan and all their staff every success in the future. I personally expect to be hearing a great deal of positive comment about this place.....

The Castle Inn

7 Wistowgate, Cawood, Selby, North Yorkshire YO8 3SH

01757 268982

http://www.castleincawood.co.uk

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