Carlton Bore

When Scott Hessel became the youngest ever winner of the Roux Brothers Scholarship in 1990, it was abundantly clear that he would not be sitting around for any great length of time and his career since then has been one which must have brought immense pleasure to the founders of this highly prestigious Award. In 2004 Scott and his wife Lisa opened the award winning Old Bore at Rishworth, before expanding to the Carlton Bore in 2008, described by one recent enthusiastic customer as a most welcome change from the formerly 'soulless place with hardly any visitors'.

Nor is Carlton Husthwaite your ordinary Yorkshire village. A local magazine enthusing about its qualities suggested that 'only rock stars and lottery winners might dream of living there', which sounded to me like a very good reason for staying away. But the reality is that it's a beautiful village, with a church, a green, and a wonderful blend of Tudor thatch and Georgian dignity, inhabited by equally agreeable and friendly people, many of whom you will regularly find enjoying the Carlton Bore's hospitality in one form or another.

A refreshing blend of country house décor and country inn informality, with checked tablecloths, a restrained sprinkling of the sort of bits and pieces that bring life to a place where people gather to relax and feel at home, ensures that a good time is had by all. But this might be less certain were it not for the tasty and exciting food factored by Scott and his brigade in the sparkling kitchens. The best local and seasonal produce is engaged, well supported by a wine list packed with award winners and amusingly titled, though Scott is refreshingly modest about his own widely recognised achievements.

A choice of around eight starters could include the 'Bore Benedict' toasted muffin with soft black pudding, poached egg and Hollandaise, or an excellent fish soup, aioli, croutons and Swiss cheese. A marked inclination throughout the entire menu towards fish and seafood is acknowledged early with a starter of oak roast smoked salmon and crayfish fishcakes with spinach and lobster sauce.

Of the dozen or so main courses half draw their inspiration from the sea, with the pièce de resistance for many the fresh lobster, scallop ands king prawn Thermidor, a soft garden herb salad and new potatoes; a real 'go-to-the-gallows meal of superb quality'. However, the more land-based dishes don't take that lying down and an aged sirloin steak with garlic butter or pepper sauce, and shoestring fries and rocket can be added to for those who simply cannot forsake the surf, with the addition of some juicy garlic king prawns.

The quality of indulgence is by no means spared at the Carlton Bore when it comes to desserts, with rose petal ice cream, fresh strawberries with lemon curd ice cream, the Bore version of sticky toffee pudding or some of Scott's homemade gourmet chocs, to hand. The dessert wines listed are enough to reduce any tendency towards resistance that might be showing its head above the parapet by that time, in particular the Show Liqueur Muscat from South Eastern Australia, described as a 'decadently intense wine'.

Amongst its many other attractions the Carlton Bore's Sunday lunch is a sort of mini-festival of fine food, except that it's held every week, bringing in shrewd Yorkshire folk, and others from a wide area. Be sure to book, though in truth the bar menu to which you might be 'reduced' if you don't, offers a fish pie to die for, wild boar bangers of exceptional quality, or a whole baked Camembert with rosemary and garlic, hand cut chips and salad.

Check on their Website for events and functions, including availability of the Veuve Clicquot Private Dining Room for up to 12 guests.