Old Bore

An etched inscription on the glass entrance door says "It's anything but boring", and, with the maverick owner about, life rarely is. Chef proprietor Scott Hessel - once described as the wild boy of Yorkshire chefs - is now firmly settled at the 200 year old former coaching inn, set in the small village of Rishworth, lying on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Scott was the youngest chef ever to win the Roux Brothers Scholarship back in 1998, from there the scholarship enabled him to train in several three star Michelin restaurants in Europe. Such grounding has made the Old Bore a consistent award winner since opening.

Seasonality is basis of the ever changing and evolving menus, further expressed at the Old Bore by regular monthly food festivals  - everything from Oldroyd's rhubarb, Yorkshire asparagus growers and rare breed Dexter beef supplier, Martyn and Caroline Ryder at Pike End Farm, Rishworth.

The range of both modern and classic dishes is formed from the local suppliers to the Old Bore described by Scott as, "our food heroes" choices might include starters of crispy rare breed belly pork, Bury black pudding with hot and sticky king prawns to fresh Whitby crab with avocado and gazpacho dressing.

Main dishes could offer classic steamed pudding of Dexter beef or pan roast wild halibut fillet, crushed Jersey royals, lobster shell cream, ham hock, peas and watercress. Finishing up with their famous liquid centre Belgian chocolate brownie served in a little copper pan with vanilla ice cream.

The wine list is compiled with enthusiasm, knowledge and the drinker in mind, excellent wine by the glass ranging from house to new Cloudy Bay and Champagne. Not forgetting there own Bore Bitter and Scott's homemade flavoured vodka and gins.

As the man said, anything but boring.