Great and the good

YOU could get a real inferiority complex living in some of North Yorkshire’s smaller villages. They all seem to be Little this or Low that. It’s almost condescending, I often think.

Not so in their neighbours, though. Places like High Catton or Upper Poppleton, by contrast, have a gravitas and dignity about them, with names that ooze superiority, English civility and a bit of je ne sais quoi.

At least, that’s how it seemed anyway, when I headed north west from York to this week’s pub of choice, in the village of Great Ouseburn. Not poxy, neighbouring Little Ouseburn. Heaven forbid. No, Great Ouseburn.

And not to any old pub, but to The Crown Inn no less, a classic country pub, fairly plain on the outside but with an endearing interior made up of ageing beams, cosy side rooms, a welcoming bar and decades of character.

If all this talk of Greats and Crowns weren’t enough, then this place also came with a reputation to be revered.

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that The Crown has been shortlisted for two national gongs in The Publican Awards (best newcomer and best food), and it’s also been nominated in the best food and best community categories of The Press’s own Pub Awards (infinitely more prestigious than those national ones, of course).

All of which meant this lowly hack felt almost unworthy heading along to try it out for myself last Sunday, although I’m right chuffed that I did, for the beer selection was great and the food fantastic.

The bar was dominated by beers from nearby Rudgate: its supreme champion Ruby Mild, the amber Well Blathered (now with a more subtle “WB” pumpclip), and a house beer simply called Crown, which looked to be a blonde ale along the lines of Jorvik.

You can’t like real ale and dislike Rudgate – honest, it’s physically impossible – so anyone who enjoys trying local, crafted beers will be as happy as Larry here. There was a decent range as well for non-ale fans, capped by Peroni on tap, and a sizeable wine list for folks who like that sort of thing.

The Crown dates back to the 18th century but had been on its uppers for some time, and had been shut for eight months before Liz and Paul Jackson took it over the winter before last.

Since then, they’ve breathed a whole new lease of life into it which is great to see. In December, they held a Christmas party for local pensioners and then in January, they helped revive the village’s traditional East v West football match.

The busy quiz as I headed off last Sunday also added weight to their community credentials, but it’s in the kitchen that they are really carving a reputation. My lamb roast was awesome, my girlfriend’s ratatouille strudel much more imaginative than most pubs’ veggie fare, my crème brulée delicious, and her banana trio dessert a structural masterpiece.

Only one very minor gripe, which was that the lack of lights in the car park meant a tentative and treacherous walk back through the pitch darkness to the car, but everything else in these imperious and civilised surroundings was genuinely dazzling.

BEER fan Kylie Page, above, from Kendal, got a dream day out in York this week.

She won York Brewery’s “brew your own beer” competition and was invited to its HQ at Toft Green to develop her own handcrafted real ale, alongside head brewer Nick Webster.

Her “Blonde Imposter” is described as a “premium, light blonde ale with a hint of lime and no bitter aftertaste”.

General manager Andrew Whalley said: “Kylie wanted to produce an ale which appealed to women and encouraged them to try cask ale. We’re confident it will be popular on the bar.”

It should be available at the end of March, or start of April.

Common sense or nonsense? Follow Gav at twitter.com/pintsofview.