INSTANBUL'S loss is Pickering's gain.

Up in the heart of the Ryedale town, the 18th-century Black Swan has undergone a remarkable transformation, at the hands of a couple with a fascinating tale.

It is almost impossible to tell their story without appearing trite, focusing on beer amid the broader complexities of 21st-century politics, but Phil and Jill Hall have been telling their story themselves so it merits retelling here.

York Press: Selection of beers in The Black SwanSelection of beers in The Black Swan

For eight years, they lived in Istanbul, setting up and running the Bosphorus Brewing Company, a brew pub serving craft beers and food, catering for British ex-pats and some enthusiastic locals riding the wave of the global beer revolution. Business boomed and the bar won plaudits and awards - until politics interfered.

Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's crackdown on alcohol hit Jill and Phil hard. The ban on alcohol advertising meant they had to remove their bar signs and even remove the beer list from their website and facebook page. And they say that from next year, they would have been banned from producing alcohol, because their neighbourhood was classed as a residential area.

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The Black Swan - the interior has been overhauled; the outside awaits work

Amid such uncertainty, Phil and Jill decided to up sticks and return to England, and they arrived in Pickering last December.

"Our younger son was finishing his last two years at school in Turkey, but then he got a place at York College," says Jill. "So we were looking around, and we saw this place and the lease was up for renewal."

The pub is owned by Enterprise Inns but the Halls need only pay rent on the building, without the tie on beer that is normally imposed by the large pub companies.

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Three of the taps at The Black Swan

Some work is needed outside, where the facade still boasts of the now-departed John Smith's, but Phil and Jill have overseen a lot of work inside, making it brighter and more spacious. They also plan to renovate the nine accommodation rooms and add a micro-brewery, so Phil can produce his own beers on site.

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For now, he is "cuckoo-brewing" at Brass Castle Brewery in Malton, under the name Anatolian Breworks. On the bar last week were his Pale Invader, and my own favourite, Karbon, a rich black porter with an ABV of 5.1 per cent.

Alongside those sat an impressive range of Yorkshire beers, helpfully listed by style on the blackboards behind the bar. Brass Castle, Blue Bee, Great Heck and Howden were among the other breweries represented, and the "three thirds for £3" offer made it easy to try a range. Brass Castle's pale and refreshing Northern Blonde and Howden's maltier Bittern complemented the Karbon on my tray.

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Some of the beers available

"We are trying to make the pub a bit more focused on good local beer, supporting the local economy," says Jill. "We are getting a good reputation for the beers and food we have and hopefully we will soon have the rooms up and running.

"The business is growing week on week. Obviously in Pickering it's quite seasonal but we have a lot of tourists who have been here before and are pleasantly surprised. We are pleased with how it's going, and we also have a lot of the locals giving us support. We are filling a gap in the market."

The dinner menu has mains ranging from £8.95, up to to £20.95 for the fillet steak. The focus is weighted towards meat and fish but there are a couple of creative vegetarian options as well: a Tuscan bean stew and a vegetable and ricotta pie.