Oh WOW ....

It must be 2 years since we have dined at the Hare at Scawton. I don't know why it took us so long to return as it is only 10 minutes up the road from us. Jack is quite a creature of habit so to get him to stray even 7 miles takes some doing. We were welcomed by the lovely Liz who looked after us all evening along with her equally attentive staff. Bread is my failing.Give me bread and butter and more bread and butter and I am a happy bunny. I really, really shouldn't have been tempted but it was warm and delicious and it was home-made bread. I will put some photos on for you to savour as there was so many courses I would have to write pages to tell you about it all. All I can say is I have never tasted food like it before. I have eaten most things from peacock to pigs brains but I had never eaten eel before. As a child I always imagine every Cockney speaking human lived on it. This was smoked and delicious and now I can say I have eaten eel.Thank you Paul. We loved the amusee bouche if that is how you spell it -warm olive oil with Yorkshire feta,olives and other twists and turns "to get our palates ready" for this amazing tasting menu. I think it is the best food I have ever eaten. If you don't go along with meat they cater for fish eaters and vegetarians too. Anyway enough of the reading about it .Just take a look at the photos

Discover Ripon - Only 20 minutes from us . A delightful place

The First Ampleforth Rose bed is here with us

A New Rose For Ampleforth A brand new rose will raise funds for a village hall on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. The primrose yellow Ampleforth Rose, which fades to white at the petal edges, has been bred by the Amateur Rose Breeders Association, and is propagated exclusively by RV Roger nurseries of Pickering. A percentage of the sales from each bush will go towards the upkeep of Ampleforth Village Hall. The first 28 rose bushes were bought late last year by Anna Lupton, of Carr House Farm, who has planted most of them to create a rose garden in front of her award-winning bed and breakfast, just two miles from Ampleforth Abbey and College. She also donated one bush to Helmsley Walled Garden, where it can be seen in an area dedicated to the late Alison Ticehurst, who founded the garden in 1994. "My husband Jack and I bought the roses as a Christmas present to each other, and planted the rose garden. We now have the first rose bed of Ampleforth Roses flowering in Ampleforth." Mark Gerrand-Jones, of RV Roger, says: "The Ampleforth Rose is a floribunda type, bearing two or three large flowers of a 'hybrid tea' shape per stem. The flowers are primrose yellow fading to white toward the outside petals, and it repeats flowers through the season." Catriona McLees, Head of Promotion and Tourism for the North York Moors National Park, says: "The Ampleforth Rose is absolutely beautiful, and we're delighted that it's going to be raising funds for such a good cause." The next batch of roses are currently being prepared, and Yorkshire-rose-lovers can pre-order their very own Ampleforth Roses at the third Ryedale Rose Festival, to be held at RV Roger this weekend (10am to 5pm on 12 and 13 July). The highlight of the weekend will be the British Isles Rose Society Show, which will feature the country's top growers and exhibitors showing some of the finest blooms in the UK. For further information on the rose festival, please visit: ryedalerosefestival.co.uk

North York Moors and Howardian Hills- our part of the world

Finalist in 2015 White Rose Awards

We have just heard we have been chosen as finalists of the Welcome to Yorkshire prestigious White Rose Awards for 2015. It is very exciting and in my old age I went quite wobbly. I mentioned being wobbly on twitter and I think it nearly started trending. Up to now we don't know where the awards ceremony will take place or when. We will have to be patient until this is announced but know from attending past events that it will be a glitzy night. Thank you to all family,friends and customers who have supported me every step of the way to getting this far. The photo below was taken on my birthday earlier this week. With 3 special people in my life- Mum ,dad and son Nicholas .The 4th special person is behind the camera- Jack. Dinner , we have dinner at dinner time which means 12 noon for Yorkshire farmers. What better than 3 ribs of rare roast beef with my Dad's home grown potatoes and mothers homemade mint sauce. The roses are out of my Dad's garden too .

A rich heritage in the North York Moors

Magna Carta Cake

This weekend great celebrations have been taking place all over the country as it marks the 800th year of the signing of the Magna Carta. HM The Queen was going to Runnymede and I was going to the tea party in Helmsley Castle with Christine and her son who had bought medieval costumes for the celebrations. It is the grand finale of the weekend where Helmsley people and their friends can picnic in the ruins of the Castle grounds. Cold weather has stopped play but guess there will be some brave enough to still go. Meanwhile we have tried the cake at home. My Dad gave it the thumbs up and Jack was tempted to have another piece. I needed to make a cake which would travel and we wouldn't have sticky fingers eating it. So all the ingredients went into the cake. It started off with a basic butter chocolate cake and then the fun began ,,==...what should I add... I tried to think of what they would have added 800 years ago I de-thawed some cherries which I had picked from one of our trees last year as there is nothing fruit wise in the garden at the moment other than rhubarb. Then I added cream and some oil seed rape combed honey that had thickened and I couldn't spin out. Vanilla and ground almonds and roll on 800 years - a bag of Maltesers. Dont ask me what quantity I put in as I never weigh things. And then cooked it slowly in the bottom of the Aga.I felt as we live in the #CapitalofCake it was only right I made a cake to celebrate and therefore I have named it my Magna Carta Cake. It actually tasted good even before it was baked