Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Kirkby Overblow
You know how it is. Sometimes you just want to walk into a traditional pub where you know you’re going to get an old fashioned welcome, the fires will be blazing away and the menu won’t scare you. Well you’ll get all that here and more.
David and Kate Deacon run this characterful 18th century coaching inn with such love and care it oozes out of the fabric of the place. And that transmits to you of course. With oak floors, beams and comfy banquettes, it’s a place to relax, sup a pint of Black Sheep or Timothy Taylors and choose your lunch. It’s a classic pub grub menu, and everything is made in the busy kitchen: chicken liver pate with home made onion marmalade arrives with toasted soda bread and is a meal in itself. Wensleydale gammon, chips and village eggs is a steal at a twelve quid, or go for the home made steak and onion pie if you’re planning a yomp.
Puddings are along the lines of apple & blackberry crumble and custard and crème brulee, but by far the most popular is Kate’s sister-in-law’s lemon drizzle cake with raspberry sauce. I know!
Unusually, there’s an extensive gluten-free menu too, and David’s Sunday roast is legendary. On a good day, venture out back to the charming garden where there’s plenty of shade and safe space for the kids to run wild.
Like a lot of small communities up and down the land, there’s not been a shop in the village for a number of years. The Deacon’s have rectified this and have opened a general store next door selling store cupboard staples as well as locally sourced meat, jam, pickles and preserves (and some more of those home made cakes if you didn’t leave room for pudding).
