LAST week already seems like a distant dream. A time when the temperatures were benevolent enough to allow for a comfortable day out at the Great Yorkshire Show, and which required a warm jumper of an evening to sit outside.
This week, as a fair-skinned type who struggles in anything over about 15 degrees, it has been distinctly unpleasant. And I say that as someone who has the luxury of being able to work from home in shorts and t-shirt, rather than slogging it out on a furnace-like hospital ward, filling in potholes, milking cows in a sweaty parlour, or teaching grumpy, hot children in classrooms with no air-con. I really can't complain.
But enough about the heatwave. Last week my sister and I headed out for a quick mid-week tea and landed up in Swainby, just off the A172 between Northallerton and Stokesley. Swainby is a lovely place to visit, and doesn't quite attract quite the same crowds as nearby Osmotherley. Okay, the beauty spot of Cod Beck Reservoir isn't right on its doorstep, but it does have the pretty Crook Beck flowing through its centre, two pubs, the Rusty Bike cafe and a shop, plus a deserted medieval village completed with church and ruined castle half a mile away at Whorlton.
We called into the village's Black Horse pub at about 6pm on a Thursday, with memories still strong of a delicious post-lockdown lunch in its beer garden at a time when eating outside was compulsory, not by choice.
Way back then, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, the beautifully decorated outside space was packed with drinkers and diners. This time around, understandably given the day, hour and chill breeze (heavenly, in retrospect), we had the beer garden to ourselves, and although the grass and gardens were perfectly neat and tidy, it didn't quite have the same attention to detail, and some of the tables could do with a repaint.
The outside seating area at the Black Horse Swainby, overlooking the lovely surrounding countryside
The menu contains plenty of pub classics (think scampi, steak and ale pie, ploughman's lunch), a good selection of vegetarian options (Cajun veg enchilada, halloumi burger, mushroom stroganoff, among others) and a decent sandwich choice. The specials menu was extensive and very varied, ranging from a chicken and prawn hanging kebab, to beef bourguignon, to seabass fillet.
It being a fresh sort of an evening (have I mentioned I love cool weather?), we both went for hot, stodgy options. I chose the steak sandwich in a crusty baguette with mushrooms and fries (£15), and Claire went for the Cajun chicken enchilada, also with fries (£14). Spicy rice was an alternative accompaniment.
Our meals arrived without the offer of additional condiments, other than the precautionary tomato sauce picked up when ordering at the bar, prompting a sprint back inside for some salt. My sandwich was really good – packed with juicy steak and perfectly cooked mushrooms. The fries were light and crispy, and while some would prefer old fashioned, chunkier chips, the fries were a much lighter option when sitting beside a heavy, meaty sandwich. The surprise accompaniment was a small jug of gravy.
The hot steak sandwich with fries, mushrooms and gravy
And what a pleasant surprise it was. Proper gravy, that deserved to be deluged upon both sandwich and fries. Yes, it might not make for sophisticated dining, and yes, I was quite glad there were no other customers nearby, as table manners are tricky with such a liberal application of the good stuff, but it was absolutely delicious.
Claire's enchilada was a cheese-covered behemoth. Its filling was nicely spicy and entirely satisfying – the sort of food that makes you need a snooze about half an hour post-consumption.
The behemoth cajun chicken enchilada
With such generous portions, we weren't in need of dessert, but there were plenty on offer had we fancied one, although just typing the words sticky toffee pudding and jam roly poly is bringing on further heat stress.
The bill, with three halves of lager and a soft drink, came to £34.40 – decent value for hearty pub grub in a classic countryside setting.
The Black Horse
23 High Street, Swainby, Northallerton, DL6 3ED
01642 700436
www.blackhorseswainby.co.uk/
Open 12pm to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Friday, 12pm to late Saturdays and 12pm to 10pm Sundays. Closed Mondays.
Ratings (out of ten): Food quality 7, Surroundings 7, Value 8, Service 7
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