Dark Horse Hetton Pale Ale

I read with interest Chris's recent post about The Bull, not just because of how wonderful the food sounded (Rabbit Faggots, anyone?) but mainly because of Dark Horse's Hetton Pale Ale, a beer I've had on 'the list' for some time.

So when a bank holiday 'quick bite for lunch' turned us out onto The Bull (My mum lives nearby), I made a beeline for it. And I'm glad I did - well kept, and a pleasure to drink. Crisp, amber in colour and with a firm, biscuity-almond body, it was a really decent pint. I'm not surprised its won a few awards and seems sought after. One to recommend, definitely.

We did eat whilst visiting, and although Chris' post goes into more detail, I can say the food was very nice indeed. The Bull makes no apologies for being a 'gastropub' - which in some ways is shame because it really does have a decent, regional ale range (Taylor's, Thwaites, Copper Dragon), but you'd be hard pressed to find 'drinking only' room.

The food, however, is worth the trip, and The Bull certainly does its bit for sourcing local produce - the cheese on my burger came from Shepherd's Purse (a wickedly tangy Wensleydale- a cheese with balls, for a change), and the rich, tasty Dexter beef from Easingwold. The menu is littered with guides to provenance, and although this makes the food pricey, I feel that you really do get value for money.. There's nothing on the menu that wasn't sourced locally, and it simply tastes great without being fussy. One last word - try the home-made ice cream. Fudge and Oats - awesome.