The Blacksmiths Inn, Westow

[Timothy Burke]

Gary - I'll be passing by Malton later this week - don't suppose you've started doing lunchtime food during the week yet have you?

[Gary Marshall]

Afraid not timothy, just saturday and sunday lunch at the moment.

cheers

gary

[Bapi]

thanks!

don't know the score, just got a letter confirming inclusion and how to download a copy of the sticker, which now adorns our window.

book out october.

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Bloody hell. I saw a copy of the new 2007 Michelin Pub Guide yesterday and you got a very good write up in that too.

[Gary Marshall]

yes, we got our copy and a crumpled certificate last week!

not sure about the AA pub or restaurant guide yet, we've had communications with them but not heard anything so far.

[Andy Lynes]

Nevermind bloody Michelin, much more important is your forthcoming thumbs up from the next edition of olive magazine!

[Gary Marshall]

absolutely!

i forget was it front cover or centre page spread?

[Gary Marshall]

Nevermind bloody Michelin, much more important is your forthcoming thumbs up from the next edition of olive magazine!

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and a very good thumbs up it is too! That Andy Lynes chap knows his stuff!

i particularly like the photo tag line....

'snuggle up in a corner of the Blacksmiths Inn - is this the cosiest place in yorkshire for a sunday roast?'

Cheers Andy

[Andy Lynes]

i particularly like the photo tag line....

'snuggle up in a corner of the Blacksmiths Inn - is this the cosiest place in yorkshire for a sunday roast?'

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I think you've got sub editor Suzanne Bloohn to thank for that.

[ravelda]

Well, on the back of so much praise for the Blacksmiths Inn, whilst I have (sadly) not been able to pull myself over to York, when a colleague asked for a good restaurant in York for tomorrow evening for 6 people, I naturally recommended you Gary, and I believe she is now booked in with 6 people tomorrow! I am sure I will be very jealous when I hear about what a fantastic time she had!

[Gary Marshall]

Well, on the back of so much praise for the Blacksmiths Inn, whilst I have (sadly) not been able to pull myself over to York, when a colleague asked for a good restaurant in York for tomorrow evening for 6 people, I naturally recommended you Gary, and I believe she is now booked in with 6 people tomorrow!  I am sure I will be very jealous when I hear about what a fantastic time she had!

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thank you for the recommendation, we'll make sure they are looked after!

[ravelda]

No probs at all Gary - from Bapi and Andy's recommendations it was a no brainer!

[Gary Marshall]

We're just sorting out the specials for the weekend so here's some of the dishes your friends can look forward to!

Starters

Also available in larger portions as main courses

Gloucester Old Spot Bacon Terrine, Deep Fried Quails Egg, Crackling Salad, Piccalilli Puree £5.25 / £9.95

Salad Of New Season Red Leg Partridge, Green Lentils, Bread Sauce Beignet, Damson Relish £6.95 / £12.95

Locally Smoked East Coast Halibut Risotto, Poached Free Range Egg, Mustard Veloute

£6.25 / £13.95

Main Courses

Howsham Honey Glazed Local Belly Pork, Crispy ‘Bath Chaps’ Peppered Swede, Pease Pudding, Scrumpy Juices £12.95

Rack Of Vale Of Lune Lamb, Braised Mutton Shoulder, Hot Pot Potatoes, Plum Tomato, Pearl Barley & Tarragon Juices £17.95

Chunk Of East Coast Cod, Celeric Puree, Braised Oxtail, Wild Mushrooms, Merlot Sauce £13.95

Saddle Of Rabbit Filled With Yorkshire Ham, Parsnip & Apple Galette, Black Pudding, Stewed Elderberries £14.95

We Hope You Enjoy Your Evening!

[Bapi]

Salad Of New Season Red Leg Partridge, Green Lentils, Bread Sauce Beignet, Damson Relish £6.95 / £12.95

Saddle Of Rabbit Filled With Yorkshire Ham, Parsnip & Apple Galette, Black Pudding, Stewed Elderberries £14.95

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Blimey- your chef Andy is doing sterling work for you there Gary. I really like the combinations of ingredients he is using and the two dishes above sound excellent.

But my friend- lose the exclamation mark from the "We Hope You Enjoy Your Evening!" line

[ravelda]

Nice menu - I only wish that I was going! I will have to trek over at some point soon!

[Gary Marshall]

Thanks to andy's Olive magazine write up we had a table of four drive 60 miles to have lunch on sunday, i think they thought the journey worth it, the duck fat roasties seemed to have gone down particularly well!

We also took a full weekends dinner & b&b from someone who'd read it too. All good stuff

the new 07 good pub guide is also out and we have a decent write up in there too, we find that is probably the most influential of the guides for bookings.

[ravelda]

WEll Gary, my colleague thought the place was fantastic and has said that she will spread the word. They all loved the ambience and said they would come back and stay at some point soon, so thanks for that!

[Gary Marshall]

some of the nicer moments of running the pub occured yesterday/today....

we had some of our favourite regulars in last night for a birthday celebration, they had a nice bottle of 99 chateauneuf du pape, which they weren't quite ready to taste so i left on the table for them to try, they know their wines and i always tell customers if it's not right we'll sort it out.

Anyway 20 minutes later husband heads towards the bar with two glasses of said wine, my first thought is 'oh no - it's corked' but no, he was bringing a glass each for sarah and i!

and this morning sarah rang me at work, that usually means a problem, she's too busy to ring for an idle chat so as i return the call i'm thinking of what can possibly have gone wrong this time, but no, it was about a couple who had stayed for the last few days and had so enjoyed themselves they wanted to know who they should write to spread the word and recommend us!

and a fully booked weekend to look forward to...

[ravelda]

Great to hear Gary - it is pleasing that people who work hard an really care about what they do get the aprreciation that they deserve

[Gary Marshall]

well we've made it to our first birthday

it's certainly been a busy year we've renovated the pub flat, installing central heating and a new kitchen & bathroom, renovated the accomodation, recruited 3 chefs, a restaurant manager and bar & waiting staff, and learned how to run the place!

When we bought it neither of us had ever worked in a pub, never mind pull a pint or change a barrel and all the time i've remained working in leeds monday - friday so it's a testimony to mrs m and the team at the pub that have helped us to get this far

so considering this time last year we had no permanent chefs to get in the good food guide in our first year is big achievement for chef andy and the kitchen, though what's really bringing in the punters is Andy's olive magazine piece, the like-mided foodies we were aiming for now seem to have found us! A bib gourmand for next year would be nice though.....

[YKL]

one year already - how time flies!

congrats to everyone for all the success so far - and best wishes for even greater achievements in the coming year ....

[offcentre]

Yes, congratulations Gary - a great achievement.

Been reading the thread and checking out your website regularly with great interest.

You are obviously a busy chap but can you find time to do a weeks blogging on here - it'd be good to see the food and behind the scenes?

[Gary Marshall]

Yes, congratulations Gary - a great achievement.

Been reading the thread and checking out your website regularly with great interest.

You are obviously a busy chap but can you find time to do a weeks blogging on here - it'd be good to see the food and behind the scenes?

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it was certainly part of the plan to do a blog but it got forgotten in the melee, plenty of times i bring a camera down and we get some pics of starters then it gets busy and the pics get forgotten!

i will try to rectify this!

cheers

gary

[TheBacchus]

Congratulations Gary and all the team at Blacksmiths. It's no mean feat to set something up from scratch with little experience and i wish you every success in the future

Best wishes

Phil

[Gary Marshall]

thanks, and all the best to you too!

i hope to visit soon when i get next organise a london trip.

cheers

gary

[Bapi]

well we've made it to our first birthday 

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Congratulations Gary and Sarah. Really delighted that all has gone so well for you this year. We really must get back over there before the year is out

All the very best for continued success and I relish the prospect of watching you effortlessly transmogrify into Al Murray over the coming years. Or maybe months.