Sunday Roast Diaries: The Carpenter Arms, Felixkirk
Last week saw the ease in lockdown restrictions in the UK meaning hospitality venues have been allowed to serve outdoors only. I thought this would be a great time to bring back the Sunday Roast Diaries. I ended up booking The Carpenter Arms which is in a village called Felixkirk just outside of Thirsk. It was about an hours drive for us but certainly worth it.
The Carpenter Arms has won countless awards including The Best Pub in North Yorkshire in 2019. One of the other main reasons for booking was on their website they stated having an extensive covered/marquee area which would be great if the weather wasn’t the best. Thankfully on Sunday, the weather was incredible. When we arrived, we were seated on the terrace and I did think it would be chilly but I ended up taking off my jacket! I don’t think we could’ve picked a better day for it. Along with the terrace seating, there was also an open marquee on their lawn and another tent at the front of the building. I’ve got to say everything felt really safe, clean and organised.
I was obviously there for one thing… a Sunday Roast! They did have a 2 or 3 course Sunday menu which included dishes such as Fish and Chips and Chicken & Ham Hock Pie. After ordering my first G&T in a pub for what seemed like forever, we decided to go for the three courses. The Soup of the Day was Tomato and Red Pepper, Stefan and I both ordered it. The dish came with two slices of sourdough bread. As someone who doesn’t usually go for soups or even a starter really, it was really delicious.
We both decided to get Sunday Roasts as that’s what Sunday’s are for! I went for the Sirloin of Beef and Stefan got the Roast Chicken as he liked the sound of it being served with Lemon & Thyme Stuffing. Both Sunday Roasts were served with Roast Potatoes, smashed carrot & swede and a selection of veg which included tender stem broccoli, green beans and peas. We also got a small dish of cauliflower cheese to share. The beef was absolutely cooked to perfection and tasted incredible. I’d have probably prefered to have either mash or carrots instead of the swede but that’s just a personal preference. There were no complaints from Stefan, he thoroughly enjoyed his chicken and the stuffing! I obviously need to mention the Yorkshire Pudding which is the most important part of the meal and was very nice. Definitely a Roast that I’d have again!
As I said, we decided to go for three courses. There was a lot of hype around the Rhubard Posset which sounded delicious. I went for that and Stefan got the Apple Crumble served with Vanilla Custard. I cannot explain how amazing the Rhubard Posset was. Certainly one of the best desserts I’ve had! It was served in a martini glass with Orange Curd, mini meringues and raspberry sorbet from Northern Bloc. Although the Apple Crumble was apparently delicious, I can tell he had dessert envy of mine.
We had such a lovely afternoon at The Carpenter Arms, we really couldn’t have asked for better weather. Our first post-lockdown outing was a success. I’d 100% recommend booking if you are thinking of visiting. They were fully booked on Sunday. I also would say that we were probably there for just under three hours for three courses so it was quite a slow service but they were completely rushed off their feet. However, I didn’t mind at all as it was such a beautiful day and we could just enjoy being in that atmosphere of an actual restaurant. The staff were also really apologetic but we really did have such a glorious afternoon.
It’s also worth mentioning that The Carpenter Arms also has accommodation available to book. It would actually be such a lovely place to stay and you’ve got delicious food on your doorstep at the restaurant. It’s also very close to Sutton Bank and Helmsley. Whether it’s for another Sunday Roast or a little Staycation, I’m sure we will be back soon! If you’re looking for Sunday Roast inspiration, don’t forget to check out all my other posts in the series here.
Have you dined alfresco anywhere yet?
XOXO
