The Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton made the highly acclaimed list after 1.2 million diner reviews.
Experts at the popular online restaurant reservation service said: “Introducing the OpenTable Top 100 restaurants in the UK for 2023.
“Compiled from over 1.2 million OpenTable diner reviews and using dining metrics including diner ratings, percentage of reservations made in advance, and five-star reviews, the list highlights some of the top spots favoured by diners this year.”
On the OpenTable website, The Wensleydale Heifer is described as “a traditional white-washed inn complete with leaded lights and swinging sign” that “gives the visitor a real flavour of Britain meaning it’s popular not only with locals but with tourists searching for the real Yorkshire.”
But this is what we thought of the venue.
Yes – the prestige and name of the Heifer can often seem intimidating to an outsider looking in, but the friendliness of the staff and the personal touches of the hotel soon show this venue as a pillar of its community and a champion within the Yorkshire countryside.
So, what makes a place like the Wensleydale Heifer tick? The Northern Echo sat down with the owner of the venue, David Moss, as we got an opportunity to try out the gourmet package and delve a bit further into the inner workings of this award-winning place.
One of the reasons Mr Moss believes The Wensleydale Heifer to be such a success is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
This is shown in the fact that the hotel holds the Guinness World Record for making the largest batch of fish and chips, or maybe it’s the quirky décor dotted around the place, including old comedy cartoons as wallpaper in the bathrooms or a stained-glass lobster window that greets guests at the front door.
On Tripadvisor, The Wensleydale Heifer has an impressive current rating of 5/5 out of 2,792 reviews.
The Wensleydale Heifer (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Speaking to The Northern Echo, Mr Moss said: “We’ve never tried to be a Michelin star restaurant, we want to do our own thing – we’ve never made that a secret.
“We have a uniqueness. I always like to think that if you spend enough money on tacky, it becomes wacky – and that’s what the Wensleydale Heifer is.”
However, it’s the togetherness and commitment of the staff that truly makes the Heifer tick.
The lobster stained glass window at the venue’s front door (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Having experienced floods, and power outages and overcome them, including still maintaining services during an extreme flood, the team can tackle anything, according to its owner.
And after experiencing this first-hand, it’s tough to disagree.
From the personal touches that front-of-house manager Damien Fort and his team give, to the exceptional and experimental dishes that head chef Craig Keenan and his team deliver – it’s evident how much care and work goes into the identity of the Heifer.
The lounge of the hotel (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
But that doesn’t scratch the surface – from the moment you set foot in the venue, you’re made to feel a million pounds – the only one in the hotel that matters and that’s down to every member of staff in the place.
While Princess Anne visited the Heifer in 2019, it’s not unimaginable to think that the service she received was too dissimilar to that seen by everyone who sets foot in the venue daily.
Burrata, tomato and fish soup (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
On the face of it, the Heifer gourmet package seems like a culinary tour of the world, taking you hand in hand through the delights of the truly best food and drink from across the globe – and that’s exactly what it is.
The fish and chip tapas portion (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Starting off with a tapas lunch, we got to sample the burrata, tomato salad, fish, chips, and mushy peas with some of the best curry sauce I’ve ever had, alongside fish soup, squid and seaweed, and chilli and sesame king prawns.
Part of the champagne room (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Checking into our room for the evening, we selected the Champagne suite out of the 13 themed rooms available – which had plenty of nods to the iconic sparkling drink, featuring many decorative champagne bottles, an abundance of chandeliers, and envious décor abound.
The bath in the champagne room (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
In the early afternoon, it was time for a 90-minute wine tasting (it was 5 o’clock somewhere after all).
Making our way through champagne, prosecco, white wine, and rosé, if there was anything that front-of-house manager Damien didn’t know about wine, it wasn’t worth knowing.
The outside area of The Wensleydale Heifer (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
His knowledge, explanation and history of each drink not only made for an entertaining session, it converted me, a previous non-wine drinker, into someone who was practically sold on the idea of Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.
The wine testing at the venue (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Fresh, and slightly merry from our wine tasting, we had some time to ourselves to enjoy the outside beer garden at the Heifer, before making our way to the five-course tasting menu.
The tasting menu was bespoke to you and could be modified to fit vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan and gluten-free diners.
The goat cheese cheesecake (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Seating us in the roomy confines of the hotel’s dining room, what came next was a true treat for any foodies out there.
We started with a negroni cocktail from Damien’s recommendation, before being served a goat cheese cheesecake, and that was even before the five-course tasting menu had begun.
Oysters with raspberry shallot vinegar (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Oysters with raspberry shallot vinegar followed, paired with champagne, which perfectly captured the essence of the seafood-based menu at the hotel.
Further fish delights then arrived at the table in the form of the fish pakora and lobster and scallop risotto, which is some of the best seafood I have ever eaten, alongside a rosé wine and a Sauvignon Blanc.
Fish pakora, raita, and cashews (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Next up was the beef, truffle mash and mushrooms; an inspired dish and one that left you wanting more, paired with a red wine from Lebanon, which hit the spot.
Lobster and scallop risotto (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Filling up fast and leaving us with the sense that the pudding courses and cheese courses were out of our reach, we powered through and took on the asset of desserts, which featured tiramisu, pannacotta, chocolate bread and butter pudding, baked Alaska, and an eton mess that had an envious spun sugar creation hanging out of the top.
Beef, truffle mash and mushrooms (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
After filling up on the pudding board and dessert wine, we called it quits and consigned ourselves to defeat; the cheese and biscuits were a bridge too far.
With full stomachs, we adjourned to bed to sleep off all the delights of the food and drink world that the Heifer had served up – and woke up fresh for a full breakfast the next morning.
The pudding board (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
Initially not looking forward to having any food ever again, we soon changed our tune when faced with fruit, yoghurt, and a full English breakfast served alongside tea, coffee, and juice.
After polishing off breakfast, it was time to bid the historic venue goodbye; packed off with a box of Heifer chocolates and the cheese and biscuits that had defeated us the previous evening.
The Wensleydale Heifer’s full English breakfast (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
So, after enjoying the gourmet package at The Wensleydale Heifer – what are my observations?
On the face of it, the £500 price tag that is attached to the experience does initially cause alarm on the face of whoever you tell, but considering the quality of the food, the drink, and the service, as well as the cost including a stay in one of the 13 themed rooms, it is worth every penny for a unique and special occasion.
The outside of The Wensleydale Heifer (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)
For years, I’d known the name Wensleydale Heifer and its five-star name, but I’m glad I got to try the venue and can say the name, the prestige and its award-winning pedigree is totally justified – it’s one of the true heavyweights of the Yorkshire food and hospitality scene.
