Shibden Mill Inn ranked in Top 50 UK Gastropubs list

Shibden Mill Inn, just outside Northowram, has been ranked 31st in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs for 2022, recognising the nation’s finest high-end dining pubs.

Located next to Shibden Brook, the 17th Century pub features 11 unique guest rooms above it’s cosy dining setting, filled with classically styled tables, decorations and original beams and other features.

Add to that, the food is pretty good too. It offers a range of menus, including a la carte, Sunday lunch, taster menus, breakfast and vegan, catering for all diners with breath-taking dishes.

Regularly changed to reflect the seasons and locally available produce, the menu is always packed with fine, fresh ingredients, cooked to perfection by head chef Will Webster and his team.

Shibden Mill Inn made its first appearance on the list in 2020, and since has won numerous other awards including being named the best Pub in Yorkshire last year and being included on the AA Restaurant Guide for 2022.

But what is the food actually like? Well, last October, I paid a visit to the Inn to see if it lived up to the hype.

The everchanging menu, which in October featured an incredible mackerel starter, bottom right, and always has a great cheeseboard

Upon arrival the historic pub looks beautiful in its countryside setting, even on a chilly October evening.

Inside we were greeted with a warm welcome by the pub’s lovely staff who showed us to our table.

The dining area was decorated in an old-fashioned style without looking dated, walls adorned with paintings and trinkets and a big log fire burning away.

Looking through the menu we were spoiled for choice, with a range of options available food and drink wise.

For starters, I plumped for mackerel, served with pickled cucumbers and an exquisite sauce that I could have eaten plateful after plateful of.

Main course featured miso-glazed cod served with perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables and another perfectly prepared sauce, along with a size of potatoes, and again this was a meal I could have eaten endlessly.

Throughout, staff were attentive without being overbearing, ensuring we had enough to drink and we were enjoying the experience.

No meal is complete without dessert, for which I chose a pub classic, sticky toffee pudding and ice cream. It didn’t disappoint, with perfect sponge and plenty of sweet sauce.

We also had a cheeseboard to share, along with a glass of port, because why not, we were celebrating! The local cheeses all hit the spot and rounded off an incredible meal.

As you’d expect from a high-end gastropub it wasn’t cheap, but it also wasn’t ridiculously priced, meaning you can have a delicious meal out without breaking the bank. And for special occasions, date night, or for a perfect Sunday roast after a walk around the picturesque countryside – or a leg destroying cycle up nearby Shibden Wall – there’s few places in the local area around Bradford to go and eat.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, The Star Inn in Harome, recently hit by an arson attack, came third on the prestigious list, with The Angel in Hetton coming fourth.

The Pipe and Glass in South Dalton was ranked 23rd, The Moorcock Inn in Norland Moor placed 30th, and The Hovingham Inn in York came in 41st.

In the Top 100, Maltby’s Chadwicks Inn came 59th, The Hare in Scawton ranked 84th, and The Sandpiper Inn in Leyburn rounded out the list in 100th spot.