Yorkshire Dales food blog


Lunch at Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn

Tried lunch at Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn, Marton cum Grafton near Harrogate today.  This is the pub taken over and reinvented by Neil Morrissey and Richard Fox.  The pub doesn’t look much from the front but a lot of work has gone into the inside, exposed wooden beams, coal fires in 3 rooms and a modern curvy bar that all works well together.  Outside the rear of the pub the outbuildings have been completely rebuilt and now house the Morrissey Fox microbrewery.

The Food…  to start crab & coriander risotto, black pudding, potato and bacon terrine and the soup.  for mains we tried Galloway Steak & Ale Pie, Aberdeen Angus Beefburger with Mrs Kirkham’s Cheddar and the Haddock Fishcakes with a rarebit topping.   I asked for some Mayonnaise which was inspired as a ramekin of beautiful rich yellow homemade mayo arrived…  Just the one Creme Brulee for Pud and an extra spoon (delivered without asking!)  All the food was served with a smile, was delicious and demolished, if forced to pick a fault the soup was a bit average but otherwise I would recommend everything else we tried.

The Beer… to wash down the food we tried the Morrissey Fox Blonde and the Best Bitter, the Blonde is fantastic the Bitter was well… very bitter!

Great Food, Great service in a Great little pub.

Ye Olde Punch Bowl will feature on Channel 4 TVin “Neil Morrissey’s Risky Business” starting at 10pm on Tuesday the 28th October 2008, should be interesting and well worth a look.  Daily Telegraph review of the show Neil Morrissey’s Risky Business.

PLEASE NOTE Ye Olde Punch Bowl has now CLOSED DOWN, October 2009


11 Comments so far
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Nice Site layout for your blog. I am looking forward to reading more from you.

Tom Humes

Comment by Tom Humes

all this looks damn good. I’ve not visited yet but must do before the tv show and the surge! the food looks great – hearty and simple. And that pint looks a lot better than I expected!

Comment by leigh

Looks like it’ll be a great little pub. It’s an entertaining programme and I hope they do well but the way they shut out the locals for their ‘opening party’ would really piss me off if I lived locally. A bit of an own goal there methinks.

Apart from that it looks great. Would love to try their beer.

Comment by Paul

[...] Lunch at Ye Olde Punch Bowl is very topical becuase of the TV show on Channel 4.  I am also wanting to do more blog posts on beer.  Real ale and small micro breweries fit in nicely with the local produce and buying direct from the producers, knowing exactly where stuff you eat and drink has come from. [...]

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I can honestly say that as a local I am honestly disgusted with the all new Punch Bowl. Besides the lease is already up for sale and I believe Croptons brewery is taking over in the near future. Perhaps it will be a pub once again for the locals and now a restaurant as it now is… besides the Tiger Inn at Coneythorpe.. just three miles away offers better food and a nicer environment. Try it!

Comment by Peter Hardisty

Mr. Hardisty, I’ve read your comments on two websites now and haven’t seen any other evidence of what you are saying. Is this true? Seems odd that in an interview with Neil on another website dated 6th Nov there were no signs of giving up the Punch Bowl.

Comment by Dangerous Dave

Have you closed, came from Northallerton to try your restaurant very dissapointed to find it closed

Comment by Lynn Howe

went to your restaurant today very dissapointed it was closed

Comment by Lynn Howe

Looks like Ye Olde Punch Bowl closed down last week, news reports suggest they handed the keys back to the landlord!

Comment by paganum

There is a lovely new family taking over The Punchbowl and they are set to throw open the pub doors next Thursday (12 November)for a welcome drink of punch and a Punchbowl Cheese platter. Come along and find out more about our plans for the pub and restaurant. Let’s get the Punchbowl back to being a good Yorkshire local. Spread the word!

Comment by Anon

I look forward to it and will do a review as soon as I can and update you all….

Comment by paganum




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