Village life, where rumour runs rife
Despite the relatively unusual and difficult trading circumstances caused by foot-and-mouth, we have had a couple of reasonably good months. This is quite heartening, as the distinct lack of tourists has proved we have a large enough local following to enable us to survive on that alone. The tourist trade, when it emerges from its extended winter hibernation, should be the icing on the cake. Hopefully, by the end of the month, life will return to something near normal.
It finally appears that the Countryman's, the other pub in the village, which has been closed for the past year, has been sold and will reopen in the near future. Since February, rumours have been rife that it had been sold, with numerous villagers desperate to tell us the news and get a reaction. Nobody actually knew who had purchased it, but everybody had heard from somebody who the buyer was. Some locals were only too happy to tell us that it had been bought by Wetherspoon's or Yates Group, or even that it was to become a private members-only club owned by a minor Yorkshire TV personality. Most added, as an afterthought, that they most certainly would be drinking around the corner if the beer was going for £1 a pint. There was even a rumour that we had bought the pub ourselves, although I admit to starting that one to see how long it would take to circulate the village and get back to us - about three hours!
Sadly, the truth is a little less exciting. It has been bought by a partnership and will operate, as it did in the past, as a pub with quality accommodation. This renewal of village competition should not make a vast difference to our turnover since, apart from a handful of locals, we will be chasing different markets. It will also be good to have a landlord in the "bottom house" with whom we can develop a friendly but competitive relationship. And it will be pleasant to be able to walk to a pub for a pint after a hot night in the kitchen.
Last, but by no means least, we managed to fit a night of civilisation in London into our busy schedule. We called on a former employee currently working with Jeff Galvin at the Picasso Room at L'Escargot and enjoyed one of the best dinners I have ever had the pleasure of eating. I could ramble on about it, but will simply thank Jeff and his team for a memorable evening.
Ian Vipond is chef-patron of the New Inn, a free house pub in Hunton on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales
Next diary from Ian Vipond: 5 July
