The Penny Bun, England Hotel

Yorkshire, England

Capitalising on Ilkley’s style as a spa town, The Penny Bun has launched as a haven of serenity in the Yorkshire Dales. From long summer evenings spent on a terrace where views stretch across the Wharfedale Valley, to a pre-Sunday lunch pint in the candlelit snug, the varying backdrops have all been carefully conceived to showcase the stunning setting. Much is made of Denton Reserve – a farm less than half a mile away – whose walled garden produce is used in the kitchen, supplemented with Lindisfarne oysters, Rosedale Abbey goats’ cheese and rhubarb from the famed Triangle. There are chops, pies and steaks to share. The Penny Bun fish pie comes with a Wensleydale cheese crust, and baked-to-order madeleines arrives with cream – more Askwith than Avignon. Dishes are served in an unfussy dining room: muted tones, an emphasis on natural textures and artisanal furnishings. It’s an aesthetic that extends into the five bedrooms with natural wool mattresses and linen bedding. There’s no tv and scant art – just daylight, which dances across the lime-washed walls, drawing guests’ eyes to the window and vast moorland beyond that makes this such a magical part of the world. Doubles from £180.

Words by Rachel Walker.

This article was taken from the June/July 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.