Review: The Cat and Bagpipes, East Harlsey, Northallerton

THERE can’t be many pubs in northern North Yorkshire this column has not found its way to, but The Cat and Bagpipes at East Harlsey between Northallerton and A19 is one country pub that hitherto had slipped through the net – possibly because the one time we drove through the village and spied it, the look of dereliction suggested it was closed.

But on a couple of occasions recently we have driven by the A684 lane end at Ellerbeck and seen the signs advertising Sunday lunch for £6. A bargain – perhaps.

The origin of the name may have something to with its position on the old Drove Road used to move stock from Scotland down to market in London. The Cat is a diminution of cattle – and the Bagpipes? Well, the drovers had to have something to keep themselves amused as they made their steady progress south.

The idiosyncratic name suggests a quirky venue and it is – but perhaps not in the way you might expect. The presence of lots of cars outside confirmed that it was trading but closer inspection revealed that number were for sale. Part of the frontage was screened off and one end appeared to be in the process of being demolished. It looked like a cross between a used car lot and a building site.

But the front door was open and inside there were people at the bar and people eating. First impressions were not good. The place doesn’t appear to have seen a lick of paint, or anything else for that matter for many a year. Dog-eared, unprepossessing in the extreme, it didn’t auger well. A brief excursion to the garden afforded lovely views of the Vale of Mowbray, the edge of the North York Moors, a collection of wheelie bins, an old tyre hanging from a rusty swing and another collection of cars. Let’s be charitable and describe them as “vintage classics”.

Drawing a deep breath, I said to Sylvia: “We’ll give it a go”. She looked at me doubtfully. Getting a drink at the lounge bar/dining room was the initial hurdle. The sole barman was engaged in a lengthy and ultimately fruitless attempt to get a customer’s bank card to work in the machine. Quite how the customer eventually paid for his meal I missed as I viewed the dismal range of keg beers and lagers before me and wondered if we should cut and run.

Eventually supplied with drinks and tokens for the carvery, we headed for the hot plates where three large joints (turkey, pork and beef) were waiting under the lights.

At this stage I held out hope that for all the Cat and Bagpipes’ style shortcomings as a country pub, it would spectacularly make up for it with stupendous, down-to-earth, no-frills but wholesome well-cooked grub. And the roast meat was good. My rib of beef was ever-so slightly pink and tender and well-flavoured. It was generously sliced as was Sylvia’s reasonably moist turkey.

The Yorkshire puddings were large and quite light and crispy but almost everything else was dreadful even making allowances for the problems carveries have with keeping food hot and fresh for lengthy periods of time. The roast potatoes were only just cooked and weren’t particularly crisp, the gravy was an instantly forgettable one-flavour-fits-all gloop.

While the mashed potato, carrots and swede were just about passable, the green vegetables were disastrous. The overcooked sprouts, in particular, will live long in the memory having taken on a strange almost luminous pond green colour and a sludgy texture. Slight redemption arrived in the shape of a crunchy topping on an adequate apple crumble (£2.90) but the insipid custard brought back unhappy memories of school dinners.

The staff were friendly enough, but hardly hospitality professionals – the young man vigorously wielding the spray cleaner and cloth on the tables next to us got ten of ten for hygienic efficiency, but something less than that for his timing.

It was, however, cheap. Should you be passing the neighbourhood on a future Sunday and in need of a plate of decent roast meat and Yorkshire pudding, £6 is not a bad price to pay.

Sylvia felt sorry for the owners and wanted it placed on record that the ladies’ loos were very nice and had just been refurbished. Maybe they are going to do the rest of the pub next, she said hopefully.

The Cat and Bagpipes, East Harlsey, Northallerton DL6 2DW

Tel: 01609-882301

Sunday lunch served from noon.

Vegetarians: No chance

Disabled access

Food quality: 2/5

Service: 3/5

Surroundings: 2/5

Value: 3/5