They say first impressions are important and in this respect The Sutton Arms came up short.
This was because on the day we arrived there the sign on the outside of the building was missing a couple of letters, saying ‘-UTT-N ARMS’.
Maybe it’s been dealt with by now or maybe the owners think it’s not first impressions but final impressions that matter most. Time will tell, I thought, as we walked through the door.
The pub is in Faceby, a small village in North Yorkshire off the A172 near Stokesley. Getting there is always a reminder of how beautiful this part of the North is, a collection of picturesque towns and villages, a bike ride - for those so inclined - from Middlesbrough.
Quite a few people had made their way to the pub when we visited. It was full of families of all ages enjoying a Sunday lunch together. The owners of the pub certainly knew how to make the most of the space, tables packed close together, which all added to its busy feel.
Between them scurried a number of young staff in black tee shirts, enthusiastic, smiley, helpful but sometimes appearing on the verge of being overwhelmed.
I ordered some drinks before we sat down. I got a pint of Thwaites Smooth and Mrs Eats a glass of white wine.
I started with a black pudding with chilli dressing. The black pudding came cut into chunks with the dressing drizzled on top accompanied with green leaves.
It was an interesting combination, the earthy texture and taste of the pudding contrasting with the sweetness of the dressing, its take like the Chinese chilli sauce I’ve dipped my prawn crackers in the past. It worked quite nicely.
Mrs Eats opted for a prawn cocktail, which was served with the usual Marie Rose sauce to the side, which she appreciated. Sometimes prawns can come drowned in the sauce, served this way you could have much or as little as you liked.
Onto the main course and Mrs Eats chose the lamb which she said was delicious and beautifully cooked while I went for the roast topside of beef. While it was nice I think it was just slightly overcooked for my taste with a hint of dryness. So a bit hit and miss there.
However both dishes came in a rich, tasty gravy, with lovely Yorkshire puddings that couldn’t be faulted. Neither could the roasties while the creamy mashed potato was delicious and the rest of the veg was properly cooked too.
Onto dessert and Mrs Eats went for the black cherry and almond tart which came with a nice little jug of cream. She thought it was lovely, rich and sweet but not overpoweringly so.
I went for the hot chocolate fudge cake with came with ice-cream served in a little coffee cup which was very agreeable and wound things up nicely.
Overall the Sutton Arms was a pleasant experience. The food, on the whole, was of a very good quality and the set menu prices for adults were reasonable at £9.50 for one course, two courses for £12.50 and £15.50 for three courses. For children it was £5.95, £8.50 and £11.50 respectively.
It doesn’t have a set vegetarian option every week but we were told that if you let the chef know on arrival you wanted a vegetarian dish they would try accommodate you.
The pub inside had a certain rustic charm even though outside signage-wise it could have done with an extra consonant and vowel.
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