WEEKEND AWAY
Bustling Beverley is a go-to market town packed with personality. Beth Windsor takes a trip
What was once a local meeting place for the town’s farmers and businessmen back in 1794 is these days home to an upmarket hotel and restaurant within bustling Beverley.
Who knows what the farming folk would make of the smart Beverley Arms today with its fancy all-weather courtyard made cosy with heaters and blankets aplenty? In chillier months it’s a lovely retreat, and in the summer no doubt lively and sociable.
If you’re familiar with just how busy the popular market town of Beverley can be, you’ll know parking can be tricky. So big ticks for a hotel car park tucked away behind its beautiful Georgian façade, instantly taking that stress away. Small things like this get your experience off to a good start.
Inside The Beverley Arms you’re hit by Yorkshire’s famous hospitality with staff in tweeds and a smile to greet you. Sets of boots, walking sticks, and coats in the vestibule, along with the variety of maps and leaflets at reception, hint at how well placed the hotel is for getting out and exploring. And how could you not when it’s perfectly located in the Georgian Quarter of the town?
To the left of the hotel, you can wander up to the famous Westwood and Beverley Racecourse or turn right to explore the town’s thriving high street with its high-end independent stores and boutique shops.
The hotel’s ideal location is just one of its many selling points. Open to residents and non-residents alike, it’s home to a traditional pewter bar filled with cosy armchairs that’s popular amongst the locals, an elegant orangery restaurant where sunlight streams through the glass ceiling, and two rather impressive private dining rooms perfect for a special occasion.
Four-legged friends are even catered for with a beer cask full of fresh water, fluffy dog beds, tasty treats, and cosy blankets.
I visited on a Tuesday evening – often quiet in the hospitality world, but not here. To my surprise the restaurant was completely full when I turned up for dinner, and browsing the menu it became clear to see why. From classic British dishes with a pie of the day to more modern cuisine of venison haunch – there’s something to suit all tastebuds.
But it’s the seafood that comes fresh from the nearby coast that really sets it apart from the rest. Try out tasty tempura prawns or go all out with a whole grilled lobster.
Of course, it doesn’t just stop at dinner. There’s a hearty breakfast to wake up to in the morning if you’re staying over, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea – you name it, it’s served. Foo
