The Willow Tree - Hambleton

This is a Sam Smiths pub and my husband is a regular here on a Friday night. As its Sam Smiths the beer is cheap. Not for the bottle organic stuff that I like though but it is lovely. This has had a few landlords over the last few years and hopefully this new couple will stay. They are trying different things and we are happy to support them. They started serving food from Wednesday this week and are doing food from 5 pm in the evenings but also lunch over the week ends. There is a limited Sunday lunch menu but there are three course on offer. Today it was wild mushroom soup with croutons which my husband had and said it was very good. This came with a large piece of brown bread and butter. Other starters included prawns in a Marie Rose Sauce. Mains were beef which came with Yorkshire pudding, gravy, cabbage roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Horseradish and mustard were also on offer. I opted for the sweet potato, chick pea and spinach curry with boiled rice (or chips), which was really good. I could have also had a Naan bread. Dessert was from the main menu and was an brownie with ice cream, apple and blackberry crumble and sticky toffee pudding custard or ice cream was on offer. The food was very tasty with good portion sizes. The locals who are difficult to please all said it was lovely too! The menu is typically pub food but it is good quality. The standard menu consists of the usual gammon steak, curry, pies, burgers, etc.

While sightseeing in North Yorkshire, we decided to take a break and enjoy a beer, so we looked up Sam Smith’s pubs in the area. This is how we found ourselves at a local pub on a Friday night. Being unfamiliar faces, we caught the attention of the regulars, who were curious about our presence. After explaining our love for Sam Smith’s beer, we were warmly welcomed and treated to the best Yorkshire hospitality. We shared stories, laughs, and received generous gestures from the locals, who insisted on buying our drinks. Their kindness will not be forgotten. Thank you for a memorable evening!

The food was delicious and served promptly, but still freshly cooked. My husband ordered the chicken and beef stack, which was generously portioned, along with some tasty sweet potato chips. I opted for the light bite scampi with salad, which was larger than expected for a light option. We will definitely be returning and would recommend this restaurant to others.

While watching a rare plane circle above us near Leeming air field, we decided to stop by this place for a well-deserved pint of traditional Sam Smiths beer. It may not be everyone's preference, but it was excellently kept and tasted great.