The top line: Husband and wife Tom and Laurissa Heywood have transformed north Yorkshire pub The Hare at Scawton into a 18-cover restaurant with rooms. The couple’s new project is an evolution of their original Pignut restaurant, which opened in June 2023 in the north Yorkshire town of Helmsley.
On the menu: The restaurant serves a four-course ‘half menu’ alongside an eight-course ‘full menu’, priced at £60 and £100 respectively. Whichever you opt for, it begins with a dish unglamorously called ‘wastage’, which has been designed around all the waste from other courses to help the restaurant achieve its zero waste goal. Other dishes on the launch menu include Castle Howard lamb and rocket and russet crown prince pumpkin; chicken liver parfait with Yorkshire forced rhubarb; and wild plum and sweet woodruff. Diners who opt for the four-course menu can add dishes from the larger offer and wine pairings from countries including Poland, Uruguay, Belgium, and Slovakia (the wine list it notable for only having a handful of wines from France), are available at £35 and £70 depending on the choice of menu. Knives have been made to order - each one different - with guests able to choose their weapon of choice with which to eat.
The vibe: The Heywoods have been respectful to the historic 12th century inn and have retained much of its traditional features, including wooden beams, flagstone flooring and stone brickwork. A traditional style bar area leads to a more modern styled dining room still with rustic touches that include a neutral colour palette of oatmeal carpets and whitewashed walls, retro brown leather seating and sturdy wooden tables. The restaurant’s four bedrooms have a similar aesthetic with wooden beams, large wooden beds and traditional style furniture.
And another thing: Sustainability is at the forefront of Pignut and The Hare’s offer. The carpet has been made using recycled bottle tops, flowers planted around the garden have been chosen to support bees, and compost from Pignut’s original compost bin has been worked into the soil. Its bespoke restaurant sign, table legs and handmade skewers have all been made by local business Fulford Forge in Helmsley, the skewers forged from Laurissa’s horse’s old horseshoes.
Hare Inn, Scawton, YO7 2HG // pignutandthehare.co.uk
