Great British Pub Awards

Pub Awards: Best Freehouse finalist - The Carpenters Arms, Felixkirk, North Yorkshire

By MA

- Last updated on GMT

Carpenters Arms team in Felixkirk, North Yorkshire
Carpenters Arms team in Felixkirk, North Yorkshire

Related tags North yorkshire

The Carpenters Arms, which nestles in stunning countryside on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors, is the sort of pub you always hope you will stumble on.

Situated in a village close to Thirsk, it attracts locals, tourists, business customers and those drawn to the area by the shooting opportunities on offer.

Under the circumstances, it should come as no surprise to learn that, in the words of Provenance Inns managing director Michael Ibbotson: “We are unapologetically food driven.”

The food reflects that approach.High quality, almost all is sourced from local suppliers, including a nearby market garden as well as game from local shoots. Shooting, in fact, is a huge part of the pub’s success, not only with the menu, but also as a result of catering for shooting parties – bringing in £200,000 every year. Turnover has exceeded £1.4m in the past financial year.

Redevelopment

So how did the Carpenters Arms get to this giddy level? Well, when Ibbotson and his team took it on six years ago, the pub was doing less than £250,000 a year. Since then, following a £50,000 whirlwind refit and a subsequent £1.25m major redevelopment, business has steadily climbed. Against this, you might be forgiven for thinking this is a restaurant masquerading as a pub. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“This is a pub with a good restaurant,” Ibbotson insists. “It’s a village pub. We are quite upmarket, but we are all-embracing. We don’t serve food in the drinking area. The drinkers add to the atmosphere.”

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