AFTER closing for eight weeks for an extensive £400,000 refurbishment, the new look Golden Cock at Farnley Tyas reopened its doors to diners and drinkers in August this year.

Last Thursday turned out to be a golden opportunity to take a look at the transformation.

Known locally as the Farnley Cock, this long established inn has been a favourite with Huddersfield district pub-goers for generations.

In more recent years it built up a reputation as a gastro pub, but it kept its charm and popularity as a atmospheric village local, frequented by drinkers as well as eaters.

My immediate impression, judging by the number of cars in the spacious pub car park, was that the new regime had done a lot of things right.

Closing a pub, even for a short time, has to be a calculated risk. People are creatures of habit, but habits can quite quickly change.

But the punters have returned – and what’s more they seem to be back in significant numbers.

The main entrance is now at the back of the pub from the car park and the main bar area is now off to left. It was around 7.30pm when we arrived and the bar was a hive of activity with people sitting at tables eating or ordering bar snacks and several drinkers in deep conversation, milling around the Bistro bar where they were served by two friendly and attentive young ladies.

We ordered drinks and sat at a small table near the open fire to ‘people watch’.

A short time later one of the girls behind the bar showed us down the stairs, through the former ‘snug’ area which has been converted into a small ‘pre-dinner’ reception bar area and into the newly-created Brasserie restaurant. Georgina was to look after us for the evening, and we were in good hands.

We had many times before eaten in this room and so were able to appreciate the recent makeover. The dining area has been extended into an L shape. It is now wood panelled, and subtly decorated with wallpaper and pastel painted areas and carpeted. The traditional country inn beams have been retained and added to. Integral ceiling lights illuminate the room to pleasing effect although we found the light above one particular table glaringly bright and intrusive. The furniture is in keeping with the olde worlde image, with the comfortable chairs upholstered in varied designs.

We ordered from the Dinner Menu – Chicken Liver Parfait with red onion marmalade, salad and warm, whole grain loaf (£5.75) for me; Wild Mushroom and Blue Cheese Tart, served with walnut and honey dressing and seasonal leaves (£4.75) for Carol.

My parfait starter course dish was a taste sensation, a sizeable slice of smooth, deliciously garlicky chicken ‘pate’, complemented by the richly flavoured savoury marmalade with ‘toast’ slices and dressed salad.

Carol too was pleased with her starter. She went wild about the mushrooms, loved the crumbly texture of the tart pastry, thought the walnut and honey dressing was delightful and as for the blue cheese? well that’s an established family favourite.

We could have gone for the Homemade Soup of the Day (leek and potato) with bread and butter (£4.25); Gambas and Crevette Piri Piri with rustic bread micro herb salad (£9.50); Crispy Duck Bon Bon’s with spicy apple relish pea shoot salad (£6.50); Local Hunters’ Pheasant and Apple Terrine, with fig compote with seasonal leaves (£4.10) or the Mussels Marinier, in a fragrant broth of white wine, butter, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaf and thyme with rustic bread (£6.95). We could have, but we were more than happy with our starter choices.

To follow we chose to share the Golden Cock Platter, grilled seasonal fish and shellfish with fennel, lemon and herb butter sauce and parsnip chips (£23.95 or £37.50 to share).

We ‘shared’, but this dish was served up on separate plates, most elegantly presented and of deceptively generous proportions – two grilled sea bass fillets, two enormous green-lipped New Zealand mussels, and a sizeable helping of salmon accompanied by a serving of sliced fennel marinated in the dark, rich, delicious sauce reduction. The fish was perfectly cooked, the sea bass, served with its skin, melted in the mouth and the stronger flavoured salmon was just to our liking, slightly ‘crisp’ on the outside, moist on the inside. The mussels, cooked in liquor, added the crowning touch to a commendable plate of food.

Other Dinner Menu mains course dishes were: Grilled Sea Bass fillet with saffron mash, young seasonal vegetables, crevette and chive butter (£18.95); Line Caught Salmon Fillet, crushed new potatoes, with prawn and pea volute (£13.95); Pan Fried Rack of Lamb, rosemary and garlic crust dauphinoise potatoes and red jus (£19.95); Pan Fried Pork Fillet, Confit of Pork Belly, farmhouse made black pudding, leeks and apple sauce (£13.95); Grilled Fillet Steak with sauteed baby spinach, fondant potatoes, cognac and wild mushroom sauce (£24.95), Gressingham Duck Breast with creamed savoy cabbage, confit of duck leg, kumquat jam port wine jus (£21.95) or Roast Pheasant Crown, caramelised red cabbage, confit potato with port wine jus (£14.95).

The vegetarian options were Thai Vegetable Curry with fragrant rice (£10.95) and Wild Mushroom and Brie Wellington in a rich tomato and basil fondue (£10.25).

Golden Cock Specialities are: Frando Piri Piri – Posh Free-range ½ Spring Chicken with Mediterranean salad and hand cut chips (£12.50) and Carne de Porco Alentejana, from the Alentejo region – a combination of pork and salty clams with rice and rich meat cooked on ‘Massa in vinho branco’, white wine mixed with fried potatoes in cubes, sprinkled with coriander (£14.95).

We had been delightfully well fed and so we did not get to sample the chef’s desserts that night.

Our meal out in Farnley Tyas had proved most enjoyable – fine dining in comfortable, relaxing surroundings, served up in friendly, efficient style by the attentive Georgina.

The new team at the Golden Cock have indeed got a lot to crow about.

The Golden Cock

2, The Village,
Farnley Tyas,
Huddersfield.
HD4 6UD.
Tel01484 664863
Website: info@goldencock.co.uk
Opening hours: Monday-Friday, noon to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm. Saturday noon to 9pm, Sunday Lunch noon to 6pm.
Children: Welcome.
Disabled: Access and disabled toilet facilities.
The bill: £63.90 inc drinks.
Would you go back? Definitely.