WHEN I was younger my parents used to tell me a tale about bears in the woods as we drove to my grandma’s. It made me a little scared to go into the woods but thankfully I’ve grown up and got over my fear.

Which is good because my latest trip out for dinner with friends took me to the Old White Beare – a brilliant country-style pub – near to Judy Woods in Halifax.

It’s in a former farm and alehouse dating back to 1533. It was rebuilt some 60 years later, following a fire, using timbers from the Elizabethan Galleon called The White Beare and was renamed in honour of the ship.

It’s set in the idyllic village of Norwood Green, a few minutes drive from Brighouse, and I was joined by neighbours Kate and Tony, who suggested it.

It was a good choice – it’s a classy country pub with restaurant standards.

The Beare’s website promotes a classic British menu with all dishes freshly prepared on site – it’s places like this which do a roaring trade while others flounder. At its heart is good food along with what my dad would call ‘proper beer’.

I didn’t phone ahead to see if there was a table and it was busy around the bar area when we arrived after 7pm on a Saturday night but a helpful waiter quickly found us a table. It was nestled in the corner, two royal-like chairs scattered with comfy cushions. A waitress brought menus over to us and we delved into choosing our choices.

It wasn’t long for me to work out what mine would be as there was only one vegetarian main choice. The menu sticks with a seasonal selection of carefully-considered dishes and fish priced at market value.

So onto our choices, mine was the butternut and white bean risotto, with dressed leaves and crispy carrots for £9.95. What it lacked in butternut it made up for in white beans – I’d prefer it the other way round, but that’s not a negative reflection of what was a fresh, tasty and flavoursome dish.

Kate went for the grilled section of the menu – a few choices but she chose sirloin with hand cut chips and a field mushroom and tomato, for £17.95. She liked her dish but thought the steak was too dry.

Tony went for the grilled chicken breast, which came as a burger, with melted smoked applewood, grilled bacon, spicy salsa and homemade chips, all for £9.95. He said it was a good choice, the chicken tasty and the individual flavours vibrant.

Drinks were replaced super speed by the waiting staff as we made our dessert choices. For dessert Kate and I chose ours but foisted a choice on Tony, though he wasn’t complaining.

I went for the jam roly poly, Kate the creme brulee and Tony, well ‘he’ went for the Tasting of Chocolate – it was to be a shared dish once Kate and I set our sights on it.

My jam roly poly with creme anglaise (£4.95) can only be described as posh jam roly poly – unlike any other I’ve had before. The warm jam oozed out – it was delicious.

Kate went for the classic creme brulee, described on the menu as ‘burnt cream’ homemade vanilla shortbread (£4.95). We sampled the shortbread and both Tony and myself tasted ginger, Kate didn’t, so who knows which of us is right. She quickly finished the dessert off though.

Then it was on to Tony’s Tasting of Chocolate – the most expensive of the desserts at £6.50. It’s what it says on the tin really, a selection of mini chocolate desserts from mouse to ice-cream and white chocolate cheesecake, which had a strange gelatine-style layer on top, but beneath that it was good. The warm brownie and slowly-melting ice-cream were good, as was the chocolate shot. It’s a chocaholics dream come true.

All in all we had a pleasant trip to the Old White Beare and I’d return again, hopeful that they might add a second vegetarian choice.

Next time I’ll go exploring those nearby woodland first and will be very happy to see the Beare at the end of the woods.

The Old White Beare

Village Street, Norwood Green, Halifax, HX3 8QG

Tel 01274 676 645

Website www.oldwhitebeare.com

Opening hoursWeekdays 12pm-12am; Weekends 12pm-1am

Children Yes

Disabled access Yes, one dining area is up steps but there’s plenty of other space.

The bill£70.65 for three tof us to have two-course meals and drinks

Would you go back?Yes