It’s a name that has its history rooted deeply in Huddersfield’s engineering heritage.

Durker Roods in Meltham was once the imposing home of David Brown who set up his iconic tractor factory nearby.

Over the years a fair chunk of the grounds have been sold off but it remains a building that has a sense of grandeur and splendour about it from the moment you approach.

Step inside and the old stained glass windows and sweeping staircase makes you think what a wonderful and fitting home it must have been for the man who brought so many jobs to this town over many decades.

Go to the right and there’s the bar area complete with comfy chairs and its own menu.

Turn left and you’re in the grandiose dining room. Decorated with light, bright colours it has an immense feeling of space and the intricate decoration on the ceiling looks hand-painted. Classy with more than a nod to the hotel’s history.

Yes, wife Ruth and myself had decided to go posh.

So it was the dining room for us.

It’s £22 each for two courses and £26 for four. Let’s see how we go.

Starters include goats cheese bon bons with beetroot wafers and roasted pear puree, braised pigs cheek with roasted cider apples and garlic puree, crayfish cocktail with piripiri dressing and fresh lime, game terrine with a plum compote and toasted brioche and smoked salmon and prawn potato cake.

Goats cheese bon bons with beetroot wafers and roasted pear puree at the Durker Roods Hotel

Ruth’s bon bons are for cheese lovers – something different if you’re into goats cheese as each bite miraculously vanishes on the tongue – although the wafers were a tad overdone.

My terrine was like a smooth pâté but full of earthy flavour offset with the sweetness of the compote and topped off with the crunch of the brioche. It got the juices flowing for the main event.

Game terrine with a plum compote and toasted brioche at the Durker Roods Hotel

And these include 28-day aged rib of beef with chunky chips and roasted vine tomatoes, glazed ham hock with pulled ham dumplings and sweet potato puree, braised shoulder of lamb with Bourguignon sauce and vanilla potato puree, confit duck leg with roast charlotte potato, smoky bacon and a port reduction, citrus crushed sea bream with spinach and seafood gratin with a carrot and leak rosti or, for vegetarians, wild mushroom linguini with shaved parmesan and truffle oil.

First choice sea bream had all gone and then the last portion of ham hock had just been snapped up by another diner. So Ruth had the beef (£3 supplement) which came, just as requested, well done, but with too many tomatoes which dominated the plate.

28 day aged rib of beef with chunky chips and roasted vine tomatoes at Durker Roods Hotel in Meltham

The peppercorn sauce (£2.50) was awash with peppercorns so it had some real bite to it and the chips were soft and fluffy on the inside with a light crisp coat.

Shame you have to pay more for sauce though.

My lamb was tender enough and the vanilla gave the potato a slight twist. The side dish of vegetables (£2.50) of broccoli, mange tout and carrot were all lightly done and crunchy, just as they should be, and they certainly were a vivid green.

Sticking toffee pudding served with caramel sauce at the Durker Roods Hotel in Meltham

Desserts include warm chocolate fondant served with vanilla bean ice-cream, lemon tart with raspberry sorbet, tiramisu tart served with griottine cherries and expresso and chocolate sauce and, finally, sticky toffee pudding served with caramel sauce.

We shared the sticky toffee which oozed toffee and really did melt in the mouth – although you could taste the sugar that hadn’t fully caramelised.