The Dusty in Mirfield is under new management. Or to quote the banner outside: “Under new attitude.”

I pondered on that as we approached the front door. Nope. Still don’t get it.

I must admit I’ve had a mixed experience of The Dusty in its various recent guises.

A former troubled pub, then called the Dusty Miller, it attracted the “wrong crowd.”

Eventually shut down and extensively refurbished it was reborn as the Yorkshire Puddin’.

That was successful for several years and became a dining favourite for Mirfield.

Sadly that didn’t last and the Yorkshire Puddin’ too became part of history.

The premises were shut for a while until Alan Ingle, landlord of Mirfield’s extremely popular dining pub the Pear Tree, came to the rescue.

Alan wanted to transfer his recipe for success to a second Mirfield pub, changing its name to The Dusty.

It was there last year that I paid a visit on behalf of this column.

We had a splendid Saturday night meal and the atmosphere was relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable.

Don’t bother trying to search our website for that review because it was never written.

After our unannounced visit I rang Alan to arrange to send a photographer only to be told the restaurant was to close a couple of weeks later!

The Dusty is a cavernous building – pub one side, restaurant on the other – and the running costs had proved too much.

What a shame. I was all set to write a glowing review. The food and the ambiance was right, the bricks and mortar wrong. The restaurant trade is a tough business.

Just after Alan took over, but before he re-launched the menu, I paid a teatime visit in a personal capacity and the food was typical pub grub and nothing special.

My pal had the ploughman’s, simple to get right you might think, but what he was offered for almost a tenner was poor value and unappetising. He complained and sent it back.

So enter another new tenant – Mark Turner – and the latest fresh start for The Dusty Bar and Restaurant.

It was against that background that Sian and I visited for Sunday lunch.

I knew The Dusty offered a £7.50 a head carvery but also had an a la carte menu. We’d heard good reports of the carvery and I was impressed with the size and shape of the Yorkshire puddings. Quite apt really given its previous incarnation.

But I could hardly taste test the carvery much as the Yorkshires were calling me.

The basic menu was standard fare including staples such as lasagne, mixed grill and bangers and mash. Bit disappointing as I was expecting more.

I found it on the specials board which was, surprisingly, longer than the basic menu.

Diners are recommended to book on Sundays, which we had. It was mid-afternoon and the restaurant was bustling and busy.

We were shown to a table for two which turned out to be right next to the staff’s pathway to the kitchen and close enough to feel the heat of the carvery.

You have to jump up and go to the bar area to view the extensive specials board, which takes some studying when it’s so lengthy.

And when there’s two of you and you’ve taken off your coat and put down your handbag (Sian, not me) you can’t leave your possessions unattended so you have to go one by one to peruse the board.

Bit anti-social really when you want to consult and choose together. Surely that’s part of the pleasure?

In my view the ‘specials’ can’t be so special if there are so many of them.

For a starter I chose the deep-fried goat’s cheese with red onion jam (£4.95) which came nicely presented with salad.

Sian had the breaded mushrooms, also served with salad (£4.95). Both portions were substantial and if that was a starter, the mains had a lot to live up to size-wise.

Live up to it they did, however. The mains were also huge, leaving me fearing I would have no room for dessert.

Mains for me was the mixed seafood platter (£15.95) which included pan-seared seabass, tuna steak and king prawns garnished with salad.

Sian had the ribeye steak and turf with king prawns and garlic butter (£16.95).

The seabass was dry and a little overdone but the prawns were big and juicy.

We shared a bowl of chips and, as I suspected, we were too full to attempt the cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding or caramel apple pie for afters.

It’s early days but I’m not sure The Dusty knows what it wants to be. A cheap and cheerful carvery or a more upmarket restaurant offering something different.

At the moment it’s trying to be both and I’m not sure it’s working.

One thing’s for sure The Dusty thinks big. It’s a big building with a big menu and big portions.

I hope Mark’s “new attitude” can make the place a big success.

47 Dunbottle Lane, Mirfield, WF14 9JJ

Tel: 01924 490178

Opening hours: Tues, Wed, Thurs and Fri noon-2pm and 5pm-8pm, Sat noon-9pm, Sun noon-7pm, Mon closed

Children: Yes

Disabled access: Yes

The bill: £52.45

Would you go back: Yes, for the carvery

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