Yemi Adelekan is a Harrogate-based food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Yemi writes for the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips.

The General Tarleton has been on my ‘to visit’ list since it opened, but somehow, I never quite managed to make it there. That changed a few weeks ago when we finally visited for a family birthday, and I must say, it was certainly worth the wait.

Located just outside Knaresborough, the General Tarleton is only a stone’s throw from Harrogate, and you get to enjoy a lovely countryside drive to Ferrensby, where the pace naturally slows down even more.

There is ample parking, making it an easy choice if you are meeting friends or family for lunch or dinner.

The beautifully restored building has plenty of character, although its quirkiness means there are several steps to navigate as you move around the restaurant. Lighting is thoughtfully used to draw attention to them, but diners can still miss them, so it's worth paying attention when walking around the pub.

Our meal started with fresh sourdough and cultured butter, which was a brilliant but uncomplicated way to start the meal, followed by crispy cod cheeks with crushed peas, soft potato cubes, lemon gel and a warm tartare sauce. The cod cheeks were beautifully crispy with a light tempura coating, and the warm tartare sauce was delicious enough to be eaten by the spoonful.

For mains, there were a lot of options to tempt us. We ordered the T-bone steak served with crispy chunky fried onion rings (see main image, above), the barbecued monkfish tail with caponata, basil and pangrattato, and the chicken, ham hock and leek pie, which came with the creamiest baked potato mash, heritage carrots and gravy.

The steak deserves a special mention. The locally sourced beef was cooked with great precision making it delightful to eat. Good beef speaks for itself, and this beef did a lot of talking. Every bite was full of flavour and the cooking was absolutely on point. Of everything we ate that evening, the flavour and texture of the beef stood out.

We added sides of Jersey Royal potatoes with Café de Paris butter and charred hispi cabbage with herb emulsion and smoked crumb (see main image, above). Both were delicious, but the cabbage was particularly good. The side dishes were given just as much thought as the main event delivering a well rounded and complete dining experience.

For dessert, we ordered the sticky toffee pudding, and I went for the raspberry soufflé with almond and caramelised white chocolate. The soufflé was a lovely combination of lightness, fruit and richness, while the sticky toffee pudding was exactly the sort of comforting finish you want after a satisfying meal.

There were other desserts that sounded equally tempting, including a lemon verbena posset with strawberry sorbet and meringue, and a chocolate brownie with almond crumb and cherry sorbet.

Drinks selection was really good with a few mocktail options; we opted for lemon verbena and rhubarb-infused mocktails which were absolutely delicious.

It’s obvious that one visit is not going to be enough to work my way through the changing menu, so another visit is already on my agenda.

It was also a lovely touch that my son was presented with a birthday card signed by the team. It is a small gesture, but one that stood out for us to remember.

Executive chef Aled Williams, head chef Charlie Rush and their team are doing an incredible job at the General Tarleton. There is a clear focus on excellent ingredients, careful cooking and dishes that feel considered without becoming fussy.

The pricing is what you would expect from an upscale fine dining pub restaurant, but the quality of what we ate certainly matched the occasion. Every dish I tried was beautifully presented and delicious, so, if the General Tarleton is not already on your list of places to eat, I would suggest adding it.

Whether you are looking for somewhere to celebrate, meet friends, or simply enjoy a very good meal in beautiful surroundings, it is well worth the countryside drive. And if you fancy staying overnight, I hear the rooms are excellent.