Cresswell Arms at Appleton-le-Street reopens following refurbishment

Emily and Mark Cross have extensively refurbished the Cresswell Arms in Appleton-le-Street, which reopened to the public last week.

The couple, who also own the Rose and Crown in Beverley, also aim to expand the business with plans for log cabins and a village shop.

Emily said: “We first visited the Rose and Crown two years ago and absolutely fell in love with it.

“It has taken a while to get to this point and we have invested a substantial amount of money. We now want to make the Cresswell Arms our home and our legacy, especially as we have pursued the venue for so long.”

The couple have been joined by Michelin-Star trained head chef Benedict Porter, who previously worked at the Pipe and Glass in South Dalton.

“We want to push on Ben’s talents and establish ourselves as a destination food venue where you can come and stay over night in our 10 boutique bedrooms after enjoying the finest quality food at reasonable prices. In addition to our A la Carte menu, we have also got our ‘As you like it menu’ which aims to retain the comfort food element that the Cresswell Arms has too offer.”

Emily said that as part of the venue they aimed to convert two acres of paddock land into family-friendly log cabins with hot tubs.

She said: “We believe the stunning area should not be overlooked and with Brexit we believe that more people will be looking to holiday in the UK and we hope to offer that making Appleton-le-Street and it’s surroundings a real tourist destination.”

Emily said they also came up with the idea for a farm shop while they were renovating the pub.

“We were having to drive 10 miles for a pint of milk and thought the village would welcome a shop,” she added.

“At ‘Ye old Cresswell Farm Shoppe’, which will be downstairs to the restaurant, we intend to sell the staple conveniences sourced either in house or locally wherever possible.

“We really want to turn the Cresswell Arms into the community hub that it used to be.”