The Ham and Cheese Country Inn at Scagglethorpe dates back to the 1800s, where it is believed to be one of the country’s first farm shops.

The building that stands there now, dates back to 1907 when it was officially registered as a public house.

Owners Shaun and Claire Marsh, have worked hard for nearly eight years to update the formerly liquidated business, which they purchased in 2014.

Claire said: “My husband Shaun and I purchased the freehold of The Ham and Cheese in September 2014 as the public house had fallen into troubled times. We have spent the past seven and a half years working hard to improve everything about the place – updating it internally and externally, and improving the service we deliver. We are extremely proud of what we and our team have managed to achieve with the support of our fantastic family and customers.”

The Ham and Cheese, like most hospitality businesses, felt the difficulties during the pandemic and multiple lockdowns meant that the staff found this hard financially.

Claire said: “During the pandemic and the aftermath has been extremely difficult financially. Without the support of our business relationship manager at the Natwest, the furlough scheme, government grants and the financial support of our amazing family we couldn’t have managed.”

The team decided to turn the situation into a positive one and offered support to their neighbours in various ways.

“We initially focussed our attention on supporting our neighbours,” says Claire.

“In our surrounding villages, we made deliveries of provisions to them from our suppliers, collecting, delivering prescriptions and supporting them over the telephone.”

Lockdown closures also gave Shaun and Claire an opportunity to revamp more of their pub space.

They catered for mandatory outdoor dining and they say that this space has proved popular with the punters.

They said: “Over the last two summers, our outside areas have become extremely popular. We now have an extended outdoor area called “The Pork & Cheddar”, where we have summer music events that boast an outdoor bar and kitchen and can also be hired for private parties and events.”

Shaun and Claire are always keen to support their community and, as they did during the pandemic, the pair also host charity events at The Ham and Cheese, which have helped to raise “thousands of pounds”.

They have supported local charities such as Malton Pride and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and also fundraised for the military through the poppy appeal for the British Legion and Help for Heroes.

Shaun and Claire are very proud of their pub and carry this pride into every aspect of the business.

“We take extreme pride in using the finest ingredients, that are locally sourced where possible, to create fantastic pub food,” says Claire.

“The Ham and Cheese is just a friendly happy place to be!”