20-04-2025
Inside 'exceptional' country pub with top food that's 'like a little community'
It's a pub that attracts diners from 'far and wide' for its 'exceptional' food - but at its heart is a 'family feel' where customers and regulars 'see each other as friends'.
For 17 years The Bay Horse in Hurworth has built up a stellar reputation, regularly scooping top awards for its seasonally-changing "five star" food and ambience.
And while the luxurious dining, suntrap beer garden, and traditional charm are certainly big draws, it's not the only thing that keeps customers coming back time and time again.
'It is like a little community, everyone looks out for each other', long-time staff member Chloe Wilson explained on The Northern Echo's trip to the picturesque pub.
The 26-year-old, from Darlington, actually said it was 'like a little family': 'We get a lot of regulars and we all get along with them. I class them as friends!'
Located on The Green, The Bay Horse has been a feature of the village as far back as the 15th century, when it first operated as a coaching inn.
The Bay Horse in Hurworth (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
But for the last 17 years, the upmarket gastropub has been the 'baby' of business partners Marcus Bennett and Jonathan Hall.
It was 2008 when the pair first teamed up, with dad-of-two turned chef-patron Marcus saying they searched around for their first venue together while asking the question: 'Why can't fine dining be mixed with pubs?'
The 54-year-old, who started off at The Cleveland Tontine before going on to work in top end restaurants in Canada and the Caribbean, said: 'We spent a month driving round the North of England and found The Bay Horse, which ticked every box.
'It was old fashioned and we wanted to modernise it.'
Inside The Bay Horse, in Hurworth (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Inside The Bay Horse in Hurworth (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
Business partner and Yarm resident Jonathan, 53, had also long been in the industry at the time of the team up, having opened and run Hide on Yarm High Street.
And after The Bay Horse, the pair went on to open Muse Continental Cafe in Yarm in 2012, sister venue Cena in 2014, and then The Devonport, at Middleton One Row, in 2018.
But what's the secret to success?
Marcus, from East Harsley, says it is never giving up and never letting go.
Marcus Bennett, of The Bay Horse in Hurworth (Image: THE BAY HORSE)
'We listen to customers, work hard at our problems, and are always involved with staff', he said. 'I'm very much conscious that they feel happy and have got a great working environment.
'I want them to feel it is theirs. I want them to have some pride in their job.'
And as he spoke to The Echo, Marcus was preparing menus, gearing up for a meeting with the chef to discuss future dishes, and preparing for his weekly grass cut in the garden.
He added: 'You never let go of it. Too many people let go, but we don't, we just carry on.'
Regulars Eric and Mandy Kiddell were enjoying a drink in the sun with their miniature Yorkshire Terrier Rosie when they told The Echo just how special the venue was to them.
Eric, 72, explained: 'It's the hospitality, the food, the surroundings, and the staff are lovely. It's the feel and presence of the pub too and the ambience.'
Regulars Eric and Mandy Kiddell (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
The duo, who have been visiting the pub for around 15 years, hail from Thornton in Middlesbrough - but the 25 minute drive is 'worth it'.
'We were here last Saturday and we're here today,' Mandy, 63, explained.
'It is beautiful. Nothing is a bother to the staff. I have a disability and they are absolutely brilliant with me. There's a personal touch, and that's what I love.'
Former British Steel pipe fitter Eric described staff as 'like friends' - saying that 'you don't get places like this' very often.
Mandi, a former Cleveland Council worker, added: 'The little things they do are just exceptional, and it makes me feel better.
'There's a lovely ambience - and they are dog friendly in the garden!'
Mandy is right - the walled garden is a key feature of the pub.
It allows customers to dine outside amongst heaters and wrap up warm with a blanket by fire pits when the summer nights turn cold.
The garden is a popular feature (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
General manager Katie Thirkell, who started as a waitress when she was just 16-years-old, said there had been a 'huge investment' in it by the owners over the years.
'Marcus is always out on the lawn mower', the mum-of-three said. 'He really cares about it.'
The pub itself has also seen many changes over the years, with the owners recently investing in a quaint country cottage attached to the building so two guests can stay overnight.
Katie, 36, explains: 'When I first started, it was a very different building to what it is now.
General manager Katie Thirkell (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
'There's been some little refurbs and main refurbs.
'Covid then changed everything for us, as we had a private dining room upstairs and we couldn't use that anymore. We changed it around and now have nine tables upstairs.'
But despite the pandemic, and the ongoing struggle for the hospitality industry as a whole, Katie's colleague Chloe, who has worked at the pub for 10 years, said it's still hugely busy.
She said: 'You'd think during the week we wouldn't be but it's like it is the new weekend! It's been like that for quite a while, on Tuesday we were fully booked.'
The outdoor dining area of the garden (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
The suntrap beer garden (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
GM Katie has been at The Bay Horse for an impressive 14 years, having previously worked at several spots in Yarm, including Hide and The Keys.
And she said only a few staff have left in that time - which 'means something' is right.
She also touched on the personal relationship between staff and customers: 'We have regulars who come in for drinks and regulars for food.
'You ask about where they're from and they ask about your news.
'It is lovely to have that relationship and we're always asking for their updates. It is like a little community, everyone looks out for each other.
'We have seen many people go through the highs and lows of life'.
Katie said Marcus and Jonathan both put a lot of emphasis on the menu, with one of the pub's standout dishes being a slow-cooked daube of beef with beef medallions, truffled mustard leeks, Alsace bacon, truffled pomme puree winter root vegetables, and sticky red wine gravy.
Just the sound of it is enough to get the mouth watering.
But Katie, from Darlington, said it's key to make sure customers don't feel intimidated by the luxurious menus at the pub, which can seat around 60 diners at one time.
'Nobody should feel out of place or second class', she explained. 'I emphasise to the staff to make people feel comfortable.
This is something restaurant manager Luke Conroy agrees with: 'Sometimes people can be intimidated coming as we do have a great reputation.
Luke Conroy and Chloe Wilson (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
'And there is nothing better than seeing a friendly face and someone that can get on their level.
'It's about being able to deliver that service and I think that's why the front of house is the most important bit.'
Luke, 36, who has worked at the restaurant for five years, said the aim was to make the customers almost 'feel at home' - and try something they don't normally have.
Inside The Bay Horse, in Hurworth (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
The Bay Horse in Hurworth (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)
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He added that it was a credit to the owners that the pub was still going as strong today, attracting people as far as London and continuing to rack up five-star reviews.
He said: 'The Bay Horse has been here for 17 years and the fact that a pub like this is still up and running, and flourishing, proves everything we do is a testament to the place as a whole.
'Not a lot of restaurants stay open for 15 years and are still doing as well as we are, and that's something to be proud of.'
