Few hoteliers are brave (or should that be stupid?) enough to offer guests a money back guarantee if they're not totally satisfied with their stay.

Why then, does the White Swan at Pickering?  We check in to find out. 

This charming former coaching inn has been welcoming guests since the 16th century.  Owned by the Buchanan family for the last 25 years, the hotel is now run by son Victor, who took over from his parents in the 1990s.

Since then, the White Swan has undergone total renovation, and has seen a further nine rooms, to add to the twelve in the main building, created from a former stable block behind the hotel.

Rooms in the hotel itself are elegantly decorated, and while not huge, are comfortably furnished, and exactly what one would expect to find at a quality English inn.  Given the age of the building, each room (including a four-poster suite) is different, but all have excellent bathrooms with both bath and shower.

The contemporary stable block rooms are arranged on two levels - four to a level, with every pair of rooms sharing an entrance corridor containing handy umbrellas to borrow on those rainy days. 

These rooms are large and spacious, with a double bed, an elegant chaise-longue and good-sized work area with trendy clear perspex chair.  Floors are York stone, but with the benefit of under-floor heating, they don't feel too cold.

Bathrooms are spotless, with a deep bath that's large enough for two, and a separate rain-head shower with a very powerful, massaging flow.  Toiletries are from the Elemis spa range, and for romantic bathing, I thought it a nice touch to find three tea-light candles sitting on a shelf above the bath.

The desk drawers hide a hairdryer, a minibar and a beverage tray (with teapot and jar of delicious homemade biscuits) and kettle, already plugged into a socket hidden in the drawer.  How sensible.

The desk also houses the hotel 'blurb'. Normally a boring but necessary missive which most hotels' guests probably ignore, this one is hilarious, and really should be read from beginning to end.

Among the gems is the promise that a plague of pestilence will descend on anyone taking one of the White Swan's heavy wrought iron keys home, and the issuance of a warning that wearers of shell-suits will be shoved near an open fire.  "We do not have a gym," it says, "please do not let it appear as if we do."  Amen to that.

At the very end of the converted stable block is a very contemporary suite, spanning both levels.  Dubbed 'the Marmite' suite - guests either love it or hate it, it was clearly created with lovers in mind.  It has a double shower, a large bath in the lounge and huge bed upstairs.

Food is one of the big draws at the White Swan, with the emphasis firmly on sourcing locally produced ingredients and creating dishes which are honest rather than pretentious.  Although a common theme among chefs these days, it's been done here for the last ten years.

Nothing served from Head Chef Darren Clemmit's kitchen is pre-packaged, and almost everything - including bread, biscuits, chocolates and ketchup - is homemade on the premises.

Vegetarians aren't forgotten, although the majority of dishes are 'meaty', with the meat supplied by the award-winning Ginger Pig farm at nearby Levisham.  The White Swan is one of only five restaurants in the country supplied with Ginger Pig meat, and is the only one outside London.

Children have their own special menu, expertly written by Hugh Buchanan, age 7. Among his suggestions were delicious sounding roast chicken with fresh vegetables, Whitby fish and chips, pasta with slow-cooked tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese, and Yorkshire sausage and mash (or chips) with market vegetables.

The menu is fairly short - a good sign that everything is 100% fresh, and if any further proof is needed, the wait was just long enough to prove everything is indeed cooked to order. If I had one slight criticism it would be that the dinner menu was identical to the lunch menu, although these do change on a regular basis and there is a separate 'daily specials' sheet.

Not to worry though. For something lighter Pickering offers several dining venues, and the White Swan also owns "Tutti", a new pizzeria next door to the hotel, where pizzas and pasta dishes are freshly made, and puddings come from the hotel kitchens.

For my meal, I tried the fishcakes served with shrimp salad and tartar sauce to start, followed by haunch of venison with celeriac puree, Irish spring greens and Lyonnaise potatoes.

Fish 'cakes' insults these exquisite creations, as there's nothing remotely cake-like about the succulent spheres of delicately flavoured fish with their light, crispy coating and tangy shrimp salad.

The venison arrived just as described, a generous serve of tender, juicy meat that's still pink in the middle and just the right amount on the plate to not need any additional veg.

To order a pudding as well seemed like total over indulgence, but with a light sounding baked figs with honey and whisky ice-cream in a brandy snap basket on offer, I gave in.  Delicious.

There's no shortage of fine wines to accompany the heavenly food, and the hotel cellar includes an extensive collection from St Emilion.  Prices aren't outrageous and there should be something to suit every pocket and taste, including many wines by the glass.

Real ale lovers won't be disappointed either, with both Timothy Taylor's 'Landlord' and Black Sheep bitter available.

Now about that money-back guarantee. Is Victor Buchanan, owner of The White Swan Inn at Pickering, brave as a lion or daft as a brush to offer it?

Neither, actually. He simply has such supreme confidence in his product and the team which ensures both guests and diners at the hotel will be "totally delighted" with their experience, he's prepared to put his money where his mouth is.

I don't think he'll be handing it back very often.

Essentials

For more information, up-to-date prices and special offers, visit the hotel website.

Getting to the hotel

The nearest train stations are York or Malton, with the former having frequent direct trains from London.  Transpennine Express services from Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle call at York, with the Scarborough services going forward to Malton.  At the time of writing, a taxi from York cost around £35 if pre-booked.  Station taxis will cost more.

Pickering is served by bus 128 from Scarborough/Helmsley and by the 'Yorkshire Coastliner' service from Leeds.

Tip

The White Swan is totally non-smoking, but anyone who does smoke should book into one of the new contemporary rooms which all have their own entrances making it easy to nip outside for a ciggie.

Published 20/04/2007