This Yorkshire restaurant with rooms, Pignut & The Hare is the creation of husband and wife duo, head chef Tom Heywood and front of house professional, Laurissa Cook.
Rooted in sustainability, the restaurant is dedicated to creating experiences which are curated with the input of local suppliers, farmers and foraged ingredients all of which is guided by the seasons.
We sent our writer, Rachel McAlley and her partner to Pignut & The Hare for a night of excellent food. All made using foraged herbs and fruits, local meats and fish, and homemade bread and butter. She was in her element from the moment she arrived.
The Entrance
Located in the village of Scawton deep within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, Pignut & The Hare is a rare find. A beautiful venue in the heart of the countryside, surrounded by hills, farms, sheep and endless views.
We parked outside the steps leading into the restaurant, where a sculpture of two boxing hares took centre stage on the front lawn. A stunning building, with a warm and welcoming entrance, and a quaint interior that oozes charm.
The Team Behind Pignut & The Hare
Tom Haywood, and Laurissa Cook. Tom earned his craft cooking in some of the UK’s leading kitchens including Cottage in the Woods and Midsummer House. Having recently opened their first solo venture, The Pignut in June 2023 in Helmsley, in July 2025 they moved to a bigger location in the former site of The Hare at Scawton, becoming The Pignut & The Hare.
Also, complete with four fully refurbished bedrooms, The Pignut & The Hare is proudly Michelin and Good Food Guide recommended and boasts three AA rosettes,
A celebration of land and sea, Tom’s regularly changing menus are created with produce from the surrounding area including Helmsley Walled Garden (fruit and veg) and the Castle Howard estate (beef and pork) topped up with ingredients him and Laurissa locally forage on a daily basis. Thus, set across two options; a half and full menu each follows a tasting format with the exact number of dishes depending on the abundance of ingredients available on that particular day.
Notably, a mainstay of all menus is the first wastage course which is drawn from all waste from previous courses contributing to their zero waste policy.
Equally, rooted in the belief that dining is an experience, at Pignut & The Hare what you drink is as important as what you eat and an integral part of its offering. All menus can be paired with Laurissa’s careful selection of wines which encourage diners to experience new dimensions of flavour courtesy of their natural and biodynamic wine list.
Bedrooms at Pignut & The Hare
The four ensuite bedrooms located above the restaurant date back to the 12th century and tell their own story. Like the restaurant, the room designs play to Pignut’s natural ethos whilst maintaining a cosy and welcoming feel. Not to mention, the walk-in showers and stand alone baths come with Rosedale Whey soap and other local toiletries. Complete with a multiple course breakfast the next day ensures your stay is stylish, comfortable and fulfilling.
I didn’t stay over, so I can’t comment on how the room was, but I can say that if the food was anything to go by then the rooms would be stunning.
The Menu
We were seated in the main restaurant, and spent some time looking over the mouth-watering menu. The full menu of 8 courses (and more if we wanted cheese) consisted of:
Wastage Part One – A course designed around all the waste from the other courses, to help achieve zero waste. This was a beetroot and foraged herb veloute, a small mouthful bursting with flavour. Likewise, this was followed by an amuse bouche of left-over crushed mussel shell bisque with herbs and mini hors d’oeuvres. All unexpected, all delicious.
Our first ‘proper’ course was Cured Chalkstream Trout with Rhubarb and Foraged Herbs. A delicate dish that was exceptionally light, packed with flavour, and presented beautifully. It could have been a painting, it was so pretty.
Moving forward we enjoyed Barbequed Mutton Shoulder and Garden Salad (my partner’s favourite dish). It was rich, hearty, and melted-in-the-mouth. Moreover, the barbeque flavour was subtle throughout, and the mutton was super tender.
The Menu Continued
Our bread course arrived, and it didn’t disappoint. Jersey Milk Bread, served alongside little dishes with Herb Fed Chicken wing, chicken liver parfait, cultured butter., and crispy chicken skin. The chicken butter sauce for the chicken wing was divine. The bread itself was topped with a glaze of local honey and was perfection when dipped in the sauce. Honestly, I think this course may have been my favourite.
Although, we soon moved onto Mussels, in a Thornborough Cider, Chard and Herb Oil Sauce. We wanted to bathe in this creamy, moreish bowl of wonderment! I could have cried at the flavours that derived from the dish. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything as delicious in my life.
Markedly, The courses kept on coming. We dived head first into Stone Bass with Kohlrabi, Hollandaise, and Pickled Cockles. Then we were asked to choose our knives for the next plate.
The Knives
Uniquely, the knives were forged in Helmsley, the nearby market town. Each knife is forged by one person, and then bound by leather and sewed by hand. What an exciting interlude during the dinner to choose a knife for our next course.
The Meal Continued
Castle Howard Pork with Beetroot, Yellison Crowdie and Chive, a beautifully cooked piece of pork, presented with gorgeous colours from the beetroot. Furthermore, it was time for our Wastage Part Two – a Whey Granita and Marshmallow to cleanse the palate. A refreshing way prior to entering the dessert zone.
Finally, we arrived at two dessert courses, Thousand Layers Sweet Woodruff, with Annabelle’s Strawberries. A mille-feuille that was adorned with strawberry ice cream and packed with strawberries in all guises. Our last course of the night was Nans Cake Tin. An old fashioned cake tin with homemade fairy cakes, and dainty petits fours.
Additionally, throughout the meal I drank two mocktails made by Laurissa, a Rhubarb and Strawberry Martini-style drink, plus a long and tall Fermented Pineapple cooler. My partner drank Cold Bath Brewing Co. Pilsner. Each drink worked perfectly alongside the menu.
More From Tom & Laurissa
Never ones to twiddle their thumbs. Tom and Laurissa have already published their first cookbook, The Foragers Table. Published in partnership with Meze Publishing this is a seasonal canter through Pignut & The Hare’s favourite dishes all of which pay homage to Helmsley’s hills and hedgerows offering an insight into Pignut’s wild and award-winning kitchen.
Pignut & The Hare has achieved a lot since its inception. With no sign of slowing down, the couple are only just beginning. Determined to always improve their offering and be the very best they can be, Pignut & The Hare is most certainly one to watch in 2026 and beyond.
The Nitty Gritty
Firstly, we were given the menus to take home as a number of seeds were added to the paper, so that we could plant the menu once home. We simply had to soak the menu in water until soft, then plant it in soil and watch it grow into wild flowers. This is an element of the Pignut experience that blew my mind.
Secondly, during the meal itself we had our photo taken on an instant camera and the photo developed infant of us and placed in a little stone to frame it. Yet again, another niche addition to our experience at Pignut.
Thirdly, dinner was priced at £120 per person. A full wine pairing would have been £80 each, a half-pairing would have been £50 each, and a soft drink pairing was £50 per person. To summarise, prices vary for each of the rooms, and the Foragers Table Book is priced at £25. Visit Pignut & The Hare to book a table, enquire about rooms, or purchase the book.
Consequently, we have decided that Pignut & The Hare is possibly our favourite North Yorkshire restaurant of all time.
Words by Rachel McAlley @ LadyRach, and Amy Williams Consultancy
Image Credit: Rachel McAlley, Pignut & The Hare
