THE bar was absolutely heaving on our arrival. And many were definitely here for the beer. In fact, the drinkers included a coach party of CAMRA members who were attending a real ale conference in Scarborough and enjoying an evening out.

Their interest in the New Inn at Cropton, near Pickering, was understandable. This pub actually has its own brewery at the back. And the brewery's Yorkshire Moorland ale which I sampled was exceedingly good beer.

But my wife and I had come for more than just a drink. We had booked a table for a meal in the restaurant.

We were told our table was not yet free, and were invited to have a drink and study the menu while we were waiting; we would be told when our table was ready.

We managed to find a free seat and got chatting to some CAMRA members. But after 20 or 30 minutes, I began to feel rather hungry and impatient, and eventually asked if our table was free as yet. Oh yes, came the reply. I just felt it was a shame no one had remembered to tell us before, especially when we headed upstairs to the restaurant and found it almost deserted.

I decided to start with the soup of the day, celery soup with a hot roll (white, no brown available) for £2.95, while my wife asked for mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce and a warm roll, for £3.75. The soup was thick, fine and tasty, the bowl of mushrooms was on the small side but tasted pretty good.

Then we began the main course and hit a spot of trouble. My wife asked for Chicken Wensleydale, breast of chicken stuffed with Wensleydale cheese, wrapped in bacon and placed on a chausseur sauce, for £8.95.

I chose breast of pheasant, stuffed with leeks and wrapped in bacon and placed on a red wine sauce, for £9.95. Both dishes were accompanied by chips and vegetables.

Now I must say we had no complaints about the chicken and its delicious cheese sauce. And while the pheasant did seem a little on the tough side, with the taste of bacon a little too dominant, I wasn't complaining.

But I did have a complaint about the veg. In fact, for pretty well the first time in my life, I actually complained to the waitress (like most Brits, I hate complaining and would much sooner grumble quietly to myself).

The problem was the amount the carrots and broccoli had been cooked... or rather had not been cooked. Now I like soggy veg no more than the average diner. But these veg went to the other extreme and beyond. Put it this way: my fork almost bounced off the carrot. I reckon that when you've forked out £9 or so on a main course, you can expect better.

I told the waitress that we loved the meat but asked her to let the chef know we felt the veg was seriously undercooked. She said she would tell him. I waited with curiosity to see what happened. A curt riposte, an apology? No, no response at all - just the sound of laughter and chatter from the kitchen.

And so to the sweet. I chose chocolate cream torte and my wife requested a St Clement's cheesecake. Mine was perfectly acceptable, although I was too full to finish it. The mandarin sauce on the cheesecake seemed a bit gooey.

It was getting late, and I still had quite a long drive back to York, so we waited for the waitress to return into the restaurant so we could ask for the bill... and waited. After about ten minutes, I decided the only solution was to get up and knock on the kitchen door to alert her.

We left after paying up £33.60, feeling full but not entirely satisfied. It had been great beer, but not the wonderful dining out experience I had been hoping for.

Fact File:

Food: spoilt by veg

Service: variable

Value: okay

Ambience: cheery, beery

Disabled access: No

Updated: 08:58 Saturday, April 13, 2002