THERE seems to be a widening gulf between people in service industries who are genuinely nice and friendly, and those sporting forced grins on the orders of their American bosses.

Anyone who has been in Gap in York recently will know what I mean. They smile their sickly-sweet imported smiles as they welcome you or bid you goodbye and try to look and sound sincere, but it just doesn't feel right - more like a PR gimmick.

I feel like grabbing them by the scruff of the neck and telling them that we are English and don't fall for these platitudes.

Call me cynical, but I hate it and have stopped shopping there for exactly that reason. I want Chinos, not cheesy welcomes.

It's all too easy these days to write off amiable banter as being for an ulterior motive, but fortunately I have not totally lost my faith in human nature.

If I had, I might have dismissed as just another marketing ploy the authentically warm greeting and service my girlfriend, Karin, and I experienced at the White Bear Inn at Stillington.

Despite being townies in a village pub, we were put at our ease from the second we entered. It was smiles all round - yes, genuine ones - and there was no pressure to order, although we both hesitated for far too long over both the menu and the wine list. The staff were attentive without being pushy, friendly without being false and chatty without intruding into our meal.

There was no rush, but the courses arrived just when you wanted them.

Despite being the youngest couple in the restaurant by a good 20 years or so, we did not feel out of place. The one part of the whole scene that didn't seem to fit was the dance music - albeit very quiet - drifting in from the other bar.

The menu was varied but not extensive, but was bolstered by a daily specials board.

This indicated that all the meat and fish in the dishes came from the local butcher and were fresh, and all the meals were cooked fresh.

And for the child with a discerning palate, not only were there the usual children's dishes but small portions of items on the main menu could be rustled up on request.

I was initially dubious about the term "luxury" to describe the prawn cocktail, but soon realised that this was in fact an under-exaggeration.

The shredded lettuce was weighed down by a whole shoal of the crustaceans. I used to work in a restaurant as a teenager and I would have been docked a week's wages had I tried to use that many prawns on a starter.

And they tasted fresh, so the profit margin on this particular dish must be negligible.

My partner opted for mushrooms in cream and garlic sauce which drew the reaction: "Absolutely delicious - I would come here again just for that."

For the main course, I stayed with the marine theme and went for the home-made fish pie, which consisted of salmon, pollack, white fish and prawns.

Very creamy and topped with scalloped potatoes, it was served with roast potatoes (there was a choice) and vegetables and couldn't really be faulted.

After much deliberation, Karin settled for scampi and chips, the tasting of which led to more superlatives such as "outstanding" and "fantastic".

Her tiramisu, again freshly made, "tasted better than it looked", and my tangy summer fruits pudding nicely wound up what was excellent food all round.

The wine list was varied with bottles from round the world, although they seemed a bit pricey. We went for a very nice Australian chenin blanc at £11.95 (bringing the total bill to £40). This washed down what was a good, hearty meal, served in authentic surroundings by pleasant staff. And the farewell from the White Bear Inn was just as genuine as the welcome had been.

The White Bear Inn, Main Street, Stillington. Tel: (01347) 810338