My knowledge of Yorkshire went from nothing to ‘a little’ this weekend, having spent two days in Northallerton, a small town two and a half hours from London, famous for Betty’s tea house, proximity to the Yorkshire moors, and horse riding. My boyfriend and I were there for his friend’s wedding and stayed in a charming B&B called Woodlands Farm.

Run by ex-banker Paul and his wife Amy, who trained at the famous Leiths School of Food and Wine, the room was pretty luxurious. I say room, it’s actually a suite, with a kitchen more adequately stocked that my own at home, a living room with dining table, enormous bedroom and spacious bathroom.

In the fifteen short minutes between arriving from the station and rushing off again to the church, we were warmly greeted by Paul, nourished with tea and home made raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes, offered a lift back from the wedding at whatever time we wanted and given the breakfast menu to order any hot food, because they don’t just defrost a pack of frozen Sainsbury’s smoked salmon. No no, they use the local smokehouse smoked salmon, from Bleikers.

The next morning we went out into the communal kitchen to find an exquisitely set table, and muesli from Osmotherley (a local village) which was delicious. Soon came fresh orange juice, cafetiere coffee, hot croissants so good they could have been made in a French bakery, white and brown toast, a selection of jams and marmalades and scrambled eggs with the aforementioned smoked salmon. It was simple but lovely; who needs bells and whistles when you’re fuelling up for a hike (some may call it a walk, I wouldn’t) on the Yorkshire moors.

It won’t come as a surprise to know that Paul not only helped us choose a walk but also gave us a lift to the starting point, and the train station that evening.