Driving through the countryside around the north Yorkshire village of Oldstead feels like stepping into a watercolour painting. You couldn’t ask for more idyllic surroundings, with lush forests, rolling hills and heather-covered moorland as far as the eye can see. It’s a particularly beautiful part of England that deserves to be visited by anyone looking for a bit of tranquillity. For those after good food, however, the jewel in the crown is The Black Swan at Oldstead – a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms which serves up a quintessential taste of north Yorkshire.

The rural pub was bought by Tom and Anne Banks back in 2006, and they set about turning it into a destination restaurant to convince guests to make the trip. By 2011 it had won a Michelin star, and in 2013 their son Tommy took over as head chef aged just twenty-four. Retaining the star thrust Tommy into the spotlight – especially as he is entirely self-taught – but it wasn’t until he began incorporating his own style of cooking that The Black Swan became a must-visit restaurant. The Banks family own and run a farm nearby, from which Tommy sources the majority of his produce. This isn’t a small kitchen garden affair; acres and acres of land are dedicated to providing the restaurant with beetroots, tomatoes, potatoes and more specialist herbs, and the dishes are focused entirely on local, seasonal produce. Preserving, fermenting, foraging and pickling play a large role in Tommy’s cooking, ensuring the best of each season can be used throughout the year.

There is only one tasting menu on offer at The Black Swan (although vegetarian and pescatarian menus are available too). Tommy runs the kitchen along with his head chef Will Lockwood, while Tommy’s brother James looks after front of house. This, combined with some of the most incredible produce from the family farm, makes a meal at The Black Swan one of the finest examples of hyper-local modern British cooking in the country.

The restaurant itself dates back to the sixteenth century and features all the timber beams, open fires and charater details you’d expect – making the nine rooms available for people spending the night a joy to stay in. The old world decor acts as a contrast to the innovative and inventive food on the menu – think fermented vegetable juices, green strawberry purées and liquid nitrogen granitas. But while the cooking techniques may be modern, everything comes down to the quality of the ingredients from the farm, which are championed above all else.