Short break: The Angel at Hetton, Skipton, North Yorkshire

Michael Wignall’s Angel at Hetton is our Restaurant with Rooms award winner.

If you head to Hetton for a stay at The Angel, your senses will be awakened way before a morsel reaches your mouth.

Take the drive there for example. You’ll meander through dramatic valleys and high roads, happening upon quintessential Yorkshire villages no matter your route. It’s calming and anticipatory, very much a lead up to a memorable stay.

The Angel greets you with its facade of mellow buttery stone and virtually no signage. But there’s a definite presence and statement of intent here.

The dining room has a calming Scandi-vibe. (Image: The Angel at Hetton) You step inside and almost instantly de-stress in this cocoon of a building with its colour palette of blue-greys and calming creams that are the backdrop for striking contemporary prints and rustic ceramics.

Then there’s the wood. In the bar, tables hewn from chunks of timber almost glow, so rich are the colours of the grained wood – you can’t resist stroking them. In fact, you’ll find yourself stroking arms of chairs, handles of cutlery, tiny plates, pinch pots and more in this place – it’s very sensory.

Call the vibe Scandi. It’s pared-back, very elegant but nevertheless Yorkshire enough to feel properly welcoming with typically friendly staff who make you smile.

The dining room has a calming Scandi-vibe. (Image: The Angel at Hetton) The grounded sense of place here comes from Michael Wignall and his wife Johanna who are clearly perfectionists, bringing their eye, expertise and experience to every aspect of The Angel. You can sip on Michael Wignall’s Cotton Gin, a collaboration with the local Otterbeck Distillery, or take in the aroma of a calm-inducing Angel botanical candle, hand poured in Yorkshire.

Already the recipient of a Michelin star, awarded in 2019 and retained since, The Angel has gone from strength to strength with the development of new rooms to a total of 20, so that in theory all diners in the 40-cover restaurant could stay.

Recently refurbished rooms above the restaurant are definitely designed to spoil you with creature comforts and unique features like a deep and indulgent roll top bath, Angel toiletries, a TV that pivots to let you watch in aforementioned bath and very hi-tech loos. Headboards are made from soft textured wool fabric and furniture follows through on the touchy-feely wooden theme with rich timber tones.

Every plate is a picture. (Image: The Angel at Hetton) When it comes to food, diners can choose from an a la carte, a tasting menu, vegetarian tasting menu, Sunday lunch menu or seasonal lunch menu.

The dining room welcomes you with a good arrangement of tables that creates an informal atmosphere and staff – including chefs – bring out courses explaining ingredients and techniques.

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Everything that arrives on a plate, a slab or in a bowl is a feast to look at. From exquisite starters of Baron Bigod cheese ‘soup’ (for want of a better word), to a pretty pink beef tartare tartlet, the menu is yet another feast for the senses.

Every one of the eight courses has a multitude of ingredients, so deftly combined to create taste magic. A chunk of Arctic char is served almost raw with sardine dressing and peppered with micro leaves.

Japanese inspired bread on the tasting menu (Image: The Angel at Hetton) Japanese milk bread comes warm from the oven with Ampersand butter and cream lardo and taramasalata.

Notable tastes are lobster course on a punchy puddle of bouillabaise and a memorable course featuring melt-in-your-mouth piece of A5 Hyogo Wagyu beef.

A savoury cheese course of Hebden Goat (soon to be no more after the dairy announced its closure) was followed by desserts showcasing raspberries and then a luxurious toasted kombu and muscovado tart with wild bramble and Jersey ice cream.

This is memorable and stylish food – and if you’re staying, breakfast arrives tasting-menu-style too with more of that milk bread, home-smoked salmon, yoghurt and grains – but a full-size Nidderdale sausage and chunk of Todmorden bacon – and soft-boiled eggs arriving in their own nest of hay.

The Angel has made Hetton a gourmet go-to. (Image: The Angel at Hetton) True to say, Michael Wignall delivers food that wows on every plate. The Angel is proud of its strong following among locals and Michael and Johanna champion the area – creating employment for local people as they go. They have made Hetton and this little corner of the Dales a gourmet go-to for food lovers who appreciate a relaxed experience in a place that is casual and contemporary – but oozing with attention to detail at every turn.

An example is the walking map in every room; brilliantly detailed to tempt the Sunday stroller on a 45-minute amble or the ambitious hiker who wants to take on a challenging three-hour hike to Rylstone Cross.

Working up an appetite for the finer things in life – that's what it’s all about in this little slice of heaven in Hetton.