The Owl at Hawnby, a picturesque inn located in the North York Moors National Park, has been selected for The Daily Telegraph’s guide to Britain’s Top 250 Hotels.

Published this week, the national guide highlights the North Yorkshire inn for its distinct character and culinary offering within a competitive regional market.

Writing in the guide, The Daily Telegraph reviewer noted: “In an area of North Yorkshire where destination dining is ubiquitous, The Owl at Hawnby stands out from the crowd with its rich, home-style cooking, served with views of the surrounding Howardian Hills.

“There’s a real warmth within these walls: expect a friendly welcome, slightly eccentric décor, cosy fires, and the hum of walkers, locals and guests gathering for a pint.

“The village of Hawnby is idyllic. Becks trickle, pheasants gallop across roads, and the night skies are some of the darkest in England. Views from the terrace, dining room and some of the rooms are completely absorbing.

“Kick the evening off with a glass of crémant and a plate of warm, creamy cheese gougère choux puffs. Starters such as duck rillette with candy-like chunks of pickled rhubarb can be followed by a superb dish of roast cod in a soupy tartare sauce with mussels and crispy potatoes. By the end, you’ll be ready to roll into one of the nine country-chic rooms.”

The reviewer added: “The Owl’s puddings eschewed the standard brownie and ice cream style offering in favour of cheese, affogato and the creamiest rice pudding. The palate-cleansing grapefruit and Campari sorbet that knocked me off my chair with flavour. Breakfast is a simple but lip-smacking selection of cooked dishes, featuring the likes of cured trout with scrambled eggs, breakfast rolls, Owl English breakfast (homemade sourdough), and house-made granola with yoghurt and honey.”

The recognition arrives during a prolonged period of economic strain for the British hospitality sector, which continues to face high operating costs and shifting consumer spending habits.

Jamie Savile, director of the Hawnby Estate, commented: “As you can imagine, we are absolutely delighted with this magnificent accolade from the Daily Telegraph. All the staff at the Owl work so hard to make the Owl a very special place in which to eat, drink and stay, so this awesome testimonial is for them. I feel it is richly deserved.

“These are not the easiest times for the hospitality industry, to put it mildly, with pubs and hotels across the UK closing daily. To succeed, you must be dedicated, passionate and on the top of your game all the time and I am proud of everyone at the Owl for being exactly that.

“We are privileged to live in the most beautiful village, famous not just for the Owl, but also for our nationally acclaimed dark skies, for a wonderful community shop and tearooms and stunning walks, including the popular hike up Hawnby Hill.”

The inclusion in the Telegraph guide follows several other recent industry commendations for the nine-room country inn. The property was named in the Timothy Taylor Good Food Guide’s Top 100 Pubs in the UK for 2025 and featured in The i newspaper’s round-up of the best UK pubs for a weekend walk. It also retains a recommendation in the Michelin Guide’s overview of top Yorkshire pubs.