Old Bridge Inn, Ripponden

Negotiate carefully the ancient cobbled hump-backed bridge over the river Ryburn and the long, low, whitewashed pub hoves into view; bonny right now with beautiful hanging baskets bursting with colour and in winter, with a light dusting of snow, smoke curling from the chimney, picture-postcard pretty. It's reckoned to be the oldest pub in the county, dating back to 1307, and certainly some of the stunning interior backs this up, with ancient oak panelling, a wattle and

daub wall and a magnificent 14th century cruck beam in the high-ceilinged dining room.

Fast-forwarding to the 21st century, there remains a sense of something deeply traditional here; perhaps it's the logs crackling in the grate and the tick tock of the clock. (And, mercifully, no hideous '80s soundtrack. Bliss.) Or perhaps it's the warmth of the welcome as soon as you walk through the door.

It really is impossible to put a value on this; how many places do you walk into and feel unwanted, and that the bar person is interested only in parting you from your money? Not here. Here, it's a family thing. Tim and Lindsay Eaton Walker have been here since 1982, and in 2001 took the reins from Lindsay's grandma Daisy and uncle Ian who'd been running it since the '60s, and you get a real sense of that continuity; they know how to create a vibe that makes you feel special.

The well-heeled regulars sitting at the bar on high stools understand this, and if it was down the road from me, I'd be sitting next to them more often than is probably good for me. The beer alone is worth the journey; Timothy Taylor reigns, and the other Tim keeps very good barrels of Bitter, Golden Best and Landlord, plus three local guest beers at any one time – guaranteed to keep the beer monsters happy. Not to mention that it's the HQ of the mighty Pork Pie Appreciation Society. Yep it happens right here, every Saturday, rain or shine. A dozen or so fellas pitch up, a "fetcher" brings a pie; they chew the fat in both regards and award points. In an increasingly unsure world, how comforting is this?

While the chalk-board menu over the fireplace contains some pub classics (sausage and mash, steak and ale pie) there are one or two less obvious plates that tempt; (we're still talking gravy, not jus – and not a flaming foam in sight – hooray!) so scallops with wild fennel and apple pure with crispy Serrano ham is chosen, along with butternut squash risotto with Yorkshire Blue cheese. Both starters are triumphs; the scallops perfectly cooked and the pure with such depth of flavour you involuntarily make that noise that denotes pleasure. Risotto, such a simple dish and so easy to get wrong. Not here though; it's well judged, the squash providing a pleasing sweetness offset by the piquant cheese.

At this point we found ourselves agreeing how unexpected this all is. We imagined good, reliable pub fare, nothing to write home (or for this newspaper) about, but rewarding anyway. But something very good indeed is occurring in the kitchen (and it's the chef's night off!)

Sea bass with asparagus, new potatoes with crab and tarragon sauce is another winner, the sauce again seething with flavour. Corn-fed chicken with black pudding, potato rosti and creamed mustard leeks hits all the right notes, managing to be at once comfort cooking and something more artful. The beer monster's seafood pancake is clearly hitting the mark; "it's freighted with fish" he announces, in-between nods.

Puddings were a bit of a low point, with a disappointingly bland pear tart making an appearance with a scoop of ordinary vanilla, and a berry crme brle which tasted fine but was grey. Not a colour I like my food to be, much. I should have had the crumble, but was put on my back foot by the waitress saying, "Oooo it wouldn't do for me, there's too much crumble and not enough fruit". Just how I like it, then. What was I thinking?

With a nicely chilled bottle of Concha y Toro at 13.95, jugs of iced tap water you don't have to ask for and pints of ale for the BM, the bill was 80 for three – I call that good value, or as my mother likes to say "weekend food at midweek prices". The only mystery is how come there are only two tables dining on a Thursday night? It's a pub that deserves to be full, any night of the week.

Since 1963, plates of rare roast beef, home made scotch eggs and cheese and onion pie have comprised the lunchtime buffet, along with soup and salad. "Buffet" is deeply uncool as a concept, but forget notions of Margot Leadbetter. It's all fresh, local and you can fill up your plate as many times as your conscience and/or stomach will allow for 12.50.

The Old Bridge is like an interesting old friend – generous, reliable, and capable of surprising you pleasantly from time to time, reminding you why you're mates in the first place.

Old Bridge Inn, Priest Lane, Ripponden, West Yorkshire, HX6 4DF,

01422 822595. www.theoldbridgeinn. co.uk. Open noon-3pm, 5.30pm-11pm Monday-Thursday. Food hours noon-2pm, 6.30pm-9.30pm.

Friday-Sunday open all day, food hours the same, but no food on Sunday nights.

YP MAG 16/10/10