Budget-Friendly Food in the Yorkshire Dales: Cheap Eats and Affordable Pubs in Grassington, Hawes and Settle 2026
How to eat well in the Dales for under £15 a head, with real pubs, bakeries and cafés in Grassington, Hawes and Settle.
Grassington: Dales bakeries and pub lunches
Grassington's cobbled square is the best base for cheap eating in Wharfedale. The village bakery on Main Street sells warm sausage rolls and flapjack for under £3, and you can sit on the green by the old market cross. For a sit-down lunch, the Devonshire Arms on the square does a steak and ale pie with chips for around £13–£15. The Foresters Arms, a few doors down, is slightly cheaper and has a small beer garden. Both fill up between 12:30 and 2pm in summer, so arrive by noon or after 2pm.
If you're driving, the Craven Arms in Appletreewick, four miles east on the B6160, is worth the detour for a £12 ploughman's and a pint of local bitter. Grassington's Spar and the small Co-op in Threshfield cover picnic supplies: pork pies, Wensleydale cheese and fruit for a riverside lunch by the Wharfe. Skip the sit-down tearooms on the square if you're watching pennies—they charge £8–£10 for a pot of tea and a scone. Best months for cheap eating are May, June and September; July and August bring queues and no price drops. Grassington is 90 minutes from Leeds by car, and the 72 bus from Skipton runs roughly hourly.
For accommodation, booking a room in Grassington itself means you can walk to dinner and avoid £8–£10 overnight parking in some car parks. A twin room at a small guesthouse on Chapel Street typically runs £85–£110 in high season. If you're on a tight budget, staying in Skipton (20 minutes by bus) and day-tripping in can save £20–£30 a night, but you lose the evening atmosphere.
Hawes: Wensleydale cheese, pies and pub grub
Hawes is a one-street town with a serious food culture for its size. The Wensleydale Creamery on Gayle Lane has a cheese shop where you can buy offcuts for £2–£4 and a café doing cheese on toast for £6.50. The Crown pub on Main Street serves a generous Yorkshire pudding wrap with gravy for £9–£11, and the Fountain, further up, does a £10 burger and chips. Both are family-friendly and don't mind muddy boots. The town's Spar and the Dalesman's shop on the main street are good for picnic hamper bits.
The real budget move in Hawes is the Thursday market (year-round, 9am–3pm) where local stalls sell homemade pies for £3–£4 and fresh veg by the bowl. In winter, the pubs light open fires and the same menus drop by £1–£2. Skip the creamery's restaurant if you're counting pennies—it's £14–£18 for a main—and head to the chippy on Main Street instead, where fish and chips is around £9. The town is 45 minutes from Kendal and 90 minutes from York. The 113 bus from Garsdale station (on the Settle–Carlisle line) connects to Hawes in about 30 minutes.
Hawes has several B&Bs and a couple of small hotels; a double room with breakfast runs £80–£120. Booking a pub with rooms, like the Crown, often includes a cooked breakfast and saves you finding a separate café. If you're arriving by train, the walk from Garsdale station to Hawes is 4 miles along the road—better to take the bus.
Settle: market town value and the railway
Settle's market place has a cluster of affordable options. The Naked Man café on Kirkgate does a full Yorkshire breakfast for £7.50 and sandwiches from £4. The Talbot Arms on the main road serves a two-course lunch for £12, and the Golden Lion on Duke Street has a £10 pie and pint deal on weekdays. For something quicker, the Co-op on High Street and the weekly market (Tuesdays) offer pasties and fruit for under £5. The town is on the Settle–Carlisle line, so you can arrive by train from Leeds in 75 minutes and walk to everything.
Settle is smaller than Grassington or Hawes, so your cheap-eating options are concentrated but reliable. The fish and chip shop on Commercial Street does a small haddock and chips for £8. Skip the hotel restaurants on the outskirts—they're £20+ for a main and you'd need a car. Best months are April to October; in winter some cafés close on Mondays and Tuesdays. From Settle, Malham Cove is 20 minutes by car, and the visitor centre there has a café with £6 soups. If you're booking a hotel, staying in Settle gives you train access without a car, which can save £30–£50 a day on car hire and fuel.
For accommodation, the pubs in Settle often have rooms from £75–£100, and there are a few guesthouses near the station. Booking a room above a pub means you can have a drink and walk upstairs—no taxi needed. If you're coming for the week, ask about mid-week discounts; many places drop rates by 10–15% Sunday to Thursday.
Practical tips for eating cheaply across the Dales
Supermarket meal deals are your friend: a sandwich, snack and drink for £4–£5 at the Co-op in Settle or Spar in Grassington and Hawes. Pubs in all three towns usually have a fixed-price lunch menu from £10–£14, but the best value is often the specials board—look for £9–£12 mains. Carry a refillable water bottle; tap water is free and the Dales has public fountains in Grassington and Hawes. If you're self-catering, the markets in Hawes (Thursday) and Settle (Tuesday) are cheapest for fresh produce, and the butcher in Grassington sells cooked meats by the slice.
Timing matters: eat lunch at 12pm or after 2pm to avoid queues and sometimes get early-bird offers. Dinner before 6pm at pubs often means the same portion for £2–£3 less. Avoid bank holiday weekends if you want lower prices and fewer crowds. For transport, the 72 bus between Skipton, Grassington and Buckden is £2–£4 per journey, and the Settle–Carlisle train is £8–£12 from Leeds if booked in advance. Book your hotel directly—many small places offer a 5% discount for direct bookings and will hold your bags if you arrive early.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Grassington, answered with this month’s numbers.
Buy picnic supplies from the Co-op or Spar and eat by the river or market square. For hot food, pub lunches (around £10–£14) and bakery sausage rolls (under £3) are your best bets. The Thursday market in Hawes and Tuesday market in Settle sell cheap pies and produce.
Yes, especially from May to September. Small B&Bs and pub rooms in Grassington, Hawes and Settle fill up weeks ahead. Booking direct often gets you a better rate than booking sites, and you can ask about mid-week discounts.
Buses are limited: the 72 runs between Skipton and Grassington, and the 113 links Garsdale station to Hawes. Settle is on the Settle–Carlisle railway. Expect journeys of 1–2 hours between towns; a car gives you more flexibility.
