The Moorcock Inn in West Yorkshire, one of the highest-rated new-wave food pubs in the country, is to close down at its peak of popularity. Its many fans – and gastronomes who have yet to make the journey to the moors above Halifax – will be pleased to learn that it will remain open until January next year.

The latest Harden’s guide singled out chef Al Brooke-Taylor’s “rustic” cuisine, cooked on an open fire, for the highest praise: “each bite is a flavour bomb – you can taste the passion on the plate”. His partner in the venture, sommelier Aimee Turford, backs up the food with a “fantastic” list of natural wines.

Aimee announced the imminent closure this week in an email to regular diners, saying that after long consideration they had decided not to extend the original five-year lease on the “gnarly boozer”, which expires in January 2023.

“We would like the rest of our time here to be a celebration of The Moorcock as we know it – and of course we would love you to join us in this! We feel such a deep affection for what our little place has become. A pub, a really good pub, with walkers and dogs and destination diners and locals and foodie-people, all mixed and mingled in together.

“This way you can join us in this closing chapter. Not much in life lasts forever, does it? But sometimes, knowing when something will end makes it easier to make the most of what’s left. We certainly plan to do just that.

“For the record, we have no plans to try to do this again. Everything aligned with the combination of our location, our offering and the guests willing to be a part of it. A shinier building, or a different location, or investors. It could make something similar, but not equal.“