Family Fork in The Dales
I would love to be bold enough and organised enough to be intentionally on holiday just a few…
A belated Happy Birthday to The Grand Cookery School
Isn’t it funny what the last few months have done to our perception of time? Those early days…
Fancy Hanks
While we continue to find our way around what a meal out will look like over the coming…
The Bay Horse Inn, Goldsborough
It’s early days for the reopening of the hospitality scene, indeed as I write this it’s not even…
Aroma home dining
Aroma home dining is another business hit by the need to adapt from its existing business model into…
Drink in the sun in York
With the pubs and restaurants due to start reopening this weekend, news has come of two new landmark…
Family Fork in The Dales
I would love to be bold enough and organised enough to be intentionally on holiday just a few weeks after travel restrictions were lifted. The truth is a bit more prosaic than that though. Over Easter, I was due to be working on an event in the centre of York that potentially merited a few…
A belated Happy Birthday to The Grand Cookery School
Isn’t it funny what the last few months have done to our perception of time? Those early days of March seem simultaneously to be both part of another lifetime while the relative lack of activity in the interim has also left it feeling curiously recent. One of the final events I was lucky enough to…
Fancy Hanks
While we continue to find our way around what a meal out will look like over the coming weeks and months I’m left to reflect on the last place I dined in pre-lockdown, a meal that I’d hesitated to write about with the eventuality of the venue not being able to reopen foremost in my…
The Bay Horse Inn, Goldsborough
It’s early days for the reopening of the hospitality scene, indeed as I write this it’s not even started to happen, but in a few days pubs and restaurants will start to open their doors again to an audience I presume to be equal parts eager and nervous. One of those reopening is The Bay…
Aroma home dining
Aroma home dining is another business hit by the need to adapt from its existing business model into something more appropriate to our newly socially distanced society. While day to day business activities such as private cheffing, event catering, bbqs, canapés and shooting parties are off the cards, there’s still plenty of appetite to enjoy…
Drink in the sun in York
With the pubs and restaurants due to start reopening this weekend, news has come of two new landmark locations in York where you’ll shortly be able to enjoy a drink in the sun. Sol Ast at The PrincipalThe team behind THOR’S tipi bar will once again open their doors on Friday 10th July when they return with their…
Forest at Galtres Lodge
How does one go about launching a new restaurant right now given that circumstances preclude you welcoming any customers into it? Imagine having done the work, refurb’ed the building, neatly segregated it from the related hotel, come up with a menu then finding that you can’t actually use any of it. Things may be starting…
A French feast from The Chopping Block
This lockdown may have left us prone to introspection and reflection but as tempting as it is, this is no time to be looking back, something that people are rather too keen to do when talking about Walmgate Ale House and The Chopping Block, its resident restaurant. Its previous incarnation as Meltons Too, sister to…
Sunday Lunch from Kennedy’s
One thing I didn’t expect to be doing too much of throughout lockdown was trying new places to eat, but the way this year has panned out has been far from expected to say the least. With the most restrictive part of the lockdown hopefully in the past, we can start to dare to make…
bokkusu from Skosh
Shortly before restaurants were told to shut, this household came to a, shortsighted in retrospect, decision to skip one last meal at Skosh as a last hurrah. The nature of producing this site makes repeat visits to places I love logistically tricky, but Skosh is certainly worthy of repeat custom, so as lockdown tightened its…
Ambiente at home
The trickle of restaurants retooling their offering for enjoyment at home is gathering momentum by the day, with more and more people finding ways to deliver a good representation of their business in the domestic setting. It’s heartening to see some of York’s most cherished establishments start to open their (figurative) doors to customers. The…
Hog and Apple Sunday Lunch
What’s the best environment for a Sunday roast? A pub gives you ample opportunity to relax into the Sunday papers with a decent pint while coming to terms with the number of calories consumed; a restaurant can feel a touch formal for what should be one of the week’s most relaxing feasts; and the home…
Source picnic
What better way to take advantage of an unseasonably warm May than with a picnic? Traditionally though, in my experience at least, picnics are little more than ways of infecting your sun-warmed food with grass and sun cream in an inconvenient location that lacks toilet facilities. In the absence of a hospitality industry to manufacture…
A taste of Thailand at home
When I started this site a good few years ago, I had little idea of the things it would lead me to end up doing. Between train journeys with celebrities, awards judging (and nominations come to think of it), organising events and eating out more than I could ever have hoped, it’s taken quite a…
Fine dining at home with Vice & Virtue
What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten in the confines of your own home? How much does the fine dining experience suffer from being transplanted into a domestic setting and losing the serving staff? How do your plating skills compare to highly regarded chefs? This lockdown is posing a lot of questions that I never…
A pan full of pizza
It’s all too easy to fall into ordering too many takeaways at the moment. There’re plenty of local businesses who are both serving up delicious food and are deserving of support, but I’m craving variety of activity at the moment so I’m seeking out ways to enjoy food in different ways. With that mindset, I…
A Homage to French Fromage in the home
How much cheese is too much cheese? Homage 2 Fromage have been challenging people to find their personal answer to that for some time with their “all you can eat” cheese nights. I was lucky enough to attend one of these last year and found that there was indeed plenty of cheese provided, certainly more…
Hello, fresh?
Recipe boxes are far from a new thing or a response to current events but could easily find themselves enjoying a crest of popularity as people look to vary their food experiences in a world that, presently, sees limited options for eating out and takeaway dining. I’ve tried a few over the years and enjoyed…
Le Cochon Aveugle chez moi
As we find ourselves in yet another week of this interminable lockdown, the consumer appetite for meals out and the professional desire to meet that need continue to coincide in new services. We’ve been trying to focus on one treat a week and this time alighted on Le Cochon Aveugle, who have entered the fray…
5 Top ways to achieve a safe vehicle in lockdown days
The current situation is different to what we’re used to, but let’s see the brighter side. Staying at home is the safest approach right now so this is the optimum time to perform at-home activities for when lockdown is over. How many of us are guilty of neglecting our car? In today’s world, time is…
Fine dining, delivered
One of the joys of the restaurant scene in York is the variety of styles of dining available. From casual to formal and presented via all sorts of formats such as small plates, sharing plates and tasting menus, there’s a huge breadth of experiences available to sample that are now starting to be translated for…
Loving cheese, from a distance
If you read this site even semi-regularly then you’ll realise I tend to be quite the sociable type. Between review meals, helping organise food festivals, keeping Baby Fork socialised and being an active participant in the York Bar Billiards League, I tend to have quite a few demands on my time and I thoroughly enjoy…
The Whippet, Out
Periodically the cyclical world of Sunday supplement tag lines will blurt out the maxim that “Staying in is the new going out” with varying, generally minimal, degrees of justification. Right now though, we really can say categorically that staying in is most certainly the new going out in the extreme circumstances we find ourselves. Socialising…
Lockdown & Leftover soup
It may come as a surprise to hear that I don’t eat out for every single meal, or well it might have come as a surprise this time last week but perhaps less so now. I love cooking and am generally a little too quick to take over in the kitchen, but my approach to…
Rudy’s Pizza in a changed world
This is one of the hardest pieces I’ve had to write. It seems ludicrous as I sit in my living room today with life changed drastically and many operators in the hospitality industry in tatters. It hardly seems like any time at all since I was out and about enjoying great food. The last few…
Covid-19 and Hospitality in York
The last 24 hours has been the bleakest period for hospitality businesses in York that I can remember, by some considerable margin. A large part of the economy in York is based on tourism and we have a proliferation of restaurants which are supported by that market along with us locals, who love to support…
The Old House
York may be defined by its history but it’s never constrained by it. There’s always something new to enjoy but it’s always got a fantastic historic backdrop. This is a narrative that The Old House ties into neatly from its home on Petergate. Prior to its current occupation, this building was home to the short-lived…
EightyEight at Grantley Hall
I’ve occasionally pontificated on the assumptions made about restaurants situated within hotels. They seem to be inevitably seen purely as an adjunct to the hotel rather than a destination in their own right, an unearned slight that I’ve seen unfairly impact on the trade of some superb restaurants. Grantley Hall is a luxury destination that…
Ippuku Tea House
Last week I was due to go out for dinner with a good friend who was returning to York for a week and I found myself with several considerations to reconcile into a dinner venue. The friend in question has impeccable credentials when it comes to cooking and eating so obviously I needed to take…
Nextbase 522GW Dashcam review
Some months ago, a good friend was involved in a car accident when an inattentive cyclist pulled out in front of them and left no opportunity for avoidance. This was an awful experience for my friend (one presumes also not too enjoyable for the cyclist either) who felt terrible at their part in injuring someone,…
Feversham Arms Reach for the Stars as Adam Jackson is Appointed Exec Chef
The Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Jackson as Executive Chef. He brings over 20-years of experience to the role and a reputation for accolades. These include a Michelin star as Head Chef at The Black Swan, Oldstead; three rosettes as Executive Chef at Sutton Park, Sutton-the-Forest…
Fine Dining with Middlethorpe Hall
York has some extremely striking places to eat. Memorable buildings such as The Grand, The Star inn the City, Grays Court and Goldsborough Hall all represent memorable locations for a meal, while there are plenty of amazing restaurants homed in more conventional buildings of course. One landmark building on the outskirts of the city that’s…
Hyper local bread with One Mile Bakery
Bread pays a significant role (roll?) in this household. Trips to Bluebird Bakery and Haxby Bakehouse are both frequent and regarded as a necessity, generally resulting in a wrestling match with the freezer to ensure that nothing goes to waste thanks to our over enthusiasm. Home baking is something I’ve never taken the time to…
Chef’s Table at Le Duèze
People can get a bit sniffy about tasting menus these days. I thought we were past the backlash of a couple of years ago when luminaries such as Daniel Clifford declared that they were over and that a la carte was the way forward. That said, there still seems to be some background noise murmuring…
Comptoir Libanais’ Vegan menu
I’m not sure I can ever see myself taking up veganism, but I’m always up for trying something new and not the type to insist that a meal isn’t a meal unless it contains something that’s been killed. I’ve heard various viewpoints and arguments over the years, notably a speech from William Sitwell who came…
Dinner at The Twine & Barrel
There are many, many challenges associated with opening a new food business. The process can be a perfect storm of colossal public expectation, monstrous workload, huge capital expenditure and a massively competitive market. I’ve been to more restaurant launches that smell of wet paint than I can count and it’s not uncommon to be sat…
Mademoiselle’s
As much as Baby/Toddler Fork represents a wonderful addition to our life and family, we do occasionally fancy a meal that involves us eating concurrently and not chasing around after a small child determined to say hello to as many of the furnishings as possible. To that end, we’ve recently found ourselves leaning on family…
Some highlights of French Gastronomy
Sometimes it’s a struggle to decide what to feature on this site. I frequently receive offers of novelty crockery and dubious dietary supplements that are easily dismissed along with some of the invitations to less salubrious restaurants – if I wouldn’t be tempted to eat somewhere on my own money then why would I invest…
Looking back at 2019
Not only is it the end of another year packed with food and family adventures but it’s the end of a decade which is ending rather differently for me to how it began. Back then I was a Business Analyst (ISEB qualified and everything) in financial services rather than whatever I am now (which feels…
Chef Lu’s Chinese
I still get a frisson of excitement when finding a new gem in our lovely city. There’ve certainly been some hidden gems that I’ve tried my best to share with the wider community which have subsequently found their feet, so when I started to hear whispers of a new restaurant in a less desirable location…
New brewery opens in York
A new brewery has opened just yards from York’s Bar Walls, in the cellar of an award-winning pub. 3 Non Beards has been set up by friends Andy Aspin, Paul Marshall and Jason Simpson and will officially launch next week. The brewery is based in the basement of The Rook & Gaskill in Lawrence…
Malton Cookery School
What better place could there be to learn to prepare some Yorkshire produce than a cookery school attached to the county’s self-styled Food Capital? Malton Cookery School has been a fixture in the town for some years under the leadership of experienced tutor Gilly Robinson and has recently moved to a new location just between…
Sage Barista Express
A few months ago I had to endure a big birthday and, therefore, find a few ways to soften the blow. The alternatives to ageing don’t really bear consideration, but when there’s a zero in the number it’s a good excuse for an indulgence. My drip filter coffee machine was looking decidedly battered so I…
Ryedale In Business Auction for Ryedale Special Families
Ryedale in Business is a business networking group based at Malton. The hosts and some of the members have organised an event to raise much needed funds for local charity, Ryedale Special Families.£100,000 per year is needed each year for the charity to just function. They are raising funds to help the Charity to secure new…
A Christmas Masquerade with Castle Howard
A couple of years ago, when Baby Fork was still Foetus Fork, we made our first visit to the Castle Howard Christmas decorations. Since then, the Christmas visit has developed into something of a tradition, allowing Baby Fork’s grandmothers ample opportunity to fuss over her as we make our way around the reliably breathtaking displays.…
A learning experience with the future of food in York
It’s intrigued me for some years that there’s a restaurant in York College by Askham Bar. I’ve periodically looked at the menus and intended to go along and check it out as, frankly, it looks incredibly good value for the produce listed. How does £3 for crab cakes sound? Or two courses featuring ingredients such…
Supper with The Star Inn the City
The mood at The Star Inn the City is a bit different today to this time last year. 9th November 2018 saw the restaurant’s kitchen devastated by a fire that left them unable to resume their full food offering until March 2019, though the bar and terrace were open again impressively quickly. Part of their…
Once around the Bloc
Living in York has myriad advantages but, as with all things, there’s a trade off somewhere. It might be less than two hours to London but that’s still a fair chunk of time to add on to a journey if London isn’t your final destination. The North is well served for air travel but sometimes…
Finding an axe to grind on Goodramgate
York has a broad range of activities that have the power to make you keenly aware of various elements of its history. The various museums dotted through the city do a fabulous job of imparting the weight of history that we enjoy, generally remaining lighthearted about it while still reverential on the more serious points.…
Fish & Forest moves to Gillygate
Gillygate seems to be becoming the default location for businesses moving on from Spark. Just Smile designs are about to take up a new spot on the corner with Bootham, Toner & Co have been there some time and Cardamom & Dill have plans to make the move imminently. Everett’s Coffee is just around the…
130 years of history in a jar
It’s always a privilege to get behind the scenes of a reputed local food producer. When the invite came for a tour of Shaws of Huddersfield it only took a couple of glances at the empty jar of their red onion chutney in my fridge to encourage me to accept. Other than knowing I like…
A sweet treat with Fudge Kitchen
How many times have you been offered a sample of fudge as you enjoyed a mooch through York’s city centre? The friendly team from The Fudge Kitchen always seem to be on duty to spread their sugary message outside their Petergate store, as they were on Kings Parade in Cambridge when I lived there. I’ve…
Expansion at Robinsons
Bishopthorpe Road has a bit of a starring role in York’s shopping scene. Its flourishing collection of independent shops, restaurants and bars give it a sense of purpose and character that’s unique in the city. Its reputation is only further burnished by its featuring in a stage of the Tour de France in 2014 that’s…
Firelake Leeds
Restaurants in hotels always seem to start on the back foot. Having a restaurant with rooms is one thing, but there’s undoubtedly a stigma surrounding restaurants that are perceived just to function as a service to the hotel that hosts them. There always remains the possibility that this will inspire greater depths of effort from…
York’s Chocolate Story is set to host the KitKat Chocolatory
New to York’s Chocolate Story is The KitKat Chocolatory. This is a luxury experience that includes the chance to create your own, customised, eight-finger KitKat. The eight-finger ‘Create Your Break’ option is exclusive to the KitKat Chocolatory and offers different flavour combinations along with a host of diverse ingredients including shortbread pieces, mini marshmallows, honeycomb…
York Food & Drink Festival 2019
It’s that time of year again! York Food and Drink Festival has been a highlight of the calendar for me for some time, serving fabulous lunches when I was still working from an office in the centre of York and dishing up a whole range of experiences since then. It’s been a great privilege to…
Homage 2 Fromage comes to York
How could I possibly say no to “an all you can eat cheese party”? The idea of turning up at a venue and gorging oneself on a selection of eight different quality cheeses is a very compelling one, that clearly needed exploring when this invite arrived. Homage 2 Fromage have been running these events in…
Hidden Harewood
Serving good food in unusual locations is a unique challenge, not always met by those who attempt it. It can be a reputational risk for a chef to take, but can pay off handsomely if it works out, making for a superbly memorable dining experience. The Harewood Food & Drink Project lands perfectly on the…
Rapid Response: Film review
If you’re a fan of motorsport, the last decade has offered plenty of opportunity to indulge at the cinema. ‘Senna’ set the tone and standard for all of the subsequent motorsport documentaries; ‘Rush’ memorably captured the Lauda/Hunt rivalry; ‘TT3D: Closer to the Edge’ brought the madness of the TT to life in visceral fashion; ‘Road’…
Cuisine of the Southern States comes to York as Cut & Chase closes for a fancy makeover
A popular York restaurant closed its doors for the last time on 1 September as its owners prepare to open a new venture that promises to bring ‘good mood food’ from the southern states of the USA to Goodramgate, as Cut & Chase transforms into Fancy Hanks Bar & Kitchen. The transformation will take two…
Vice & Virtue
It’s safe to assume that I witter on about food and restaurants an awful lot, occasionally to the detriment of my close friends and relations. I’m frequently nudging whoever is nearby to point out whatever interesting titbit has just caught my eye on social media, observing details of presentation and technique of varying interest to…
Gambling on a good meal
In my forty years, it’s never once occurred to me to go to a casino. My experiences of gambling are intermittent at best and don’t feature many extremes of emotion. I may have won a few quid courtesy of Marc Marquez when he won his first MotoGP world championship, but that high point is forever…
York beers triumph in World Beer Awards 2019
A BEER from York has been named the best of its kind in the country in a prestigious industry awards competition. Brew York’s Empress Tonkoko, aged in a Buffalo Trace bourbon barrel, has been named best wood-aged beer in the UK in the World Beer Awards 2019. Brew York also won awards for the two…
Bridge Cottage Bistro
It’s not often these days that I feel like a restaurant has slipped through my fingers. I’m confident I have York well nailed and reasonably sure I’ve got my eye effectively on the surrounding area. That being the case, I was a bit surprised to get a series of suggestions to go check out Bridge…
Zaap Thai bringing taste of Thailand to York
The people of York will soon be able to experience the vibrant flavours of authentic Bangkok street food, as Zaap Thai are bringing their distinctive brand of casual gastronomy to the city this September. The new restaurant is located at 7 Lendal in the city centre and follows hot on the heels of the success…
“Hidden Harewood” returns with new date added due to high demand for tickets
The Harewood Food & Drink Project’s flagship event “Hidden Harewood” returns this August and September after more than a year away. The event will run over four nights from Thursday 29th, Friday 30th, Saturday 31st August with two sittings per night at 6.30pm and 7.30pm and with a new sitting added on Sunday 1st September at…
Getting to know the Mazda MX5
It’s hard to think of a car that represents its sector as well as the Mazda MX-5. Its winning combination of usability, fun, reliability, price and looks has made it the defining affordable budget sports convertible over the 30 years that it’s been with us. Those 30 years are now being marked by Mazda with…
The Van Gogh Experience
We’re well served for museums and the arts in York, with plenty of headliners able to garner national recognition alongside smaller galleries that offer plenty of opportunity for local artists to find a platform. Alongside the more permanent venues and frequent pop ups that we enjoy, there’s a new attraction to check out. The Van…
Searching for fairies in the woods near York
Life is taking us in different directions these days. A few years ago, the idea of a visit to a Fairy Sanctuary would have existed at the periphery of my consciousness, but one must be open to new experiences, and Baby Fork has certainly been the catalyst for lots of those. We’ve been exposed to…
Doncaster Wool Market
I can’t recall many reasons to visit Doncaster coming to me over the last 18 years I’ve lived in York. It’s never been more than a stop on the train to London to me, despite its proximity, making it easy to access from York. I’ve never heard of much in the way of food and…
Yorkshire’s hospitality scene rally support for chef Tim Bilton
A dinner was held in York last week at the 3 Rosette Restaurant, The Park, by Adam Jackson to show support and raise funds for Yorkshire chef Tim Bilton who earlier this year was diagnosed with stage four melanoma cancer. As widely reported last month, TV Chef Tim Bilton has battled on and off with…
Le Creuset Kitchen Theatre with Brian Turner at BBC Countryfile Live
Brian Turner and his celebrity chef and food writer friends will be showcasing four days of tasty summer meals and treats at the Le Creuset Kitchen Theatre this August. For its inaugural outing at Castle Howard, local chefs including Michelin-starred Tommy Banks and Andrew Pern will take to the stage to showcase favourite dishes and…
Welcome to Skelf Island!
Now that Baby Fork is fully ambulant and happily charging around, we’re starting to embark upon the journey of discovery that will pair us with her chosen play areas (that fall within our regular budget). We’ve already an established local routine thanks to our proximity to Rowntree Park, but we’re always on the lookout for…
Assembly Underground brunch launch
Since Baby Fork arrived, brunch has taken on a new meaning in our lives. It goes without saying that we’ve always enjoyed a lazy, late morning brunch, but in these days of evening routines and babysitting arrangements, it’s become a key opportunity to fit in good meals out. That being the case, it’s all the…
Further Amsterdam
Regardless of the presence of Baby Fork (that should probably become Toddler Fork at some point) we were determined to enjoy as much of Amsterdam as possible. While tasting menus in Michelin starred restaurants might be off the cards at the moment, at least while we’re abroad without a baby sitter, there’s still plenty to…
Secret Food Tour of Amsterdam
Food tours are right up my street, so to speak. I’ve done a few, both in cities I’m new to and ones I’m confident I know, and found them to be a perfect way to explore new environments, though getting fed is a bonus too of course. Our recent trip to Amsterdam presented a perfect…
First travels with a baby
Turns out, travelling with a baby can be quite stressful. Who knew, eh? We’re both relatively experienced travellers and have honed our ability to pack light over many trips, something we knew would take a dent with the addition of a baby but the question remained, how prepared were we for our first flight and trip abroad with Baby Fork? As I’ve posted about previously,…
Baby Fork’s first European city break
I don’t think we’ve done too badly with expanding Baby Fork’s horizons so far. She’s taken in the sights of Cambridge, Ludlow, Cardiff, Surrey, Chester, Leeds, Harrogate, Edinburgh, Whitby, Filey, Bridlington, Peterborough and (of course) York. Now though it’s time to challenge ourselves a bit more and get her overseas for the first time. In…
Reflections on 5 years of The Fork
I’m not always great with anniversaries. I can manage to remember the ones that come with consequences such as wedding anniversaries and birthdays, but the more minor ones can slip by, hence my realisation that this has been going on for five years. I really had no idea what direction it would head in when…
Silver Service Afternoon Tea from Hudsons
Surroundings can make quite a difference to some meals. I’ve had opinions related to me suggesting it’s impossible to enjoy a meal in some locations and, while I can see merit in the suggestion, it’s not something I subscribe to. I’ll ignore most decorative faux-pas if the food is good enough, but that’s not to…
Afternoon Tea with Hotel du Vin
I’ve had a curious blind spot for Hotel du Vin for a number of years. Despite being a well reputed bolthole close to the centre of York, I’ve somehow contrived to avoid it since 2013 it seems, based on my occasionally shaky memory. With that in mind, I was all too eager to accept a…
Happy Birthday Mak Tok!
Chef’s table events are a great way to get up close and personal with your favourite chefs or producers. I’ve enjoyed a couple of these at Malton Cookery School over the last few years in its original home, but the School has recently shifted across town to a new location, so I was very happy…
Family Fork visit Almaz
It can be hard to see the wood for the trees when I’m trying to choose which restaurant to head to next, such is the continuing proliferation of openings in York. Time is even more precious these days and now that Baby Fork is becoming tiringly ambulatory, some restaurants just aren’t appropriate for her to…
A foraged feast with Mr P
Any opportunity to eat food from a Michelin Starred chef is a thing to be grasped with both hands. A set menu for a very reasonable price with input from a well-reputed forager makes the occasion even more special, so the idea of dinner cooked under the watchful eye of Andrew Pern featuring ingredients from…
Going Lebanese in Leeds
When I was invited to pop across to Leeds and try some Lebanese food in the Trinity Centre, I had to own up to not having heard of Comptoir Libanais. This chain has been working its way around the country for a while and is now making its presence felt in the North; this Leeds…
Ushering in a new era
Sometimes the best parts of something new can feel comfortingly familiar. Sticky Walnut has the reputation for dishes with a happily old fashioned basis but which are underpinned by a thoroughly modern commitment to engagement through social media thanks to chef patron Gary Usher. Usher has become a well known figure in the hospitality scene…
Family Fork visit Chester
It pays to do your research before going on holiday. That way you can make sure you pick a destination suitable for your family circumstances and appealingly different to your home town. Alternatively, you can choose a place to visit based on a hunch and find it both slightly impractical for your circumstances and spookily…
York’s Chocolate Story
York’s chocolate heritage is so rich and has contributed so much to the fabric of the city we now love, it’s only fitting that it gets its own tourist attraction. York’s Chocolate Story landed in Kings Square a few years ago with a mission to tell the story of how the chocolate industry shaped our…
Exploring Manchester
It’s funny how time slips by. I regard myself as pretty well travelled within the UK, but that doesn’t mean I’m without blind spots. Given its proximity to York it’s a little surprising that Manchester is one of those. Even more surprising was that, when I gave it some thought, I realised it was 21…
Meeting a cheerful Masterchef with Naked Noodles
It’s funny how some Masterchef contestants slip from your mind despite avidly having followed the show for years. Occasionally these days I’ll fall into a Wikipedia hole and realise that large numbers of the contestants I’ve followed on Masterchef over the years have escaped my memory entirely. One of the characters in last year’s edition…
A Grand cooking experience
The Grand Hotel is something of a landmark in the centre of York, occupying a prime location on the route from the train station to many of the city’s tourist attractions. It’s been worthy of a visit on its own merits for a number of years now, with two restaurants, relaxing space for drinks and…
Afternoon Tea at Oxo’s on The Mount
I’m not the biggest fan of afternoon tea. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so when trying it, I can end up at a loose end after working my way through the sandwich offering. That said, when I was invited to Oxo’s at The Mount Royale for their afternoon tea, I was more…
YORKSHIRE’S FINEST FOOD AND DRINK ENTREPRENEURS REVEALED AT PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS CEREMONY
Eleven of Yorkshire’s leading food and drink businesses have been recognised for their entrepreneurial spirit, business acumen and product or service excellence, as winners were revealed at the second annual Garbutt + Elliott Food Entrepreneurs awards, last night. The winners emerged from over 100 entrants to be crowned across nine categories, including the coveted ‘Garbutt +…
Jaguar XF
Can the Best of British defeat the endless onslaught from Germany? I tried the Jaguar XF to find out… Now that Jaguar has finished the important business of separating its current model line up from memories of the X & S Types, rounding out the saloon models with the F-Pace and F-Type, it’s moved its…
Introducing children to The Star Inn the City
When we learned of the impending arrival of Baby Fork, we promised ourselves that this would not be the end of our love of dining out and that we would involve her in as many meals as practically possible. As she’s only just about to pass the one year marker, we’re not quite at the stage…
Exploring the USA
What would be your dream holiday? Where would you go for a once in a lifetime trip? How much would you try and fit in? Would you prefer to fill your time relaxing on a beach catching up with your favourite authors or would you try to fit in as many sights as you could?…
Retro Road Test: Fiat Panda 100HP
For anyone who cares about driving there should always be an appeal to basic, light, low power transport marketed toward fun. The kind of thing that harks back to the original Mini but is increasingly hard to find in these days of driving aids and airbags to cater for every eventuality. Arriving on the market in…
Garbutt & Elliott Food Awards shortlist announced!
REVEALED: SHORTLIST OF YORKSHIRE’S MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL FOOD BUSINESSES The second annual Garbutt + Elliott Food Awards have now closed for entrants and a shortlist of 28 businesses across the eight categories have been announced. The awards, established by leading York and Leeds based accountancy firm, Garbutt + Elliott, now in their second year, celebrate Yorkshire’s…
Sushi time with York Cookery School
It’d never occurred to me to attempt my own sushi until I happened to see some friends making a go of it on social media a few weeks back. I wasn’t quite organised enough to get hold of the ingredients and kit needed but in a fortunate twist of fate, York Cookery School got in touch…
Family Fork visit Keswick
It may be stating the obvious, but the Lake District is stunning. I’ve been visiting on and off for around twenty years and after staying in various locations, I generally find myself returning to Keswick. Coniston, Amble, Ambleside, Windermere, Ennerdale Bridge… all absolutely beautiful places to visit but Keswick offers a great blend of practical…
Reflections on a year of Family Fork
It’s a curious contradiction that busy periods in one’s life seem to fly by when viewed in retrospect but also subject you to seemingly interminable periods of slow motion when dealing with the the more trying events. This is something that’s come into my mind repeatedly while considering the first year of parenthood and reflecting…
Garbutt + Elliott awards deadline extended
The Garbutt + Elliott 2019 Food Awards deadline has been extended to February 1st so you still have a few days to get your entries in. The awards are Garbutt + Elliott’s way of saying thank you to our amazing county and all the food and drink offerings within it. Celebrating the wonderful food and…
Going Wild in the Jaguar F-Pace
Think a Jag is an old man’s car? Jaguar wants to prove you wrong… My stepfather has a Jaguar XKR with which he’s very pleased. It’s his third Jag after another XKR and an S-Type. With the utmost of respect to my stepfather, I don’t think he’s exactly Jaguar’s target market these days. For his…
A Grand new cookery school
The Grand Hotel is a landmark in York, providing a stunning foreground to many pictures of York Minster taken as people make their way to it from the train station. As well as being a hotel and spa, there are a variety of food and drink reasons to visit The Grand including Hudson’s and The…
Is the perfect family car actually a van?
Vauxhall’s Combo Life is a new family vehicle based on the Combo panel van that, in its position as a successor to the Zafira, Vauxhall definitely doesn’t want you to associate with its utilitarian origins. It’s entirely understandable that Vauxhall want to make sure this product stands on its own two feet amongst its car-derived…
Have you entered the G&E Food Awards yet?
The deadline for the Garbutt + Elliott 2019 Food Awards is fast approaching, leaving you just two working weeks to enter. The awards are all about celebrating the wonderful food and drink offerings in ‘God’s Own County’ and highlight the county’s growing position within the national and even international marketplace. They were set up in recognition…
Berlin by Trabant
“Your car is equipped with a communist radio system – you will hear my commentary but you may not respond through it!” Briefings and safety advice are in surprisingly short supply before we are expected to dive into the Berlin traffic behind the wheel of our rented Trabant… Trabant production started in 1958 and didn’t end…
Change on the horizon!
It’s time for a change. I’ve been producing this site and the huge majority of its content for approaching five years now, with help from some amazing people along the way. I’ve met some incredible people and had some wonderful experiences but life moves on and it’s time for a bit of a shift in…
2018 in Review
I can scarcely believe another year has gone by and that we’re already set to drop into 2019. 2018 was another year of growth for the food scene in York with high profile new openings and expansions from established locals complementing one another. New development Spark also broadened the city’s horizons. On a personal level,…
York hits heights with Harden’s guide
The UK’s best towns for foodies and top 100 Restaurants are revealed today in Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2019. Harden’s 28th annual poll surveyed 8,000 diners who contributed 50,000 reviews, which, as analysed and curated by the editors, form the basis for Harden’s inclusions, ratings and reviews. This year saw a surge in interest in the York…
The Cutlery Works
Food halls seem to be popping up all over Yorkshire these days. In York, we have Spark to host a range of street food vendors at the moment and the promise of another food hall in the recently refurbished Stonebow House to come in 2019. In Leeds, Assembly Underground has just opened with 50 beer lines…
Assembly Underground
The newest big name on the food scene in Leeds is Assembly Underground, an appealingly subterranean food hall that features (predictably enough) great street food and a huge range of beers to choose from. The space that it inhabits, I’m reliably informed, used to house a nightclub and has been artfully distressed into a comfortable space that…
Dough in the City
The Vice & Virtue team are on a bit of a roll at the moment. The titular bar continues to win plaudits for its cocktails and fine dining and it’s only a few short weeks since I was there to attend the preview for their new Pudsey based restaurant and coffee shop, Feed. That impressive…
Garbutt & Elliot awards update
Entries are still open for this year’s Garbutt & Elliot Food and Drink Entrepreneur Awards so make sure that you take a look at the categories and get entered in everything relevant to your business. Here’s a reminder of the winners from last year’s crop of 76 entrants: Northern Bloc for Best Innovation Heck for…
Whippet Pie menu
Lunchtime is precious in the world of office work. It’s an opportunity to stamp your authority on a small element of the days you spend earning a living in return for a precious slice of that remuneration. While you may or may not be lucky enough to have a subsidised work canteen (and “lucky” is…
Leeds Arts Cafe under new ownership
A Leeds stalwart is under new ownership for the first time in 24 years. Arts Cafe, now named simply “Arts”, is located amidst the city centre hustle and bustle of Call Lane and promises to become the neighbourhood restaurant for the city centre. One of Leeds’ original independent cafe bars, it opened in September 1994.…
Street food faves Slap & Pickle land in Leeds city centre
The diner treats and perpetual holiday vibes which made Slap & Pickle such a success at the likes of Trinity Kitchen, Eat North and Chow Down are soon to be on offer 7 days a week, 12 months a year. With its founders so in love with Leeds that they relocated from down South, the…
The Rattle Owl grazing plates
Lunch can be such a precious refuge from the workplace. I’ve spent many days cowering behind a desk desperately looking forward to an hour long escape from the day’s mundanities, always debating what kind of indulgence is justified after enduring yet another morning of tiresome meetings and reputation making. The centre of York has a…
Harewood Food & Drink team up with Northern Monk
Two much talked about Yorkshire award-winners are combining for a winter filled with beer, food and festive fun. The Harewood Food & Drink Project (HFDP) will be taking over the Northern Monk (NM) taproom kitchen from 28th October to the 29th January with informal day to day plates and a series of ticketed pop up supper…
Hudsons at The Grand
It’s a tough thing to build a reputation as a restaurant when you’re based in a hotel. For reasons that have always been slightly beyond my grasp, the challenge involved in convincing non-residents to make a few steps from their usual route is a significant one regardless of the quality of the restaurant in question.…
Garbutt & Elliot launch second annual Food Entrepreneurs awards
The Garbutt + Elliott 2019 Food Awards opened for entrants on October 19th, celebrating the wonderful food and drink offerings in ‘God’s Own County’. The awards highlight the county’s growing position within the national and even international marketplace and were set up in recognition of entrepreneurs and businesses from across Yorkshire who have been part of…
Thor’s Tipi to return
This November the ever-popular and highly-acclaimed Thor’s tipi bar will make a welcome return to York city centre. Last year over 50,000 people visited this uniquely themed attraction that plays on York’s Viking heritage and is now a firm fixture of the Christmas offering in the city. From 10.00am on Thursday 15th November in Parliament Square,…
The Bishy Weigh
A new shopping experience is coming to Bishopthorpe Road. The Bishy Weigh will be a pantry and household essentials store, complementing what is already on offer down Bishy Road, while also responding to a high demand for more lifestyle products. Instead of having to order from a faceless internet shop, their customers will get friendly, local help…
Los Moros
There’s a lot of love for Los Moros and its founder Tarik Abdeladim in York. Tarik has been a fixture in Shambles Food Court for some time, helping to build that area’s reputation for good food while knocking up fabulous street food. He’s even been beating the great and good of York’s restaurant scene to reach number one on Tripadvisor for…
Sunday lunch at The Refectory
Location is an element that can really add a sense of occasion to a meal and the Principal Hotel is without doubt one of the most striking places to dine in York since its refurbishment some years ago which elevated it from faded glory to contemporary relevance. There’s a smartly decorated bar to relax in which has a rather…
Roots
It’s something of an understatement to say that the last few years have seen an upwards trajectory for The Black Swan at Oldstead and the Banks family. Since taking over the kitchen at Oldstead, Tommy Banks has retained its Michelin star, won Great British Menu twice and seen TripAdvisor name the restaurant the Best Fine Dining…
Born to Lose
Over the last couple of years, Mark Hill has become well known in York, developing his Street Cleaver brand into one of the most reliably excellent street food vendors in York. From humble beginnings and through pop-ups in a range of locations, Street Cleaver settled into a unit at Spark while continuing to hit up…
A crafty evening with Prashad
It’s remarkable how long one can spend abortively trying to visit a restaurant. In 2010 Gordon Ramsey hosted a program by the name of “Ramsey’s Best Restaurant” which saw him facing off restaurants of different specialisms until one was crowned the nation’s favourite. Bristol’s Casamia took the win that time round, but I was thoroughly…
Stamford’s Bar & Grill
Pocklington doesn’t tend to crop up in conversation too much about places to eat. I’d be hard-pressed to come up with many recommendations (or any actually) for it within the town centre. While it’s regularly on my schedule for family visits, I’ve not been out socialising there for some time, partly since my last visit…
York Food & Drink Festival ’18
How can it be time for the Food Festival again? It only seems like a few months since I was joining the crowds flocking to York to sample all the traders while making my way to the day’s demonstrations. It’s entirely possible that my sense of time has been disrupted by the arrival of Baby Fork six…
The Hideaway Kitchen at the Dunsforth
For a variety of reasons, it can sometimes take a little bit of a push to get me out of York to check out somewhere new. While there’s certainly a proliferation of great places to eat in York, it’s hardly the only place in Yorkshire to find fantastic food. With that in mind, for a…
Riverford recipe box
It can be a struggle to constantly think of new dishes to try in the home. It’s oh so easy to end up relying on a few easy dishes that you’ve committed to memory and their derivatives, even more so when taking into account the trouble of getting to a supermarket to booster your stocks of obscure…
Feed Leeds
Over the last year or so, I’ve kept hearing word of a young chef in Leeds who’s been earning a reputation for putting together indulgent dishes that don’t let themselves be constrained by any particular genre or convention. Jonathan Hawthorne’s name has become hot property in Leeds for some time as his regular XO Supper…
Expansion at Brew York
This Friday (August 24th) sees York’s new city-centre beer hall and street food kitchen opening it’s doors. Brew York, which opened in Walmgate in 2016, has expanded into a neighbouring building and has spent the summer converting it into the city’s biggest beer venue. The new upstairs beer hall will serve 40 beers at a…
Filmore & Union summer menu
It’s not too long since I visited Filmore & Union but whenever they have a new menu on, it’s worth a trip. They have a new summer menu to check out that’s great value at £14.95 for two courses or £18.95 for three. This menu continues the usual Filmore themes, catering for meat and dairy…
StrEat Food Festival discount!
This August bank holiday weekend sees the return of the StrEat Food and Family Fun Festival, being held at the Great Yorkshire Showground. The event runs daily from the 1100-1900 on 25th to 27th August and will feature more than 40 street food vendors along with family friendly entertainment, including street performers, live music and children’s activities. I’ve teamed…
Baby Club and a burger with Everyman
Ever since I moved to York in 2001, the City Screen has been the go-to cinema in York for good reason. Its combination of a well-judged schedule of popular and niche programming along with a friendly bar that does reasonably priced food has been unmatched in the cinema scene in York for years. The former…
Becoming part of the Fountains Abbey family
Yorkshire has so many beautiful places to visit it can be hard to decide where to go. This summer, Fountains Abbey has further made its case for a visit by adding a series of follies to the gardens at Studley Royal. These plot a nice walk around the gardens and provide distraction for little legs on their way round. It’d…
New menu at the Cat’s Pyjamas
The Cat’s Pyjamas hasn’t been in York for long, but it’s made a bit of a splash already. I’ve seen plenty of people commenting on social media about how they’ve enjoyed the Indian street food dishes and wide selection of craft beers. It’s obviously a successful formula, and is one that’s set to be replicated…
Afternoon tea at The Ivy
Being the home of Betty’s largest branch in York, St Helen’s Square is inevitably associated with afternoon tea. Aside from this, in recent years the area has become something of a hotspot for restaurants as Jamie’s Italian, Carluccio’s and the Ivy have set up shop. The Ivy is now bringing both of these worlds together…
Culture in a car park?
Temporary structures have been something of a theme in York this year, with the Spark container park making headlines. Spark will be in York for at least a couple of years but making a rather more brief appearance in our city is Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre which has popped up on Castle car park in the…
Arras
York can be a slightly backwards looking city, happy to rely on existing glories rather than pushing forward. This can be reflected in the restaurant scene. When places are established there’s an attachment, justified in many cases, that can last for some time after the place in question has disappeared which can become unwelcome baggage…
CSONS at the Green Cafe
Recently we were invited to a wedding near Cardiff by a good friend so decided to break the journey with a couple of days in Ludlow. I hadn’t made any particular plans to go out and eat while there as we were staying in a beautiful Dovecote opposite the castle that leant itself to eating…
Going vegan in a Steakhouse
The Whippet Inn has been well established in York for some time as one of the best places to go for a meat fix. Its expertise in charring meat to the right point is difficult to argue with but that specialism makes it rather less appealing for the ever increasing vegan population. With that in…
Press go!
The combination of Fossgate and Walmgate has long been a hotspot of restaurants in York, one of the first areas in the city to really find itself embedded in the food culture, which has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. With that being the case, it’s a little unusual to hear…
A Super Break with a Masterchef
Sara Danesin is pretty well known around York these days thanks to her 2011 appearance on Masterchef which took her oh-so-close to winning. Since then, she’s built a successful business as a chef consultant and hosts a successful supper club from her home in the city. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy her food a…
The Cat’s Pyjamas
Leeds is only a short hop on the train and, while I do get there semi-regularly, there’s a good list of places that I’ve yet to make it to. Included amongst these is The Cat’s Pyjamas, which counts Jay Rayner amongst its many fans. Thankfully the opportunity to check it out has now landed…
Raithwaite Estate
The pending arrival of a baby really does focus your mind on all the ways in which your life is about to change. Along with local and domestic concerns about maintaining cleaning and social routines in your community, there are numerous questions raised about the practicality of travelling and holidaying with a baby that are…
A cheese feast at Shears Yard
Wensleydale Creamery is something of a Yorkshire institution, offering plentiful samples of its eponymous cheese at its visitor centre. Its Wensleydale is well established as a superb cheese and now, after some serious research and recipe development, they’ve expanded their range to offer Yorkshire Cheddar. This is not an endeavour that has been taken lightly…
Sparking a new community
York isn’t short of history. There’s a huge amount to learn about the history of our beautiful city. From Viking Jorvik, through Roman Eboracum and Victorian expansion to the present day, it’s easy to find most aspects of our history reflected in tourist attractions dotted across the city. Recent times have seen a reduction in…
A Nook for street food
There are widely documented concerns about some of the main shopping streets in York, some being blighted by empty units and a general malaise compared to more prosperous economic times. I don’t doubt that, in time, there’ll be solutions found to reverse this trend, but in the meantime some streets on the periphery of the…
A walk in Istanbul
I love quirky local museums. I’m never happier than when I happen upon a haphazardly curated old folk museum or village museum with odd exhibits. Keswick used to be a particular goldmine for these things, with the Cars of the Stars Museum, James Bond Museum, Puzzling Place and many others. A few of these are…
Parking on Bootham
Bootham is a fine street from which to find the centre of York. A series of spectacular buildings and hotels are dotted along the road that features the handsome St Peter’s School, which famously counts Guy Fawkes as an alumnus. The striking hotels along the thoroughfare don’t, in general, do a good job of shouting…
Asking about children
If you’ve been following my eating recently you may have noticed that Baby Fork is starting to have an impact on our activities, forcing us to make a few compromises, but so far not preventing the pursuit of good food around York. We seem to have a pretty relaxed baby thus far so have been…
Cruising for tea
York has so many assets, it can be hard to work through them all even as a resident with a bit of time on your hands. There are so many glorious nooks and crannies in this city to explore so perhaps it can make sense to combine a couple of activities in the interests of…
The Cat’s Pyjamas comes to York
A new offering for York, featuring Indian street food and craft beer
Brewing up something special!
Brew York reveals full details of expansion – and invites local people to help make it happen
The Star Inn the Harbour
A look around the latest addition to Andrew Pern’s stable of restaurants
Seafood in the Square
An evening of matched wine and seafood with Melton’s in St Sampson’s Square
Great British Menu brought to life
An evening with food from Josh Overington, Tommy Banks and Danny Parker at House of Tides.
Taking a butchers at some BBQ
A full day of butchery, bbq, food and drink with a BBQ legend.
Happy Birthday to Appleton’s!
A chance to win a fifty pound voucher for Appleton’s Butchers on Lendal
Yorkshire Day with Marks & Spencer
A look at some of the Yorkshire produce on offer from Marks & Spencer
Meeting a chef on a train!
A return trip to London with Virgin East Coast and James Martin
Rhubarb Gin
Rhubarb is firmly in season, and to get the best of a crop, it requires regular picking. Here’s our recipe for rhubarb gin.
Dinner at the Chefs Table
An evening at the Chef’s Table with Gareth Bottomley from the Charles Bathurst Inn
Express lunch at Jamie’s Italian
A trip to Jamie’s to check out their new affordable lunch menu
BBQ Lunatic (CLOSED)
Revisiting the Blues Bar in Harrogate to see the latest from Andy Annat.
Cut and Chase private dining
A private dining event hosted in conjunction with Cut & Chase
Liz Cottam at the New Ellington
A visit to a Masterchef semi-finalist taking up a residency in Leeds.
A theatrical addition to the food scene
Welcome to the relaunched bistro in York Theatre Royal
A Royal Affair: Sunday Lunch at the Royal York
We try out Sunday Lunch at the Refectory Restaurant, The Royal York Hotel.
Anchor Christmas Beer
It’s coming up to Christmas, check out what our resident beer expert had to say about a limited edition beer last year.
Blues Bar new menu (CLOSED)
Approaching its first birthday, the Blues Bar launches an updated menu.
Great British Menu
A local chef will be fighting for the region on TV in just a few weeks!
Charity dinner bargain!
The chance to buy tickets for a charity dinner at the fabulous Park Restaurant
Hudson’s at the Grand Hotel
The tasting menu at Hudson’s in the Grand Hotel, on offer until the end of September.
The Café at Field & Fawcett
The Cafe at Field & Fawcett, Bingley House Farm, Grimston Bar, York
Yorkshire + Wine = Our Two Favorite Words
A Wine Review from Britain’s Most Northerly Commercial Vineyard
Chef’s table at the Dean Court
The Dean Court’s head chef cooks for us and introduces his ingredients.
Taste York at the Shambles Market
A new weekly food event has been announced for the Shambles Market
Celebrating the Best of British Chocolate
The International Chocolate Awards comes to York!
Foie gras –faux pas?
Our disgust at the French delicacy may be legitimate, but is it hypocritical?
Pairs well with?
Access to good wine in York has never been a problem, but evening destinations focused on such are only starting to gain a real foothold.
The Next Chapter
The Royal York Hotel’s multimillion pound revitalisation introduces the city to The Chapter House, a stunning lounge bar open to the public.
A Farewell to Melton’s Too and a Welcome to The Walmgate Ale House
Meltons Too, Walmgate, becomes Walmgate Ale House.
