Shaws of Huddersfield

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 York

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 York 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.…

Expansion at Robinsons, Bishopthorpe Road

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 thaFirelake t hosts them. There always remains the possibility that this will inspire greater depths of effort…

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’…