Retro Road Test: Classic Jaguar XJ

When I was in my late teens I absolutely adored the shape of the Jaguar XJ. That expansive bonnet stretching toward the quartet of headlamps was perfectly proportioned and the retro looks underlined the brand’s heritage without feeling contrived. Compared to its self-consciously and aggressively forward-looking German contemporaries, I thought it was a distinctive choice with…

Berenjak Bazaar kebab kit

At the moment we’re building our weeks around treats, each trip to town for a sandwich or receipt of a takeaway representing a landmark of interest in the days that merge together a bit too much. The latest recipe kit to catch my eye is the Berenjak Bazaar kebab kit, which earned high praise from…

Ban’s Kitchen recipe kit

Recipe boxes are all the rage at the moment, with examples on offer from established operators who have a nationwide footprint as well as smaller concerns servicing their local customer bases and everything in between. I’ve tried a good number of these over the years and rarely been disappointed by the mixture of convenience and…

Vanilla Black Cook and Learn

These are dark times for those of us who alighted on eating out as a distraction from life’s mundanities. A few days before New Year, I seized upon the opportunity to spend a voucher for Roots that had been a kind Christmas present on the suspicion that restaurants might be about to be shuttered again,…

Juici Jerk

Caribbean food is not something York is terribly well served for. It’s cropped up as pop-ups in pubs and at the occasional street food market but there’s only one permanent venue in the city offering it and one takeaway that offers it to the best of my knowledge. Perhaps that makes the city attractive for…

Patty & Bun burger delivery kit

It feels like the days and weeks are rather differently punctuated at the moment. While 12 months ago I might have been centring my diary around days out, meals with friends and even trips to different cities, at the moment the coffee machine has seen its status raised to that of a daily landmark. With…

Getting to grips with Vegan Fried Chicken

“I don’t get meat substitutes. Why would you want to pretend to eat meat if you don’t want to eat meat?” How many times have you heard that parroted about meat substitutes by bemused omnivores when presented with vegan versions of commonplace meat products? To some extent it’s a view I, as a meat-eater, can…