Amber’s Sunday Roast

(ad – pr) Sunday Roast is such an institution in this country that visitors from other nations sometimes struggle to believe we, as a nation, are so dedicated to it. On a weekly basis I feed Yorkshire Puddings to guests on my food tours and explain their background, history and current place in our cuisine.…

Tharavadu Leeds

(ad – pr) Don’t you hate it when you get beaten to the punch? I’ve been flat out for a few months and have been struggling to find time for writing here. Way back in August I was kindly invited to sample Tharavadu Leeds, which has been on my radar for years, so I arranged…

Miller and Carter York

(ad – pr) York has plenty of landmark buildings to mark your way round the city, many of which are gradually being repurposed away from the intended purpose toward more modern applications. Most recent amongst these is the former post office building on Lendal which has been sadly out of use for a good few…

Chef’s Table by Josh Barnes

(ad – pr) Another week, another country estate to familiarise myself with… life certainly has its moments! This time it’s Swinton Park up the A1 near Masham and Ripon with its formidable reputation to check out. My main prior knowledge of this place comes from a friend who assisted Rosemary Schrager in running the cookery…

Jeru Mayfair

(ad – pr) I have a surprisingly small range of favourite places to eat in London. For a city so blessed with restaurants, markets and street food I seldom have the opportunity to indulge in a meal. If I’m there for judging with The Great Taste Awards then a large meal is generally furthest from…

Middletons Yorkshire Tapas

(ad- pr)Yorkshire Tapas is a semi-ironic concept that I’ve seen rolled out a few times, notably at my local pub where licensee Paul regularly trots out the same jokes when asked if they do food with his description of Yorkshire Tapas as pork pies, pickled eggs, crisps and Scampi Fries. All admirable enough products in…

Agility Park Tapas

Before I became a parent I didn’t really give much, or indeed any, thought to the concept of soft play. I’d been a few times with friends who wanted to entertain kids, but the idea of an extended visit only became reality as my daughter became more ambulatory. In my experience they vary wildly in…

Chartwell at Aldwark Manor

(ad – pr) As with my recent visit to Ox Pasture Hall, I have to confess that Aldwark Manor was unfamiliar to me before I was kindly invited along to try out their new restaurant, Chartwell. Neither golf nor spa days appeal to me, so its appeal was previously limited, but the arrival of well…

Thomas Carr at The Coast

(ad – pr) Thomas Carr at The Coast is a new restaurant in Ox Pasture Hall from Chef Thomas Carr who has previously held a Michelin Star for seven years at his two restaurants in Devon. Now though he’s relocated to just outside Scarborough and has set about making a reputation for himself in this…

Amber’s Restaurant

(ad – pr) York has such a range of places to eat these days which fulfil so many criteria that it can be easy to get blinkered and not look further afield. Leeds is easy enough to train it over to but Harrogate takes a little more commitment thanks to the rather less refined rail…