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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…