One of the privileges of running this site is to meet people at the beginning of their journey in the hospitality industry and see them grow to realise their potential. Over the years I’ve lost count of the number of well intentioned people opening concepts that are too ambitious, subtly flawed to remove viability or…
For the last half decade or so I’ve felt like I’ve known Leeds pretty well. Occasional invites have rolled in to tempt me over for a meal, or gigs crop up that I fancy a look at that also justify a pre-event feed. One way or another, I’ve been a semi-regular visitor for a couple…
An adventure doesn’t have to be big, expensive or distant to be impactful. As we settle further back into normality it feels like each activity we’ve not had to enact in a couple of years can almost be an adventure in itself, let alone anything unfamiliar. With that low bar, the prospect of taking Little…
Sometimes, though admittedly rarely, I really don’t know what to expect when I get invited to a new place to eat. My finger is generally firmly on York’s pulse when it comes to new openings but every so often something will sidestep into view that I’m not entirely sure what to make of. In this…
A good country pub is a joyful thing. Getting out of the city, though York is hardly a sprawling metropolis, to stretch one’s legs before enjoying a pint and a hearty meal is a basic pleasure for which there is little substitute. York boasts plenty in the way of quaint pubs, many of which have…
York might look like it’s been frozen in time when viewed from many angles, but it doesn’t take much scratching of the surface to start uncovering the ways in which the city has changed as buildings are repurposed and residents impose their personalities upon them. Buildings find themselves subjected to the whims of those changing…
There’s a lot to be said for slightly unambitious but tasty pub grub that can be knocked out relatively easily for sensible amounts of money. Sometimes the opportunity to fill up on ham egg & chips or scampi & chips with a pint on the way home from work is just the right level of…
The way that the last two years have compressed into themselves gives us a slightly odd sensation when returning to once familiar places. Strolling round Leeds at a more leisurely pace than I’ve done in a couple of years leaves a vague sense of unfamiliarity as I try to recall which of the establishments I…
A friend was recently telling me how intimidating they found cooking seafood at home, the irregularity with which they prepared it paired with a fear of ruining expensive products playing on their mind. Entirely understandable if one doesn’t have access to a reputable fishmonger. Similarly sourcing top quality seafood can be an daunting experience if…
I seldom seem to end up dining in restaurants just outside of York. I’ve done plenty in nearby cities but oddly few just a couple of miles from the centre of our wonderful city. That’s not to say though that there’s nothing on offer. So, when I was invited along to the opening of Bosun’s…