Category Archives: News
Food Awards
If a tyre company can make a big name for itself sponsoring restaurant awards, then why not an accountancy firm sponsoring aspiring food businesses? Accountants Garbutt + Elliott launched their first awards in 2018. Today they have announced the shortlist … Continue reading
Chef Shaun Rankin heads to North Yorkshire
Shaun Rankin has been named executive chef at the new Grantley Hall Country House Hotel near Ripon. Quite a coup for owner Valeria Sykes who bought the neglected Palladian mansion in 2015 with a view to turning it into the … Continue reading
Chefs on the Move
If you need to know just how difficult it is to run a restaurant talk to James and Tommy Banks, the two brothers behind the much feted Black Swan at Oldstead. James remembers that despite earning a Michelin they found … Continue reading
Michelin Drops the famous Box Tree
The surprise news when the 2019 Michelin stars were announced a couple of weeks ago was that the Box Tree in Ilkley had lost its star. We’ve written before about Michelin’s curious star system and how we are often baffled … Continue reading
Friends of Ham, Chopping Block and Roots
It’s sad that we’re too often writing about restaurant closures, the latest and most surprising being Friends of Ham in Leeds and Ilkley. According to this report in the Bradford Telegraph & Argus, the two satellites – Ham and Friends … Continue reading
Goodbye El Piano, Hello Los Moros
It’s goodbye at the end of August to the long standing El Piano on Grape Lane after 21 years of upholding the values of vegan and vegetarianism and hello Los Moros, the Moroccan and Middle Eastern street food stall that … Continue reading
Roots Opening in York
Over the last few months I’ve watched teams of builders and decorators turn the unloved Bay Horse pub on Marygate, York into Roots, the much anticipated second restaurant for the Banks family, where Tommy Banks began and helped turn it … Continue reading
Rascills Still Firing Two Years On
We made a return visit to Rascills the other day, the restaurant at Raskelf that Richard and Lindsay Johns opened a couple of years ago. Fans will know them from their years at the lovely Artisan at Hessle. ‘Where’s … Continue reading
Food Book Awards
For the past few years I have been one of the judges for the Guild of Food Writers annual food writing awards. Last year 100 new books landed on my doorstep. Who says you can’t have too many cookery books? … Continue reading
Yorke Arms
A frisson of fear ran through the hearts of the Yorke Arms faithful when Frances Atkins put it on the market in November last year after a 21 year tenure and 15 years of Michelin stardom. The Yorke in anyone … Continue reading