Burger Archives - York on a Fork https://yorkonafork.com/tag/burger/ The best food, drink and lifestyle in York Wed, 01 Feb 2023 10:47:39 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://yorkonafork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/cropped-yoaf_favicon-32x32.png Burger Archives - York on a Fork https://yorkonafork.com/tag/burger/ 32 32 Just Burger pop-up https://yorkonafork.com/2023/02/01/just-burger-pop-up/ Wed, 01 Feb 2023 10:47:38 +0000 https://yorkonafork.com/?p=23791 When ruminating on a recent visit to Yahala Mataam I was pondering the tailing off and subsequent resurgence of pop-ups in our city so it rather makes sense to continue with another that I attended just the following night to neatly illustrate my point. Melk on Clifford St has firmly established itself now as a…

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When ruminating on a recent visit to Yahala Mataam I was pondering the tailing off and subsequent resurgence of pop-ups in our city so it rather makes sense to continue with another that I attended just the following night to neatly illustrate my point. Melk on Clifford St has firmly established itself now as a permanent venue since its inception in Spark, serving up coffee and brunch throughout the day while periodically making itself available for pop-ups in the evening. On this occasion, the occupant for a couple of nights was “Just Burger”, a collaboration that would offer top quality beef and plant-based burgers.

Joining up to deliver the concept were chefs James Sturdy and Jack Richardson, with respective specialisms in regeneratively farmed meat and vegan alternatives. I’d tried Jack’s vegan burger when he trialled it with a pop up at Spark and was really keen to sample again as I recalled it being comfortably one of the best vegan burgers I’ve eaten. Meat for the more traditional version all came from one farmer that James was able to name personally, always a good sign, who demonstrates a commitment to high welfare while farming traditional native breed cattle. With the scene set so, I found myself with a dining companion and an appetite at Melk on the first of the pop-up’s two nights. Another positive sign appeared, when I was seated, in the shape of Steph Moon at the adjacent table, a legend of the Yorkshire food scene who wouldn’t waste a Friday evening if she wasn’t confident of the quality.

The menu was predictably and appropriately brief with the meat and plant-based versions of the burgers present and correct along with cheese and spice options and a few sides. We opted for one each of the plant-based and beef burgers as well as some garlic and parsley dressed chips, slaw and pickles. An average burger is an easy thing to produce but truly exceptional ones, especially featuring plant-based patties, are a rarer thing available most notably in York from Sloppy’s Bar & Grill in Woodthorpe. Having established that the ingredients were top quality, also featuring Bluebird Bakery buns, it wasn’t the shock of the century when both the plant and meat based burgers turned out to be top tier. The double beef burger was generously garnished with finely shredded lettuce as well as tomato, cheddar and burger sauce. The burger bun held its own too as you’d expect coming from Bluebird, standing up to the rigours of Friday night meat consumption admirably and enabling all of the elements of this fantastic burger to shine. Though this was beautifully executed, the plant based burger was arguably more exciting and had the same savoury, rich flavour as I recalled from the pop-up in Spark. Texture can be a stumbling point in meat alternatives, some being unnecessarily dense and with a disconcerting “bounce” but this delivered on all fronts to produce a seriously satisfying product. The sides hit the mark too with a fresh, crunchy slaw and garlic dip helping along some fries seasoned with garlic and parsley that were quickly polished off.

Anyone who’s seen The Menu (spoilers!) knows that a really good cheeseburger can improve an evening no end and those on offer from Just Burger do exactly that. This first event shows great promise so stay tuned to hear about future opportunities to enjoy in the near future!

(Disclaimer – PR meal)

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Sloppy’s Bar and Kitchen https://yorkonafork.com/2022/11/28/sloppys-bar-and-kitchen/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 18:45:17 +0000 https://yorkonafork.com/?p=23602 York is a relatively centralised city, with only a few notable areas within the outer ring road featuring their own concentrations of shopping or leisure facilities. Bishy Rue obviously has carved out its own little niche and Acomb is on the up but otherwise shops, pubs and places to eat are scattered somewhat randomly around…

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York is a relatively centralised city, with only a few notable areas within the outer ring road featuring their own concentrations of shopping or leisure facilities. Bishy Rue obviously has carved out its own little niche and Acomb is on the up but otherwise shops, pubs and places to eat are scattered somewhat randomly around the periphery of the city. As gentrification pushes prices and rents up to force people farther from the centre of the city it’ll be no surprise to see more clusters pop up and already businesses are starting to do the sensible thing and recognise that there’s more to life than that which can be found within the city walls, so are looking a touch further afield. Step forward then Sloppy’s Bar & Kitchen who, having established their reputation through a period in Spark and in several pub kitchens, have made the jump out to Woodthorpe and taken the plunge with their own permanent venue.

Sloppy’s will be well familiar to most of you who appreciate a decent burger. I’d imagine most of you have popped by one of their venues or ordered at some point. This new venue in Woodthorpe delivers more of the same as well as adding a few new tricks to the repertoire. Sloppy’s Bar and Kitchen is to be found next door to the highly regarded restaurant Buongiorno and the Quaker Wood pub as well as a small supermarket and has easy parking. The parking actually makes it an easier place to visit from our Fulford base than many places in York and also is handy for Acomb Wood if you fancy a stroll to work up an appetite. The frontage and branding isn’t garish but is eye catching enough to draw in passers by, most importantly it all feels like Sloppy’s is quite at home here with the furnishings being comfortable and breeding the sort of informality one desires from a meal that’s bound to involve a number of napkins!

Dropping the word “Burgers” from the title gives a hint about the intent for the menu here and, while there’re plenty of old favourites on the menu, there’s a lot more than burgers available with a bunch of small plates and loaded fries also on offer. We opted for a burger each as well as a selection of the new small plates and a burger & fries from the children’s menu which won the child’s vote over mac cheese. There’re plenty of cocktails, craft beers and a well thought out wine list on offer too and we were soon happily watching Little Fork doodle away while enjoying the short wait for our food. The burgers are just as strong as you remember and the Trufflepuff, my favourite, still mines a good seam of truffle that it tempers with bacon and a smokey onion chutney while the OG is still a really well executed straight-down-the-line cheeseburger. Of the small plates we went for courgette fries, halloumi fries, crispy beef, fried cauliflower, onion rings and a Caesar salad. Courgette fries and onion rings both utilised differing batters, with the onion rings having more of a snap than the courgette though both satisfying as were halloumi, which are always more filling than they look. The crispy beef and cauliflower were generously spiced and all the more satisfying for it, perfect to accompany a cold beer while grazing with a friend.

It’s been a pleasure watching Sloppy’s grow into, and out of, several venues, and seeing them open their own permanent premises is just reward for the hard work that Leon, Molly and the gang have put in. I have every expectation that they will prove there is demand for decent food outside of the centre of the city and that the people of Woodthorpe will become extremely familiar with this location, as will the rest of us who are happy to roam across the city for a good feed.

(Disclaimer – PR meal)

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Slap & Pickles team up with Zarach Leeds https://yorkonafork.com/2021/12/01/slap-pickles-team-up-with-zarach-leeds/ Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:06:38 +0000 https://yorkonafork.com/?p=22883 Did you know that there are kids who don’t have their own beds to sleep in, in Leeds, in 2021?! Neither did Slap and Pickle until the owners saw a news item about the work of Zarach Leeds; a charity which provides beds to kids who would otherwise be sleeping on floors, sofas, or sharing a bed with a sibling negatively impacting their esteem, mental…

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Did you know that there are kids who don’t have their own beds to sleep in, in Leeds, in 2021?! Neither did Slap and Pickle until the owners saw a news item about the work of Zarach Leeds; a charity which provides beds to kids who would otherwise be sleeping on floors, sofas, or sharing a bed with a sibling negatively impacting their esteem, mental health, and academic performance.

For each £150 donation, Zarach provides a child who needs and deserves a good night sleep with a bed set worth £500: making their day, week, year and Christmas all in one bundle. Throwing its burger-shaped weight behind the cause, Slap & Pickle has launched the #KidsInBlankets charity appeal; pledging to raise enough money to buy 100 beds this December.

25p from every item purchased from Slap & Pickle’s Christmas Menu will go directly to the cause, so there’s no better time to treat yourself to a festive feast. There will also be the opportunity to donate in-house, and customers are most welcome to add their own fundraising ideas to the mix. Want to learn, and do, more? Pop over to www.justgiving.com/fundraiser/kidsinblankets for more information and to make a direct donation. If this has resonated, please do share the love and help spread the word so we can get as many #KidsInBlankets as possible this Christmas.

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Bull and Co https://yorkonafork.com/2021/03/15/bull-and-co/ Mon, 15 Mar 2021 16:33:09 +0000 http://yorkonafork.com/?p=21903 As we approach the grim anniversary of major restrictions on our liberties, which finally seem to be within sight of being removed, there are many questions to come about the relative normalcy of the society we’ll come back to. The hospitality world, having adapted to the strictures of the last 12 months, will inevitably be…

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As we approach the grim anniversary of major restrictions on our liberties, which finally seem to be within sight of being removed, there are many questions to come about the relative normalcy of the society we’ll come back to. The hospitality world, having adapted to the strictures of the last 12 months, will inevitably be a different beast as we blink our happy way back into its embrace but I do wonder to what extent the at home offerings that have become customary over the last 12 months will remain. Another of these to find its way to my door recently was from Bull and Co York on Walmgate, which occupies the building previously home to the now relocated Barbakan.

Bull and Co serves up steaks, burgers and other dishes inspired by American style steak houses, also including sharing platters, loaded fries and milkshakes. The emphasis is very much on indulgence here, with hefty quantities of rich food being the order of the day. I’ve been meaning to visit since its opening but the loosening of restrictions over the last year haven’t merged with an appropriately free bit of time to call by, so a delivery was the perfect way to right that wrong. The delivery arrived on time on a Friday evening, perfectly timed to relax into the weekend.

We kicked things off with a Bull and Co York sharing board which borrowed from a few of the other starters to pull together a selection of wings, ribs, onion rings, cheese bites and fries to pick at along with sauces and pickles. This generous selection was a great way to get our fingers and chins dirty, there’s no elegant way to engage with food like this! We then set about loaded fries that piled on rich pulled pork and a generous round of pickles to sharpen things up, I can see these being a winner as it becomes socially acceptable to share dishes in restaurants again!

Next up were signature Bull and Co York burgers, making great use of Haxby Bakehouse buns and good quality meat as a basis for embellishment by cheese, pickles, salad and other accoutrements as appropriate to the burger’s theme. The New Yorker threw sauerkraut and pastrami into the mix to make a compelling case for a repeat order and the classic burger was just as satisfying a way to break the days calorie allowance.

It would be a little odd to go for a meal as indulgent and calorific as this without having something sweet so a gooey chocolate brownie and a banana milkshake finished things off on a suitably over the top note. In a few months’ time we’ll have a better idea of where we stand with eating out and what the role of a takeaway will become, but eating dishes like this in the comfort of your own home where there’s nobody to witness the inevitable minor indignities of this wonderfully comforting food is an attractive prospect.

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Patty & Bun burger delivery kit https://yorkonafork.com/2021/02/03/patty-bun-burger-kit/ Wed, 03 Feb 2021 13:26:10 +0000 http://yorkonafork.com/?p=20688 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…

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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 that low bar of excitement duly set, it’s unsurprising that meals are high watermarks of most days, and events that we seek to augment and accentuate with the help of meal kits as frequently as possible. One to catch my eye was a burger delivery kit from Patty & Bun, who promise top notch burgers to enjoy in the home setting with minimal fuss.

If you’re looking for silver linings, and aren’t we all at the moment, then the opportunity to enjoy meals from geographically diverse restaurants is one to grab with both hands, reflected nicely by Patty & Bun’s southern stomping ground. Their burger delivery kit offers the core ingredients needed to replicate their beef or vegan burgers with just a couple of recommended fresh additions to pick up, not that there’re any restrictions on your imagination to embellish the finished product in whatever way you see fit. The kit for 2 burgers rounds out to around £20 (I saved a few quid with a discount code) including delivery, which is pretty fair to make something of an event of an evening in this barren stretch. I’ve been lucky with deliveries throughout this pandemic so far (how’s that for tempting fate?) and that run continued with the product arriving in good condition and as promised, with packaging and instructions looking smart and easily digestible.

You might think there isn’t much nuance in cooking and assembling a burger, but each occasion on which your thumb has penetrated the bun, sauce drooled itself onto your top or the whole thing crumbled into constituent parts after over zealous filling betrays an opportunity to compromise your enjoyment. The instructions provided make a good fist of steering you away from making any such faux-pas with tips such as to bisect the bun above the equator for a solid footing efficient layering of fillings. Cooking the patties themselves inevitably relies on an element of personal judgement given you’ll be using your own equipment, the guidance being to sear for 4 minutes on each side though. I measured them at 40c internally after that (a probe thermometer is inexpensive and indispensable in my view) so gave it a few more minutes before popping under the grill to melt the cheese. Perhaps that step would have taken the core temp to something I was more comfortable with but my attempt didn’t end up overcooked or dry regardless. Incidentally, 1 sheet of the included cheese per patty is probably enough, though an excess of cheese is something I’ve never regretted to date. Having fried the included bacon in the fat from the beef while the cheese melted we were ready for assembly.

Arguably too much cheese

The final eating was comfortably beyond the standard of anything I’ve put together from anything available in a supermarket, the standard of the ingredients and consideration to balance between the onions, sauce, bacon and texture of the bun clearly evident. The amount of cheese I’d subjected them to did make them look faintly ludicrous but that’s hardly a flaw, perhaps I’d have also gotten more from them with a bit more planning to include some more outlandish ingredients but these really did a great impression of a high end burger joint.

As long as you have to cook and clean for yourself, a recipe kit is only going to approximate dining out so much, but that’s as good as it gets for those of us unable to afford a private chef (a debatable indulgence in a pandemic it must be said) right now. Twenty quid for the bits you need to eek an evening’s entertainment from a couple of top quality burgers is a bargain to be savoured and an indulgence I’d recommend without reservation. As soon as more travel is practical I’ll be curious to try a Patty & Bun burger as prepared by the pro’s for the sake of comparison.

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2018 in Review https://yorkonafork.com/2018/12/31/2018-in-review/ Mon, 31 Dec 2018 14:15:57 +0000 http://yorkonafork.com/?p=18550 I can scarcely believe another year has gone by and that we’re already set to drop into 2019. 2018 was another year of growth for the food scene in York with high profile new openings and expansions from established locals complementing one another. New development Spark also broadened the city’s horizons. On a personal level,…

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I can scarcely believe another year has gone by and that we’re already set to drop into 2019. 2018 was another year of growth for the food scene in York with high profile new openings and expansions from established locals complementing one another. New development Spark also broadened the city’s horizons. On a personal level, the arrival of Baby Fork has proved tiring, challenging, tiring, rewarding, tiring and fun in equal measure, if a little tiring. Here’re a few meals and events that stick out from the year. I can’t thank you enough for taking an interest in what I’ve been up to over the last year and I can’t wait to share more adventures over the next 12 months.

January started with a trip to London where I took the opportunity to indulge in a Kejriwal from Dishoom, one of my favourite breakfast dishes. This month also saw The Ivy on St Helen’s Square open its doors and a fun day helping Brew York put together the newest variant of their Tonkoko Imperial Stout. Mrs Fork showed admirable fortitude for a visit to Whitby to enjoy a stay at The White Horse & Griffin despite her advanced state of pregnancy, even finding space to enjoy a meal at The Star Inn the Harbour. Finally, the Star Inn the City had the chance to show off to the great and good of the food world, hosting the Estrella Damm UK Gastropub Awards which was a very special day.

Dishoom Kejriwal

The Ivy

White Horse & Griffin

Bisque from The Star Inn the Harbour

 

February was something of a quiet month as we waited for Baby Fork to make her arrival. While her debut was of rather more personal import than that of Humpit Hummus, it was still a pleasure to sample their hummus and falafel. I also finally got the chance to try bread & butter pudding spring roll when Street Cleaver popped up at the Fossgate Social. Millers Fish and Chips in Haxby gave us strength in the days before birth, as did a fabulous Reuben sandwich from Shambles Kitchen.

 

Shambles Kitchen Reuben

Street Cleaver Bread & Butter pudding spring roll

Baby Fork


March
 was mainly marked by a lack of sleep, but I still found time to get out and about. Radix started its cutting edge regular tasting menu at 45 Vinyl Cafe. It was a pleasure to be involved with judging the Garbutt & Elliot Food Entrepreneurs Awards so it was particularly rewarding to see the winners crowned at the Hospitium. There’s not much that can prepare you for the first few weeks of parenthood so brunches became something of a refuge. We particularly enjoyed Trinacria (the sausages are superb) and the Brisket Benedict at Source, which was en even more welcome distraction after the loss of one of our beloved cats. The first meal we braved without Baby Fork was to sample the new menu at Goodramgate Ambiente, just as reliably tasty and great value as ever.

 

Garbutt & Elliot Food Entrepreneur award winners

Radix Hen of the woods, poacher & root vegetable tagliatelle

Source beef brisket benedict

 

In April Tommy Banks launched his first book, Roots, which later shared its name with his new restaurant in York. I had a stab at his ox cheek recipe and produced a dish that even Tommy complimented me on. A trip out of York to Gio’s Italian Diner uncovered a great value spot that delivered simple food, done well with great ingredients. Our wedding anniversary celebration was less ambitious than previous years but still took in a delicious rosti at Betty’s Northallerton and some beautifully honest pies at Lordstones Cafe. I also finally had the chance to get back to Melton’s for lunch, which was a great opportunity to remember the understated quality these guys bring to Bishy Rd.

Betty’s Rosti

Melton’s celery & gruyere ‘rarebit’

My attempt at Tommy Bank’s Ox cheek from Roots

 

May brought about the long awaited opening of container park Spark that brought together a well curated selection of the best of local streetfood. While there’s been some turnover amongst the traders involved since then, it remains a welcoming space. With a young baby, we were still struggling to get out for special meals so the chance to visit The Park from Adam Jackson remains a fond memory that Baby Fork was able to share with us. With summer starting, it was lovely to pay a visit to Raithwaite Spa and take the time to relax in the sun, not to mention grab some crab sandwiches from The Cod & Lobster en route. This busy month also saw the launch of Yorkshire Cheddar from Wensleydale Creamery with a menu from Yorkshire legend Steph Moon, a pasta class with the indomitable Sara Danesin, the launch of The Cat’s Pyjamas in York and Malton Food Festival.

Poussin, white onion, ham, hen of the woods from Adam Jackson at The Park

Raithwaite Spa

Spark

As we got to half way through the year, June took me out to the Herbs Unlimited open day and the openings of Shakespeare’s Globe, The Press Kitchen and L’Uva. I also took the chance to check out a fully vegan menu at The Whippet before we popped to Ludlow and enjoyed some small plates with great local produce at CSON’s by the river.

Family Fork at the L’Uva opening

Mussels in the sun at Shakespeare’s Globe

Vegan dishes at The Whippet

 

By July we were starting to find our feet with Baby Fork a little so managed a few more days out. The hot summer days were perfect for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Fountains Abbey. Fantastic meals came from Arras and The Star Inn the Harbour while I finally made it to Everyman Cinema for a Spielburger to celebrate my birthday after a film.

Salmon and Greek Salads at Arras

One of the Follys at Fountains Abbey

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Spielburger at Everyman

 

In August I travelled further afield to Leeds to enjoy the launch event for new Pudsey neighbourhood bistro Feed, featuring cheeseburger spring rolls and the “Hangover cone”. I also made it to Bradford to finally visit Prashad, which lived up to sky high expectations despite some enforced needlework, and Stamfords in Pocklington that represented great value. Cooking at home included sampling a recipe box from Riverford and it was a real pleasure to see Born to Lose open in Brew York from the guys behind Street Cleaver.

Whipped Goats Curd with Carrot at Stamfords

Hangover Cone from Feed

Kopra Pethi at Prashad

 

The big things in September were the York Food & Drink Festival, with whom I was very happy to work and curate the food and drinks trails, and the much anticipated launch of Tommy Banks’ new restaurant on Marygate, Roots. Sunday lunch came from the Principal and Born to Lose, whose Alternative Sunday Lunch was characteristically brilliant. I also made it to Skosh for the first time in too long and for a great value Bento lunch at Sushiwaka. A lowlight of the year came courtesy of a broken plate that necessitated a rather painful and invasive check for tendon damage in my hand and a number of stitches (NB: link to graphic pic), and I was even late for lunch! Thankfully my thumb remains fully functional, if still rather achey.

Born to Lose Alternative Sunday Lunch (2 hours after having my thumb stitched together!)

Lemon & Blueberry Cheesecake at The Principal

Garden pea falafel, pork fat and carrots at Roots launch event

 

Things quietened down in October a little; fine dining came from Hudson’s in The Grand and a more casual offering from Los Moros, whose opening and success was great to see. A set price lunch from The Rattle Owl was an accessible treat that makes for a great value midweek lunch.

Stone bass, langoustine and Fennel from the Hudsons Tasting Menu

Small plates for lunch at The Rattle Owl

Los Moros Tagine

 

November took us back to Roots for a final treat before Mrs Fork went back to work. I visited Leeds again to check out Dough, the new city centre offering from the guys behind Feed, and the Assembly Food Hall that packed a cracking burger from Slap & Pickle. The lunchtime pie menu from The Whippet hit the spot and I had great fun running a blogger event with the lovely Avocado Events and the Star Inn the City, to whom I wish a quick recovery to after their recent fire.

Slap & Pickle burger at Assembly Underground

Introducing the Children’s menu at the Star Inn the City

 

As we moved toward the end of the year, December took me to The Cutlery Works in Sheffield, a great addition to Kelham Island, which featured some great sashimi and poutine. The Christmas decorations at Castle Howard were good enough to encourage us to make it a habitual visit with Baby Fork in coming years and I finally got to see the stage show of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds that even exceeded my expectations.

Castle Howard

Martian fighting machine with War of the Worlds!

Sashimi and small plates at Cutlery Works

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Assembly Underground Leeds https://yorkonafork.com/2018/12/05/assembly-underground/ Wed, 05 Dec 2018 15:43:06 +0000 http://yorkonafork.com/?p=18520 The newest big name on the food scene in Leeds is Assembly Underground Leeds, an appealingly subterranean food hall that features (predictably enough) great street food and a huge range of beers to choose from. The space that it inhabits, I’m reliably informed, used to house a nightclub and has been artfully distressed into a comfortable space…

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The newest big name on the food scene in Leeds is Assembly Underground Leeds, an appealingly subterranean food hall that features (predictably enough) great street food and a huge range of beers to choose from. The space that it inhabits, I’m reliably informed, used to house a nightclub and has been artfully distressed into a comfortable space that uses its corners to be deceptively spacious, fitting in a good number of food vendors.

On the drink front, the headline number is 50… there are 50 beer lines available to give a pretty startling choice of beers. It’s perhaps even a little overwhelming if you’re not committed to your beer knowledge; one assumes that the staff sampling sessions are suitably prolonged affairs.

On the food side, Bread & Butter serve up rotisserie style Brazlian “churrasqueira” and high quality meats cooked on skewers for super indulgent sandwiches. The Falafel Guys have earned themselves a great reputation over the last few years, serving up street food treats from their bright red van on Briggate, and now have a home more suited to the British weather thanks to Assembly Underground. On the preview evening I attended, there was sadly no pizza to be had from Pizza Authority but I was in the company of a very good pizza chef who assured me that the set up was up to the task of cranking out good pizza. Coffee duty is taken care of by Underground Coffee, but I was more interested in the colder drinks available so grabbed a cold beer before sampling some of the food.

I managed to hit Slap & Pickle and Jah Jyot for a couple of plates before my appetite gave out, first taking in a juicy, indulgent cheese and bacon burger. Slap & Pickle claim to serve the best burgers in Leeds. While that’s not the kind of absolute statement I’m given to making, I’m totally happy to say that this was a superb mess of enjoyment to work through. I can’t wait to check out their speciality loaded fries. The chicken Amritsar curry I had from Jah Jyot was a decent blend of spice and subtlety. In retrospect I wished I’d had enough space to fit in a masala dosa or one of the platters they were serving up but the chicken curry was perfectly enjoyable, though didn’t provoke the same praise from the group as the Slap & Pickle burger.

I’ll be back to Assembly Underground Leeds to check out the rest of the traders when I can but it’s safe to say that this is a great space with good food and drink options that’s bound to find its own niche in the Leeds food scene. I’ll look forward to a return visit.

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Street food faves Slap & Pickle land in Leeds city centre https://yorkonafork.com/2018/11/07/street-food-faves-slap-pickle-land-in-leeds-city-centre/ Wed, 07 Nov 2018 13:10:52 +0000 http://yorkonafork.com/?p=18471 The diner treats and perpetual holiday vibes which made Slap & Pickle Leeds such a success at the likes of Trinity Kitchen, Eat North and Chow Down are soon to be on offer 7 days a week, 12 months a year. With its founders so in love with Leeds that they relocated from down South,…

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The diner treats and perpetual holiday vibes which made Slap & Pickle Leeds such a success at the likes of Trinity Kitchen, Eat North and Chow Down are soon to be on offer 7 days a week, 12 months a year.

With its founders so in love with Leeds that they relocated from down South, the independent street food business is about to open its flagship permanent site in the city centre.

Slap & Pickle will be occupying one of six food units at Assembly – a new underground food and drink venue opening in mid-November in a prime location just off Millennium Square.

With a vibrant programme of events in the pipeline and Vocation Brewery bringing in a speakeasy bar and 50 beer lines, Assembly is the ideal home for Slap & Pickle and the ‘burgers, vibes and loaded fries’ promised by the unit’s neon sign.

Along with burgers, Slap & Pickle’s main food offer at Assembly will be the off-the-wall loaded fries that have populated many a social feed with rapturous posts from the brand’s fans.

And, because mental health is a subject close to all of Slap & Pickle’s team members’ hearts, the business will be rolling out a series of initiatives to promote positive mental wellbeing amongst the people of Leeds.

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Born to Lose burgers (closed) https://yorkonafork.com/2018/09/26/born-to-lose/ Wed, 26 Sep 2018 15:57:00 +0000 http://178.62.50.194/?p=18324 Over the last couple of years, Mark Hill has become well known in York, developing his Street Cleaver brand into one of the most reliably excellent street food vendors in York. From humble beginnings and through pop-ups in a range of locations, Street Cleaver settled into a unit at Spark while continuing to hit up…

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Over the last couple of years, Mark Hill has become well known in York, developing his Street Cleaver brand into one of the most reliably excellent street food vendors in York. From humble beginnings and through pop-ups in a range of locations, Street Cleaver settled into a unit at Spark while continuing to hit up the street food scene across Yorkshire from the food truck. The “no rules ramen” served at Spark quickly earned plaudits from everyone who cares about food in York with many of the good and great of our city expressing their admiration for the dish and ethos that helped create it. Times change though and when presented with the opportunity to take on the food side of Brew York‘s new beer hall, Mark developed a new concept and created Born to Lose burgers, a new umbrella that allows him to express his passion for serving refined and memorably tasty food without pretension.

The new beer hall hosting Born to Lose burgers is a natural expansion for Brew York which is housed in a former gym in the same complex as the original brewery and tap room. It’s a great addition to York and offers a lively space to meet up in which has got plenty of atmosphere, but isn’t distractingly raucous. The Born to Lose kitchen sits at right angles to the bar with menus suspended above letting you know what options you have to choose from. The core of the menu is burgers that feature house ground thin patties and all the refined trimmings you’d expect from the guys behind Street Cleaver. Along with burgers there’re a variety of small plates on offer and (when we went) the option to order a platter to suit a table of 3-4 people. Please bear in mind that the menu here is likely to be a moving target as the guys develop different dishes, so don’t be surprised if something specific mentioned here has been replaced.

Unsurprisingly, Born to Lose burgers are beautifully refined. I had wondered what twist would inform the burger recipes, but they’re actually quite conventional, not needing contrived embellishments, to hit the standards I expected here. The house burger is named in tribute to Anthony Bourdain, a gesture that would be inappropriate if the standard wasn’t right. The burger sauce, pickle, shredded leaf and cheese bring all the texture and indulgence you want from a burger, making this just the messy feast you’d hope. The Reuben adds salt beef to the brace of thin burger patties along with sauerkraut and different dressings, making it a very generous couple of handfuls that threatens to sate your appetite before you get to any of small plates.

To go with our burgers, we grabbed some kimchi mac cheese, padron peppers, Japanese chicken, salt beef and pigs head “Crubeen” donut. Along with salads and garnishes on the tray all this was presented on, everything was just as delicious as it was intriguing. Kimchi mac cheese is a Street Cleaver classic that remains difficult to get enough of and the tray of extras encouraged everyone around the table to get their hands covered in food, ensuring we ignored our phones and interacted with one another throughout our meal. Pigs head donuts had a real punch of flavour and the padron peppers were adept at cutting through the richer meat elements. It’s hard to pick highlights in a meal like this; Japanese chicken was equally fantastic and the salt beef demanded another trip to the bar for more beer.

I miss being able to grab a bowl of ramen at Spark, but this is a worthy alternative. I’m not sure I’ve ever been disappointed by Mark Hill’s food and Born to Lose certainly doesn’t break that trend. The breadth of the menu is surprising for what’s labelled a burger kitchen and everything on it was superb. If anything, there’s been a greater sense of refinement to the food on each subsequent visit. I can’t wait to see what else Born to Lose serve up. At the moment, I’m admiring the menu for “Alternative Sunday Lunch” which I’m about to book, featuring roast pork shoulder with black garlic, chilli beef brisket, miso cauliflower cheese and nam chim bone marrow amongst other things. These guys may be born to lose, but the rest of us seem to be winning as a result.

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Expansion at Brew York https://yorkonafork.com/2018/08/18/expansion-at-brew-york/ Sat, 18 Aug 2018 11:46:51 +0000 http://178.62.50.194/?p=18220 This Friday (August 24th) sees York’s new city-centre beer hall and street food kitchen opening it’s doors. Brew York, which opened in Walmgate in 2016, has expanded into a neighbouring building and has spent the summer converting it into the city’s biggest beer venue. The new upstairs beer hall will serve 40 beers at a…

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This Friday (August 24th) sees York’s new city-centre beer hall and street food kitchen opening it’s doors. Brew York, which opened in Walmgate in 2016, has expanded into a neighbouring building and has spent the summer converting it into the city’s biggest beer venue.

The new upstairs beer hall will serve 40 beers at a time and will also include the new Born To Lose Burger Kitchen run by street-food chef Mark Hill, known in York for his Street Cleaver business.

The venue will open to the public on Friday 24th August, following a private event the night before for some of the 661 people who invested in the brewery’s crowdfunding drive, which helped make the expansion possible.

At the public launch, there will be 60 beers: 40 in the new hall and 20 in the original downstairs bar. Half will be from Brew York, with the rest carefully selected from other breweries. There will also be live music from the Disco Daze DJ collective, customers will be able to try the new ‘hoptails’ (beer cocktails), and visitors will get a sneak preview of the Brew York shop, which will open at the front of the building in a few weeks.

Mark’s opening menu will have three main burger options: The Bourdain, The Big Cheese and The Reuben, with vegetarian and vegan options also available. His eclectic range of small dishes will include kimchi mac cheese, pig’s head crubeen donut, chicken skin tostadas, and a sharing platter of Korean-inspired dishes.

Lee Grabham and Wayne Smith, co-founders of Brew York, are looking forward to welcoming existing and new customers.

Lee said: “We’ve had a fantastic first two years, and now we are building a venue that any city would be proud of. Places like Leeds and Manchester have some incredible venues, and this will be up there with those. To have been able to do this so soon, here in the city-centre, is a dream come true.”

Wayne said: “It’s going to be really different from anything else in York, and will be fantastic. Because we have direct relationships with lots of other breweries, we will be able to get hold of exclusive and very rare beers that people will really want to try.”

For the Friday and Saturday, admission is by ticket only, to manage capacity. Tickets are £5, which includes a glass and a £3 drink. To book, visit buytickets.at/brewyork

The beer hall will also be an evolving street art space, in collaboration with The Art of Protest gallery in Little Stonegate. Giant works will be painted on the hall walls, before eventually being painted over with new pieces.

Mark said: “This will be something completely fresh for York. I’ll be using local suppliers and ingredients and people will be able to see everything we’re doing. Venues like this are working all over the world but there hasn’t been one in York yet. But there should be no reason York should be any different to places from LA to Leeds, where you can get a great burger, amazing fresh food and a brilliant local beer. We will be working together and with other businesses to really get the best out of our industries and doing a lot of work to showcase the best beer and food pairings.

“We’ve worked hard to make sure this is the right thing for York as well as for us, and feel York really needs something like this. And we won’t be secretive about what we’re doing. If people want the recipes, they can have them.”

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