While Vanilla Black may not be a York landmark these days, its reputation was born on Swinegate before transplanting itself successfully to London where its range of playfully misleadingly titled dishes won wide acclaim. While I’m trying my best to look for positives in this situation, there’s little getting away from the permanent closure of Vanilla Black’s existing site in London, which leads us to the introduction of virtual cookery lessons from a vegetarian icon. Obviously I wish VB all the best for a successful reopening at some point when the centre of London is a less financially precarious place but for now I’ll happily take advantage of the opportunity to broaden my own horizons.

Vanilla Black Cook & Learn is a series of cooking lessons and ingredient boxes that can be enjoyed either live under the tutelage of VB co-founder Andrew Dargue or via a pre-recorded video, all the more convenient for those of us subject to the sleep patterns of toddlers. With an ingredient box for a meal for two plus access to the video lesson at around £20, it was hardly a difficult thing to get on board with so in due course I was rifling through a mix of vacuum packed and fresh ingredients while balancing my phone on top of the microwave ready for it to impart much knowledge.

I’ve now done two of these lessons, the object of the first being to produce a “Twisted Chip Butty” and the second a “Stir Fry”. Unsurprisingly neither of these end products resembled the dish that inspired it, and the techniques involved and snippets of knowledge were eminently transferable and scattered with memorable catch phrases (repeat after me, frying is drying). The Chip Butty took all of the ingredients you’d expect in that dish and reconfigured them into a refined evolution: the ketchup becoming filling, chips replacing bread, bread becoming croutons, curry sauce a vegan mayo and vinegar a powder. It was a balanced and satisfying thing to eat that, and while certainly unconventional, it didn’t sacrifice quality for novelty.

The second of the lessons we booked promised a “Stir Fry”, though obviously at this point we had little idea of what to expect. As it turned out, this was a marginally more conventional dish in as much as it did feature vegetables that had been fried, though in a pan rather than a wok to acknowledge the inability of a domestic hob to faithfully replicate that technique. Beyond that things leapt a little sideways into amusing/delicious deviations that made a surprising substitution for the noodles and gave rice a place on the plate….using Rice Krispies as a base. Much as I’d love to say more, it feels little cruel to ruin the surprise for those yet to book onto this one, that’s still just about available.

While trapped at home I can see few more entertaining ways to exploit culinary learning that inviting Andrew Dargue virtually into your kitchen. Your preference for eating meat or other wise is entirely incidental to how much enjoyment can be derived from these cooking lessons, which reinforced in me a sense of regret at my lack of curiosity about Vanilla Black when it was resident in the city. Money might be tight for many but Vanilla Black Cook and Learn represents a notably good value confluence of sustenance, entertainment and learning.

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Source York has been an important part of the food scene in the city since opening a few years ago, successfully placing feet in both vegan and omnivore camps. Its mix of innovative plant-based dishes along with a range of pulled meats, ribs and so on deprives meat eaters of an excuse to avoid visiting somewhere that serves up such distinguished veggie and vegan dishes. With their restaurant being shut for the moment Source York has, alongside a whole industry, been after ways to keep sharing its joys and hit upon the idea of a picnic for enjoyment at home.

While we may have a little more in the way of personal freedom than we had a couple of weeks ago, we still opted to enjoy the picnic in our own garden (a luxury that I’m all the more appreciative of these days) which enjoys easy access to running water and conveniences along with the absence of other people less keen on the etiquette of social distancing. The picnic concept Source came up with has allowed them to transplant a clear sense of their ethos and identity into a different setting, bringing elements of the restaurant dishes together to create an impressive and visually striking spread that needs no preparation before enjoying. A tie up with York Gin popped a couple more goodies into the mix to enjoy in the sun too, their award-winning Old Tom being perfect to enjoy in the warm weather.

The centrepiece of the spread was a pair of Buddha Bowls, each featuring a half avocado, crusted with sesame seeds, and bang-bang tofu with pickled mushrooms and red cabbage along with quinoa that turned the pickles into proper little show offs.. Hummus shortages are a rare thing in this house so the burnt onion variant included didn’t last long and the nacho bowl was demolished in equally short order with its embellishments of avocado and other sauces. Some pulled jackfruit and pulled pork finished off the savouries and both made a great adjunct, though it speaks well of Source’s ability to balance a meal that it would have been no lesser experience with the absence of meat.

The meal was ended with a vegan chocolate mousse with almonds and goji berries that punched in a good bite of chocolate bitterness along with a smooth, luxuriant texture. I’d never have guessed that this was vegan if challenged, a both technically impressive and delicious way to finish.

The big question remaining is when you’ll have the opportunity to sample this experience, which I gather is unlikely to be repeated due to the scale of the endeavour and practicalities of mass catering from a restaurant kitchen. That doesn’t mean it’s not a big success though. I think it’s absolutely key at the moment for restaurants to maintain a connection with the customers who they’re looking forward to welcoming back in due course. While very different to a restaurant experience, Source absolutely succeeded in making this representative of their unique place in the York food scene and have, hopefully, piqued people’s interest for a takeaway offering that will be coming soon. Keep an eye on their social media channels for more news.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal. Opinions are impartial.

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Comptoir Libanais Leedsremains a bright and cheerful presence under the Everyman Cinema in Leeds’ Trinity Centre. On our last visit, there was a slightly incongruous soundtrack leaking into the restaurant from the cinema, film soundtracks overwhelming the vibe a little. When we arrived I noted that was no longer the case as we were quickly seated, not taking much time to order everything from the “Vegan Flavours of the Month” menu. This consisted of three dishes that weighed in around £20 to enjoy the triumvirate. We chose to supplement these with a spinach fatayer to make sure we had plenty for the two of us and that Baby Fork would have ample opportunity to pick at our meals. In retrospect, this isn’t the greatest editorial decision I’ve ever made, having already enjoyed this dish on our previous visit. That said, the repeat order speaks of how much we enjoyed it.

Our food arrived quickly along with a glass of their Lebanese house wine, vegetable tagine, falafel with hummus & harissa sauce and coriander dressed baked aubergine all present and correct. The aubergine threw a good punch of heat that didn’t overwhelm the coriander or distract from the vegetable and the falafel was far from the powdery, dry examples sadly too common. Hummus is generally a good thing, remaining so here and the vegetable tagine was a delight that packed in depth of flavour against a backdrop of varieties of rice that broadened its texture and flavour. The spinach Fatayer was probably a step toward over indulgence in a light meal for two, and took us a step away from the vegan theme thanks to its inclusion of feta, but thematic misstep or otherwise was as enjoyable as last time.

Including a glass of wine and a soft drink, all this attracted a bill of less than £40, more than fair for a decent lunch in the middle of a good sized city with or without meat. Whatever your thoughts and the motivations behind veganism and Veganuary, menus like this broaden the offering and could be argued to inspire people to try something different. After a recent breakfast at Gatwick, this is my third time at Comptoir Libanais and I’m sure it won’t be my last.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this visit, opinions are impartial.

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Having arranged delivery, I was a little surprised to find the Riverford recipe box arriving at five o’ clock in the morning as I was tending to Baby Fork, though thankfully the delivery driver was sensible enough to not bang at the door. A few hours later, I retrieved the box from its hiding place and found it still in perfect condition ready to get stuck into cooking later that evening. All the produce in the box was great quality and measured out appropriately. The only misstep was mine as I failed to grasp the subtlety of the part of the box labelled “Lift Here” and took rather longer than I should have to retrieve some of the ingredients.

The first recipe I tried was “Herby Whipped Wootton & Balsamic Veg” that Riverford characterised​ as “Vegetarian Simple”. The “Wootton” in question was Wootton White, a British made Feta-style cheese that the recipe directed to whip up with creme fraiche until light and fluffy. This was to be served over roasted veg and brown rice. The recipe did a good job of issuing instructions in a sensible order to maximise time efficiency, the pre-measured ingredients helping to speed things along too. There was a reasonable amount of chopping involved and as I wanted to do the dish justice, I took my time. The investment was worth it though as the finished dish was excellent. The timings on the recipe card were all spot on and the combination of summery veg roasted with basil, balsamic vinegar under rice and the whipped cheese was delicious.

The second dish I was sent to prepare was “Lebanese Spinach & Chickpeas”. This one was alleged to be a little tougher as “Vegetarian Foodie”, but I can’t say I noticed any element of the prep being noticeably more challenging. The Maftoul that I started by simmering was reminiscent of large coucous and ended up being perfect to soak up the delicately spiced chickpeas which were in turn fantastic with the simmered tomato, preserved lemon, coriander, a spice mix and spinach. This was a real hit and had great depth of flavour which hit up spice against the tahini yoghurt nicely.

I enjoyed cooking both these dishes and the results were certainly striking as I’d been encouraged by the process to make a little more effort than a usual mid week dinner. The dishes come in around £12 for each meal for two and the produce was exemplary. I’ll certainly be hanging onto the recipe cards too. This was undoubtedly a convenient way to try new dishes that I wouldn’t normally think to cook at home.

​Disclaimer: No charge was made for this delivery. Opinions are impartial.

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To start with, we stuck with vegetarian options, choosing asparagus with white bean hummus and a cashew & tomato pâté. The pâté came with a simple salad, which would have benefited from a stronger dressing, and some gluten free toasts. It’s only on double checking the menu now that I realise those toasts were gluten free, which speaks well of them. The pâté worked well, perhaps not as smokey as advertised, but light and delicious with no hint of compromise to become vegetarian. The asparagus was presented over a few crispy potatoes and roasted tomatoes which sat in that promised bed of white bean hummus. The tomatoes were in danger of over shadowing the rest of the plate, but the asparagus was still able to speak for itself and the hummus was well balanced. With the potatoes in the mix too this was a great start to the evening.

We’d not consciously avoided meat in the starters and similarly not sought it out for mains, with chicken and hake (£2 supplement) being our choices for the next course. The chicken was cooked with ginger and lemongrass then served with turmeric roast potatoes and broccoli with a saffron sauce. This dish attracted a bit of criticism in a recent review, so I was curious to try it myself for the sake of comparison. It’s fair to say the chicken was perhaps a touch dry, but there was plenty of flavour in the plate, arguably too much going on with the turmeric and saffron fighting it out. The saffron sauce really made the dish: rich but delicate and balanced well with the fresh broccoli.

The other main we chose was hake fillet baked in chermoula with spiced lentils and salsify. This really packed a punch, with a good amount of spice and a generous serving of the salsify that had been roasted in batons to present itself as an exciting alternative to chips. The fish flaked into chunks as it should and the chermoula made its presence felt with a good balance of coriander, lemon, garlic and so on. The lentils needed to be aggressively flavoured to face off against all this and were entirely up to the challenge. If anything we were over-faced by the quantity of fabulous lentils with which we were presented, making it a shame to leave some.

Despite failing to summit the mountain of lentils, we thought it appropriate we attempt a pudding too so made our best attempt at a vegan chocolate mousse. As with the gluten lacking from those toasts in the starter, I’d not have guessed this was missing dairy. Topped with mint, raspberry and pistachio, the mousse was made from an avocado base with almond milk which gave a lovely smooth texture and nutty undertone.

At a shade under fifteen quid for two courses or nineteen for three, this all represents great value. There’s a pleasing amount of invention in the dishes, using good ingredients, but not at the expense of flavour. Filmore & Union has been a reliable option in York since it opened, particularly for those following specific diets. We had a lovely evening with good food from the Filmore & Union summer menu and I heartily recommend it for a great value evening out.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for our visit. Opinions remain impartial

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If you’re a parent then before planning your visit make sure you arrange childcare: the Whippet bills itself as for adults only and aims to offer something a bit different from other restaurants, something reinforced by the thoroughly adult wallpaper that you wouldn’t want to have to explain to a child. With care for Baby Fork duly sorted, we took up a table in the sheltered garden, just out of the scorching sun, and waited for food to arrive. As an aside, I’d prefer to see the garden entirely non smoking when serving as a dining area.

Our first dish was perfect for the hot weather: a Heritage San Marzano tomato gazpacho that was poured at the table over salted padron peppers, fermented cucumber and a beetroot and tapioca cracker. We were sampling this meal at the beginning of the heat wave we’re currently enjoying/enduring, so the sharp hit of fresh tomato did its thing well. The tapioca cracker needed eating quickly to retain its crunch against the gazpacho and broadened the dish well. Our other starter was a, rather more unusual, asparagus and almond milk “Panna Cotta” that snaked its way across the plate under some dressed asparagus tips, slices of radish and an olive tapenade. I was surprised at how small a dent in my appetite this dish made but the elements worked together rather than competing, making for an enjoyable plate and certainly one of the most unusual ways I’ve seen asparagus used.

The new range of vegan dishes includes a trio of mains, and despite there being only two of us we pushed forward to make sure we sampled the full range. First up was a roast aubergine and tahini wrap served with charred lettuce hearts, sesame, red chilli and seaweed presented a couple of ways. The aubergine had tremendous depth of flavour and was one of my favourite elements of the meal, working brilliantly with the tahini shot through the aubergine flesh. The pieces crispy fried seaweed on the wrap gave a strong savoury element to the dish that continued into the somewhat strong seaweed broth that would have been in danger of overwhelming the plate without some restraint. Next up was a courgette and chickpea hash that was served as a fried patty over Jersey Royals along with confit fennel. The bubble n’ squeak type main element was a wetter mixture than I expected but absolutely delicious and a superb accompaniment to the simply prepared potatoes. The final main we tried was a cauliflower steak spiced with ras al hanout under which had been scattered pomegranate and apricot. Cauliflower “couscous” and garlic roasted beetroot “fries” occupied the rest of the plate, the beetroot being particularly compelling while the fruit and spice helped each other out admirably.

The desserts with which we finished our meal were suitably ornate, starting with a maple and pistachio baklava nestling under slices of peach and a rosewater granita that took the edge off the day’s heat perfectly. Finally an eggless macaron that had been delicately filled with strawberry compote sat along with elderflower, gooseberries and a lemon sorbet that was doomed to a short life in this intense heat. Both dishes demonstrated plenty of skill and judgement from the chef.

Any concerns that vegan dishes in a steakhouse would be lazy bandwagon jumping were easily dismissed by this meal. There was an abundance of inventiveness and good produce evident that reinforces a genuine desire to offer something of good quality to widen The Whippet’s appeal. We went overboard with three main courses between two of us but three courses each for two people would come in around fifty pounds plus drinks. It’s increasingly obvious that our society’s reliance on intensively reared and heavily processed meat is a bad thing for both our own and our planet’s health so any offering such as this that broadens a restaurant’s appeal can only be a good thing. I may not be vegan but whatever your dietary choices, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal, opinions are impartial.

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Spark has been on the horizon for some time in the form of a proposal for a container park on the land created by clearing a derelict building on Piccadilly. That plan has now crystallised into reality and Piccadilly has become home to a complex of repurposed shipping containers that house a variety of businesses. There’s been plenty of debate, healthy and otherwise, on social media about the merits of the scheme as is bound to be the case with anything new and bold. This has in part been fuelled by some negativity associated with delays to the project opening. Now that it’s up and running, it’s time to let the project speak for itself though and see how the people of York react. It goes without saying that I’ve been exhaustively checking out the food options for you.

A great deal of the debate on Spark York suitability for the city has centred on its appearance and how well a complex of repurposed shipping containers would blend into York’s historic centre. This is likely to remain a divisive subject for the lifespan of the project, but in my view it’s all the better for its limited attempts to blend in. This was always going to be a distinctive development and I believe it has been improved by embracing its own character, embellished by striking murals and signage. Once you’ve made your way up the wooden entrance ramp to the surprisingly spacious interior that’s open to the air and grabbed a seat, it’s time to take stock of the food vendors.

The traders who’ve been chosen to take up residence in Spark York are a bunch who all bring, deservedly, strong reputations to the party. Fronting the complex, geographically, is Cwtch coffee who offer, unsurprisingly, superb coffee and a warm space to enjoy it should the weather outside not be playing ball. Keep an eye on the food offering here; while chatting to the owner, I get the impression that this is going to be a great place for breakfast… Moving further into the space, you next come across Munchies Cakeaway, who are ready and eager to provide you with sweet treats including waffles with a variety of toppings. These guys have been delivering delicious cake to the people of York for some time so are a great choice to dish out desserts and indulgences.

Another couple of steps gets you to the ordering hatch of Krep, who after making a name for themselves serving from their Citroen van have already established themselves as a firm favourite here. The mix of savoury gallettes and sweet crepes feature fillings that evidence great pride in the product.

Neighbouring Krep is what’s fast becoming a York legend. Street Cleaver has generated a dedicated following (among which I count myself) over the course of a series of pop ups and residencies. Headed by the impressively tattooed and bearded Mark Hill, Spark has given the opportunity to add a range of ramen dishes to the signature range of bao buns. Never one to bow to convention, Mark has branded his ramen “No rules” and is playing happily fast and loose, notably pairing chorizo and pork. This is serious food that doesn’t feature a single shortcut on the way to the recipient.

Continuing our tour of the on site food traders, Once Across the Garden do a brilliant job of broadening the offering by producing a fantastic range of vegan food. Previous dishes have included hot dogs, mac’ cheese and kebabs, so there’s no accusing these guys of retreating into vegan stereotypes.

Next up is Cluckin’ Oinks, who knock out the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. I always feel compelled to qualify a recommendation to Cluckin’ on the basis that it’s hard to articulate how good fried chicken can be given the quality of what’s usually offered to the mass market. With home made sauces, fries and addictive fried macaroni cheese bites as well as the chicken, there’s plenty to come back for.

If you continue to circulate, you’ll come across Dough Eyed Pizza who have sadly had to temporarily close after a small fire on the opening weekend. I can’t wait to see these guys up and running again the slices of pizza on offer here easily rank amongst the best in York. Dough Eyed’s other neighbour is Sloppy’s Burgers, offering up suitably messy and indulgent burgers. Take a look at the scooter out front and make sure you get a pic on it!

If, after trying all that, you’ve still the stamina to check out more places to eat (for clarity, I didn’t eat at all these places in one day), then there are even more treats upstairs from Tikk’s Thai Kitchen, who won the northern heats of last year’s British Streetfood Awards. Every time I’ve sampled food from these guys, it’s been fabulous and the red curry I grabbed from them the other day was just as fantastic as the satay skewers I had the previous week.

Unique amongst the food offering is York Nurturing Community who operate ‘pay as you feel’ and ‘pay it forward’ models to make sure that anyone can afford a healthy meal with them. They also make use of intercepted surplus food that may otherwise go to waste. This is a wonderfully valuable project for York that’s landed in a great spot.

Obviously food this good needs something to wash it down, and Spark doesn’t fall short here either. There’s a range of beers from Pivovar at the main bar along with a micro brewery to offer more variety. Cocktails come from 4swings and are as inventive as their reputation suggests and if you’re after a glass of wine then BNHO have a great variety on tap. Of course it doesn’t end with food though. While that’s my focus here, there’re a bunch of good people doing their best to make Spark York feel more like a high street than a food court: vintage clothes, vinyl, interior furnishings, stationery and accessories all being available.

Spark York is a fantastic addition to York. It’s family friendly and has a range of great quality food and drink at sensible prices that make it a fantastic place to to meet the demands of most audiences. There’s a real sense of community amongst the traders that gives a real sense of cohesion and opportunity to grow the project. There’re a few improvements to be made, in particular more covered seating will add flexibility and a lift will improve accessibility, but the remainder of this project surely holds exciting things.

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More pertinently to this site, The Schoolhouse Gallery also offers food from Cardamom and Dill Thursday to Saturday from 1230-1400. Cardamom and Dill is a one-woman, hard-working pop-up that focuses on vegetarian food inspired by the chef Kiki who prepares the food herself. Each week reflects a particular theme or location but regardless of the chosen inspiration, all of the pictures on social media of her food look superbly tempting, so we dragged along Baby Fork on a Saturday lunchtime to see what it was all about.

The gallery is easy to find, nestling between Arras and the city walls with wonderful gardens as a buffer between the two. The spacious room contains a selection of attractive furniture that’s all complementary and comfortable, with a sideboard containing the day’s treats acting as a focal point. The food can be ordered as a combination of mains, salads and dips, but to make sure you get a good mixture, it’s easier to select a Tasting Plate for £10 then throw in a flatbread for £1 extra.

The theme on our visit was “A walk in Istanbul” which led to a tasting plate featuring a feta and spinach filo tart, a white bean salad, sweet potato hummus, sweet potato croquettes, a rice salad and a yogurt dip. The filo tart was livened up with orange, pistachio and oregano for a well judged centrepiece while everything on the plate could hold its head up high. Both presentations of sweet potato balanced the inherent sweetness with well judged spicing and the salads were both superb. The white bean salad in particular was delightfully dressed and delivered one of the few occasions on which I’ve wanted a second helping of a salad. For dessert, Mrs Fork chose a slice of orange polenta cake that was good enough to prevent me intercepting a taste.

The section of the walls running from Peasholme Green to Monk Bar features views of a landscaped garden tucked away from the public that for years I’ve wanted to have a stroll around. I hadn’t released that this was attached to this building and actually features some outside seating. On a sunny day this would be a blissful place to enjoy good food.

We grabbed a glass each of the house wine to take the bill to £33 including the flatbread and tasting plate each and one dessert. To enjoy such lovely surroundings with vegetarian food that’s made with such passion, this is an essential bargain that should be on everybody’s list. Cardamom & Dill also put on a monthly supper club that’s sure to be worth a visit and is understandably popular; the June event being sold out already. July looks like a hot bet!

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The refurbishment is subtle rather than transformative and most noticeable to me was a rather more well developed kitchen space that sadly removes a classic hidden view of York, all the way down Petergate to the Minster. I can understand the reasoning though, after all, this space needs to function as a restaurant primarily. The furnishing are now understatedly distressed without becoming a distraction; it’s a comfortable place to dine that’s relaxed without feeling too casual.

My companion and I went for vegan walnut pâté and pumpkin & sunblushed tomato gnocchi to start as we enjoyed the unfussy but knowledgeable attentions of our young server. While I’m clearly a meat eater, that’s certainly not to the exclusion of all else, so I succumbed to intrigue when ordering the walnut pâté which was served with beetroot crackers, pickled radish and a sweet kumquat marmalade. The relatively unusual combination worked well as the beetroot let the tangy marmalade and savoury pâté face off against one another toward an admirable truce. The other side of the table found the pumpkin & sun blushed tomato gnocchi pleasingly enhanced with kale pesto that was lightened by a tahini maple dressing that brought the dish together superbly.

After being left for a polite interval during which the table was cleared, our main courses arrived. My friend had gone straight for the meat, choosing the fillet steak with warm winter salad and a mix of potato and celeriac fries, while I stuck with fish, plumping for charcoal cod with celeriac and courgetti. I always feel like steak is a rather high-stakes option (sorry) in anywhere other than a specialist steak restaurant, but everything was in order, the meat cooked exactly as requested and the accompanying vegetables well seasoned and not subjected to any unnecessary interventions. My cod was well cooked and presented on a bed of diced celeriac and courgetti (the relative merits of which I’ll stay away from here). The red cabbage and rose gazpacho that was poured over the dish wasn’t a flavour I’d encountered before and was certainly a bold use of ingredients. The fish had been topped with a small amount of the previously encountered kumquat marmalade that wasn’t needed along with the sweetness of the rose. I enjoyed the dish, but it was certainly an unusual combination of flavours that might not be to everyone’s taste.

To finish the meal, we shared a vegan peanut butter cheesecake that hadn’t lost any of the appropriate sense of indulgence along with its dairy ingredients. Plenty of peanut came through and the right texture was present and correct.

With a couple of glasses of wine thrown, in the bad news came to around £85 plus tip, for two and a half courses each, including that steak to bump up the total a bit. For a well thought out and interesting meal that affords one the confidence of knowing both what’s on the plate and the provenance of the ingredients, that’s certainly not an unreasonable amount to eat at Filmore & Union York.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for this meal, opinions remain impartial

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With Adam Lyons running the open kitchen and wife Katie looking after front of house, there’s a strong background of cooking and hospitality ready to underpin Source restaurant. Adam has been involved with the Aldwark Arms, Jamie’s Italian and the Royal York (post its recent transformation), but with the opportunity coming to strike out and open his own place, things are changing further on Castlegate.

We arrived at Source restaurant at seven on a Thursday evening and I was immediately taken about at how busy the place was. Source had only been open three weeks at the time and, that early into the journey, I’d usually expect to see lots more empty tables while word percolates through the town. In fact, the guys have had to turn tables away on some nights; testament to their choice of location at the end of the street where there’s a lot of footfall.

The Source restaurant interior is distressed to just the right degree. There are bare wood surfaces and filament light bulbs aplenty along with attractive quirky light fittings, but it’s not overdone or forced. We were lucky enough to be sat facing that open kitchen so, after encouraging Adam to stick his head out for a photo, we had a good view to enjoy while flicking through the menu’s different elements. The three elements that are highlighted are “Slow Meats, Superfoods and Vegetarian”. York does have a couple of go-to places for vegetarian food but what’s unique here is the intention to cater so effectively for both vege’ and carni’ diners with intriguing sounding dishes on both sides of that particular balance sheet. One could be concerned about the other two elements of that trifecta, with both superfoods and slow-cooked meats being very in vogue at the moment, but after hearing Adam speak passionately about provenance, quality and health, I don’t have any concerns that these specialisms are mere box-ticking.

To start with, the three of us chose cauliflower florets, buffalo wings and lime-grilled avocados while we ordered a bottle of Australian shiraz to keep us company. We noted the extremely good value prices in the short interval between ordering and our dishes arriving before noting the simply-presented food that let the colour stand out. My favourite of the three was the buffalo wings (thanks for the taster, Grace!) which shed meat from bone with little persuasion and had a subtly sweet flavour. I can’t comment on the avocado due to a mild, but irritating, allergy but I’m assured it was lovely. I can certainly agree that it was neatly presented on a flat board that required great skill to prevent rolling off during transit. Cauliflower is a much under-appreciated vegetable whose meaty texture gives a good basis for main dishes. In this case the florets were al dente and surrounded by rocket leaves and pomegranate seeds and combined to balance out nicely. We all agreed the spice on the cauli’ was a bit too aggressive, but the dip softened it off to a significant degree as we reflected on the portion size being in danger of jeopardising appetites for the mains.

We selected shredded chicken, shakshuka and pulled jackfruit to get a good range of the produce being shown off. All of these dishes came with a chunk of cornbread more impressively light than anything I’ve attempted myself by some margin. My shredded chicken (free range of course) was saturated with flavour and offset by plenty of sweetcorn and spicy Yorkshire chorizo. The chips were soft and accompanying slaw refreshing and crisp without being drenched in dressing. The Shakshuka was presented in a piping hot skillet with another side of corn bread. I didn’t taste it but it looked a good representation of the dish, the eggs yolks remaining soft and luscious. The most unusual dish we tried was BBQ style pulled jackfruit. I’ve got to confess to not having seen this on a menu before but I’d heard the flesh made an eerily convincing meat substitute. Served with the same sides as the shredded chicken, you could easily have mistaken this for a meat dish. The ‘meat’ was topped with jalapeños and, without foreknowledge, you could have mistaken the texture for pork pulled through BBQ sauce.

It has to be said that the pricing was extremely reasonable with mains ranging from £8.50 to £14.50 and starters as little as £3. Portion size was generous too, large enough to put desserts beyond reach and line up a nice lunch of leftovers. There were a couple of minor rough edges, certainly no more serious than I’ve seen in other newly opened establishments, but the service was seamless and friendly and the high standards to which the guys want to hold themselves evident. I don’t doubt that Source has a bright future!

Disclaimer: we were invited to enjoy a complimentary meal, the opinions here are the reviewers own

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