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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A trip to this area isn’t really complete without a stop at the Cod and Lobster for crab sandwiches so we broke our journey there, parking at the top of the hill and realising on the way down how much effort would be involved in getting a pram back to the elevated car park. Thankfully the calories from those crab sandwiches and superb chips did their thing and propelled us back toward the car to carry on North to Raithwaite.

Raithwaite Estate is located just inland from Sandsend and is made up of a collection of buildings both modern and traditional that house two restaurants, plenty of accommodation and a spa to relax in. It’d been on the periphery of my consciousness for a few years now, so it was with some intrigue we approached down the driveway that separates it from the bustle of the public highway. We were due to stay in ‘The Keep’, which is the first building one arrives at on entering the estate. Featuring dog friendly rooms alongside a variety of other options including larger rooms and suites, it’s a distinctive building styled with crennalations across its top and a central atrium that feels welcoming and airy. Our room was on the first floor and a generous size, complete with travel cot already set up for us and a balcony to enjoy along with all the tea and coffee making facilities one would expect, though I was a little surprised not to find a mini-bar. A personalised welcome card and some chocolates were a nice touch and after getting all the equipment Baby Fork requires unpacked, we didn’t linger long, instead setting out to explore and check out the spa.

The main building that houses the spa was only a couple of minutes’ walk through the attractive grounds from The Keep. Also in this building is Poachers Bar, which provided a useful space to retreat to with Baby Fork when tag-teaming baby care for spa access.

The spa itself was immaculately clean, being kept efficiently clear of the puddles and damp patches that one might expect at less attentive venues. The swimming pool features a cascade of water in one corner under which to relax and there’re also a sauna, a jacuzzi and a steam room in which to shut out the stresses of the outside world. All of this is surrounded by the landscaped gardens which are visible though, thankfully tinted, large glass areas. There are, of course, luxuriantly soft robes and towels for use and a pleasingly gadgety machine to shake water from your swimming costume before heading back to your room.

For dinner, I’d booked us into The Hunters Lounge rather than The Brasserie, which features a menu combining elements of French and Yorkshire cooking. The Hunters Lounge, also based in The Keep, looked like a slightly less formal option likely to suit our continuing acclimatisation to parenthood. After a relaxing drink in the bar to blunt the memories of the afternoon nappy changes, we made our way to our table as the restaurant started to fill, and we began our dissection of the menu.

Our starter decision landed on Scotch egg with coronation mayo and ciabatta soldiers and cauliflower and courgette pakoras with yoghurt dressing. The Scotch egg was served in an over sized egg cup and easier to handle directly on its slate. I’m not sure that bashing in its head as per the presentation’s suggestion would have been an elegant way to proceed, but the yolk remained soft and the meat was well seasoned with a crunchy crumb exterior to account for all the right textures. The pakora could have had a bit more spice run through them to cut across the minted yoghurt, but were well judged in quantity as we looked forward to main courses.

Mains featured chicken breast stuffed with brie and basil and feather blade ale braised beef. Both came with a variety of vegetables, variously roasted, steamed and creamed to complement the main elements of the plate, which were helped along by white wine cream sauce for the chicken and an ale jus for the beef.

We took guilty pleasure through the meal at the presence of another baby that was more disruptive than ours, so were happy to hang on for dessert and share a rich sticky toffee pudding with ice cream before retiring to the room to get Baby Fork to sleep.

Suitably refreshed the following morning after a relatively uninterrupted night’s sleep in the comfortable bed, we made our way back downstairs for breakfast. There’s a particular joy to a hotel breakfast, a situation that somehow empowers one to order as much fried food as you could want, so that’s exactly what I did while. My Yorkshire Breakfast was reflected across the table by a slightly more modest Eggs Benedict, both plates being a good stepping off point for the rest of the day. As well as the main plates, there was an impressive selection of fruit and cold self service offerings. Breakfast here offers a strong possibility of needing to skip lunch!

I have family in the area, so before we left, we took advantage of the Poachers Bar being open to the public to catch up for a coffee and have a stroll around the grounds, which are a pleasing compromise between spectacular and restful. All three of us enjoyed our visit to Raithwaite. It was a relaxing place to escape to with a good range of food and drink options and a flawless spa to visit. We even bumped into some friends from York who were arriving to take advantage of the spa as we left!

Disclaimer: Our stay was complimentary, opinions are impartial. Check the Raithwaite website to confirm prices for particular dates.

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The front tables in the Fossgate make a great place to people watch from, so we settled into one of the window tables to take a look at the Fossgate Social brunch menu. The main offering consists of open sourdoughs, pancakes and hot sandwiches while there are a range of specials to look at on a black board. We went for a selection, taking in avocado and crispy bacon, a halloumi burger and a black pudding stack. Plenty of good coffee was forthcoming while we waited for the food and chatted about what exciting developments might be in store for the Fossgate’s future.

Avocado may now be forever associated with millenials’ alleged profligacy, but that doesn’t make it any less tasty, especially when paired with bacon and poached egg. I might not be quite as fixated on avocado as much of my peer group but it’s hard to deny its appeal when layered and stacked amongst bacon, slices of home-made muffin and a poached egg. A stack of black pudding, muffin and poached egg with Hollandaise felt similarly indulgent, perhaps too much so as it would have benefited from a touch less of the black pudding. Matchsticks of apple completed the dish to add some sharpness. The last plate we tried was a “Social Halloumi Burger” which also featured roast tomato and peppers with spinach to temper the salty, toasted cheese; a relatively simple dish that did justice to good ingredients.

All the new brunch dishes I tried were excellent, though not a conspicuous bargain. I occasionally hear people comparing the drinks prices unfavourably here to more conventional pubs and the food pricing matches the ‘quality over quantity’ thinking, but the Fossgate Social remains a superb place from which to watch the world go by.

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

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Once we navigated the couple of steps to the restaurant, we got ourselves settled into a pram friendly window table and took a look at the new brunch menu. Source brunch runs from 0930 to 1430 and gives a neat bridge between the breakfast and lunch menus, with some intriguing options including a beef brisket Benedict which the owner had pointed out to me. I was predictably unable to resist the brisket Benedict while the other dish chosen came from the standard breakfast menu: a sweet potato bubble and squeak with guacamole, chilli and poached egg.

Once we’d absorbed some caffeine over a chat with the owner, our food arrived ready to fortify us for the rest of the day. I’d had the bubble and squeak before so wasn’t in the least surprised at how good it was; a neat puck of sweet potato topped and tailed with spinach and guac’ under a poached egg topped with strands of delightfully sharp pickled chilli. The yolk descended over the rest of the pile pleasingly and the rest of the plate made up a cracking way to start a day for £8.

The brisket Benedict was certainly a heartier option, as you’d expect for £12. A base of sourdough soaked up plenty of Hollandaise and yolk from the perfectly poached eggs, with a generous layer of 72 hour beef brisket. With a couple of hash browns thrown in to further bulk things out, this was an indulgent way to start the day and one that would need to reward the calories with great flavour. I don’t understand why I hardly ever see beef and eggs on a breakfast menu so this dish seems to occupy a pretty unique spot in York, one that is suitable reward for a visit to Source. Everything in the skillet in which it was served was superb, including the rather surprising addition of barbecue sauce. I’d have been rather cautious if warned in advance of this, but the small amount of sauce between the sourdough and beef was more than a gimmick, bringing an unexpected but not overwhelming extra element. I’m less of a fan of serving in a skillet though. While it suited the dish visually, it obligated me to elevate elbows uncomfortably to reach the corners of the dish.

It’s likely you’ll see more from me about brunches out as we make some inevitable, baby-led, changes to our lifestyle and Source brunch is sure to be a venue for repeat visits. Let me know if you enjoy the brisket as much as I did, I’m eyeing up the breakfast nachos for next time!

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

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The White Horse & Griffin is a hotel centrally located in Whitby that dates back as far as 1681, since when it’s enjoyed a storied and eventful existence that’s even included use by Captain Cook and William Scoresby. After this initial burst of historic significance, the hotel closed in 1939 before settling into rather more ignominious use post-war when it was mainly used to store fishing nets and equipment. In 1982 the building was given the beginnings of a restoration and extension that continued until its opening 11 years later. Since then it’s continued to find its place as a characterful and comfortable bolthole right in the middle of town.

The entrance and small bar one is confronted by on arrival belies the rather labyrinthine nature of the building that twists its way past dining and relaxing spaces through to the bedrooms. Notably there’s a separate guests’ entrance away from the street to allow access without having to make your way through the public bar. The building is absolutely packed with characterful touches, open fires, exposed beams and low ceilings being littered throughout. We stayed in a room named “Wakeful” (after a British Naval Destroyer) that had a small anteroom with TV which was separated from the corridor. The bedroom itself had all the facilities you’d expect with tea making, TV and wifi all present and correct and the ensuite was basic but clean and functional. Having found a sense of our lodgings, I left Mrs YoaF for her afternoon rest (8 months of pregnancy having taken its toll) and headed out for a walk to see winter in Whitby.

First port of call was the Green Dragon Bottle Shop, which is in the process of setting up a tap room to give space to enjoy its vast range of carefully sourced beers. The tap room looks tantalisingly close to opening, so I just had to settle for a chat with one of the owners to reassure me that the passion for beer was reflected in the range available. This has all the makings of a great place to sit and try some unusual beers.

Next port of call was Whitby Brewery tap room, necessitating a climb of those famous 199 steps which have been a landmark for around five hundred years. The tap room is tiny enough to encourage conversation between all its inhabitants at once, including the four legged and enthusiastic type. Its position at the top of those steps ensures that everyone who arrives will be desperate for a pint of Whitby Abbey Blond, and fortunately it’s an entirely appropriate pint to recover with.

Having reacquainted myself with winter in Whitby through my strolling (including passing The Star Inn The Harbour, review to follow of course), I made my way back to the White Horse & Griffin for dinner, dodging the monstrously proportioned local seagulls who’re clearly well fed with leftover fish and chips. The Endeavour lounge is a quiet and warm space with a large open fire that’s separated from the main bar, best suited to residents in my view, and offers space for drinks and menu consideration before dinner. Also on offer are a range of board games, prompting conversation with a couple of other residents who were clearly enjoying themselves! After a short delay we were on our way to the snug, low ceilinged dining room, with another open fire keeping the January air at bay.

Having spent a good amount of time with the menu already we didn’t need the pause offered by bread and butter to place our order so quickly got on with ordering, making sure to include the chef’s suggestions. We agreed to start with pig cheeks and scallop dishes. After another pause the starters presented themselves smartly, with the scallop making the best entrance in terms of plating. Pea puree and squid ink crisps sat in the shell with the scallop while morels blended into the slate on which it was served. Pigs cheeks came with piped on truffled mash, apple puree and an “apple caramel”, all of which filled out the plate nicely. Pigs cheeks remain a sadly underappreciated cut of meat and the classic pairing with apple worked as nicely as one would expect, the “caramel” feeling more like an indulgent sprig of crackling to give texture.

By some margin I thought the most intriguing thing on the menu was a beef cheek and haggis pithivier so that was an obvious choice alongside a bouillabaisse to make sure we were taking advantage of the local seafood. The pithivier lived up to its star billing comfortably, with the pastry remaining light to give background against which the haggis accented beef cheek could shine. Shaved truffle was maybe an embellishment that the vegetables didn’t need but the plate really was well balanced and lived up to the recommendation. The bouillabaisse on the other side of the table earned similar praise with its generous mix of white fish and shellfish under a suitably rich sauce. Dessert came in the form of a chocolate coffee mousse that, while not hitting the heights of the mains, did a good job of finishing things off. We retired for the evening happy that we’d seen the best from the restaurant.

Breakfast the following day found us back in the restaurant, noting the neat slide out toast runners on our table to give a smidge more space. We had to show a bit of restraint to make sure we could eat at the Star Inn the Harbour a few hours later but the smoked haddock and eggs Benedict would have comfortably seen us through the majority of the day.

I really enjoyed staying at the WH&G, it was a great base for winter in Whitby. It would definitely benefit from a few rough edges being smoothed off in terms of painting and detail but the price is absolutely right given the location, character and lovely public spaces. The room rate we stayed in will come to about £120, including breakfast, and dinner was another £75 per couple depending on how generous a tipper you are, both very reasonable numbers for the location and character on offer. When we left the following morning we’d warmed up enough to allow us a stroll to the edge of the harbour before needing to find further respite from the cold. I’ve not spent enough time in Whitby in the last few years, but I’m thoroughly bought round to the idea of a winter break here. Even if you’re staying somewhere else to shelter from the cold, the food here is well worth a visit in itself.

Disclaimer: My stay and dinner were complimentary for the purposes of review

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After I was so impressed with Virgin Trains when I checked out the food with James Martin a little while back, I booked First Class travel to buy us a bit of time in bed by virtue of grabbing breakfast on the train. Sadly, it turned out that there’s no hot food at the weekend so the fry-up was on hold, though we were still able to enjoy the wonderful views in the company of plentiful coffee and pain au chocolat.

Our accommodation for our trip to Edinburgh came courtesy of Hotel Indigo on York Place. Despite being only a short walk from the train station and major streets, we found it a calming space with no hint of the craziness outside being allowed through the doors. With no fuss around check in, we were quickly back on the street to carry on around the city and take care of catching up with family over a delicious lunch.

The meal needed to be family friendly and accommodate a push chair, so Hemma fitted the bill perfectly with a great combination of space and good food. The meaty smorgasbord we went for included fantastic white fish, smoked cheese, pickles, ham and rollmops with white onion along with boiled eggs perfectly judged to leave the centre of the yolk just soft. The burgers that circulated the table were just as satisfying, and the hasselback potatoes we ordered on the side made a spectacular snack under their dusting of parmesan. I’d happily order these any time I saw them as a bar snack. I’d absolutely recommend a visit to Hemma.

After a couple of hours spent happily exploring Princes Street and the various winter attractions we retired to the hotel bar and the good company of Ermina, who was a welcoming presence behind the bar while also seating guests for dinner. After a sensible interval, we retreated to the room, opting against ordering breakfast in bed for no extra cost, and enjoyed the tranquility. I was impressed at the sound proofing; the only sound penetrating the room from outside being the infrequent ping of a passing tram.

No matter how good a hotel is, if the parting shot of breakfast doesn’t hit its target, one can easily leave with a bitter taste. Thankfully breakfast set us up beautifully for more family engagements (to which we were given accurate public transport directions by the reception staff) without a single duff note. The buffet was varied and well stocked while the hot dishes were as hearty as one would expect. I worked my way through eggs, bacon, square sausage, black pudding, haggis, mushroom, tomato and potato cake while the other side of the table delighted in eggs Royale with smoked salmon. Obviously I can vouch for the quality of that dish too. Due another shout out at this point is Ermina, whose disposition wasn’t dampened by the combination of a late finish and early start.

On the train back, over pleasant sandwiches that almost made up for the lack of the curry I’d hoped for, we happily considered what a pleasant weekend we’d had. A trip to Edinburgh remains spectacular, crowded or otherwise, and the food and hotel choices complemented the city beautifully. Huge thanks to the staff at Hotel Indigo for making us so welcome.

Disclaimer: We were given a reduced rate at Hotel Indigo, opinions are impartial. Check their website for latest rates.

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The Devonshire Arms sits a short distance from the River Wharfe projecting calm as I arrived, and a friendly concierge spirited my luggage away to the room reserved for my arrival. I was due to stay for one night and my mid-afternoon arrival didn’t allow huge amounts of spare time, so I forsook the spa in favour of walking down to take a look at Bolton Priory. Equipped with directions from the reception staff, I took advantage of the unseasonably nice weather to remind myself how beautiful a part of the country this is.

Having burnt off a few calories to justify the coming meal, it was time to meet Paul and hear about his ambitions in his new role over a stroll around the kitchen garden. Paul has joined the Devonshire Arms from the Isle of Eriska – Michelin-starred during his tenure as head chef – and brings a wealth of experience back to his native Yorkshire. His passion and enthusiasm for curating a dining experience that stretches all the way from growing produce to getting it out to the table is clear and is reflected in the huge amount of work he’s already put into the kitchen garden. The Devonshire also produces its own honey which we sampled as an ingredient in a potent ‘hot toddy’ made with sloe gin as we made our way round the garden, which is set to look magnificent when in bloom.

Continuing our tour of the garden, we’d succeeded in blowing a hole in the schedule by waffling on and bombarding Paul with questions, which were all answered openly and with good humour, so by now it was time to repair to my room and dress for dinner. Suitably attired (and it must be said, looking uncharacteristically smart) the group reconvened for sparkling wine and canapés.

As we enjoyed the canapés, the sommelier made a casual remark about how many bottles of wine were in the cellar, quickly accepting the challenge to show us around on the proviso that it’s not strictly a public space. It was fascinating to see where the really expensive bottles lived, but just as satisfying to return to the canapés, among which the cep arancini balls really stood out.

The first of the seven courses we were due was a combination of pork cheek and langoustine, bound together with celeriac and truffle. Given that I love pig cheek, langoustine, celeriac and truffle, it was always going to be a stretch to be disappointed and I certainly wasn’t. Everything was executed perfectly and set high expectations for the next plate of carrot with smoked eel decorated with edible flowers. The Riesling we were served went wonderfully, doing a great job of highlighting the smokey notes, though the carrot could have done with a touch more softening. A minor criticism, but with the standards Paul is aiming for (and achieving), it’s a touch more obvious than usual.

Next up came a rose veal tartare, another open goal in some regards given my preferences, but when viewed objectively, the dish was very well prepared with some radish slices from the kitchen garden cutting into the the rich meat and nasturtium leaves dotted around the edge of the plate.

The fish dish put artichoke puree around John Dory, generously paired with clams and a luxurious sauce. The sauce’s rich texture belied a lightness of touch that allowed all the elements to retain their own voices. Venison loin starred in the final savoury course supported by mushroom and onion. When I spoke to Paul later, he was keen to highlight that everything he’d served had been cooked using traditional techniques rather than taking, what could be regarded as, shortcuts such as water baths. The loin was absolutely beyond reproach, well rested and impeccably tender to pair with a classic Chateauneuf De Pape. Even amongst the raised expectations of the evening, this was a tremendously satisfying dish.

The two sweet courses made use of greengage and apples to good effect; the savoury crumb and ice cream alongside greengage and cucumber made a refreshing few mouthfuls while the apples became so ornamental as to almost discourage one from eating.

With the evening drawing to an end, we retired to the dog room (yes, the Devonshire is dog friendly and even offers four poster beds for dogs should you feel your pooch deserving) to compose ourselves and chat about the great food we’d enjoyed before retiring to the comfortably appointed bedrooms.

The following morning found me well rested and ready to get stuck into a fantastic Yorkshire breakfast of bacon, sausage, black pudding, tomato, eggs and toast. A single night’s stay in a hotel can easily be tainted by an underperforming breakfast before you leave, but there’re no such worries here. All the ingredients were as welcome as the friendly service.

After only two months, Paul has made his mark on the food at the Devonshire, which remains worthy of its strong reputation. It’s a great destination for relaxation and fine food which thoroughly deserves a visit.

Disclaimer: No charge was made for my stay, opinions remain impartial. Rooms start around £178/night and the tasting menu is £79.50/person plus wine.

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First class rail travel isn’t something I’m particularly familiar with, the perception of high costs firmly wedged in my mind, so it was with some anticipation that I sat in York station with appetite ready engaged for the breakfast that the journey to London would offer, despite the early start. After getting myself comfortable and heading off that early start with several cups of coffee, I accepted the offer of a full English breakfast and cracked on with some work, noting that train wifi speeds have taken a decent upturn since the last time I attempted to make them work.

Breakfast punctuated the journey well and impressed; there was no hint of compromise on the plate and the ingredients were all good quality. Working on a train must be challenging for a chef so getting a well judged fried egg onto a plate without scalding oneself is a small feat in itself. The black pudding drew particular compliment from both myself and my companion.

Before long, we were enjoying more complementary refreshments in the Kings Cross first class lounge while we waited for Mr Martin to join us for the return leg of our journey. The lounge is squirrelled away from the bustle of the station (let us never forget how huge an improvement the new Kings Cross station is on its predecessor) and gives easy access to the platforms, which our party took advantage of to get ourselves back into another relaxed first class carriage.

Thankfully, my companions for the journey were as inquisitive about food as me so we ended up ordering a good selection of the dishes to be prepared while we were joined by James Martin himself for a wide ranging chat about his involvement with Virgin East Coast and the food on board.

It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to consider how much effort it would take to scale up a single dish from one’s own kitchen to be able to offer it consistently to an entire train service, let alone taking into account the space limitations inherent in cooking on a train. James talked with great candour about the challenges of developing dishes that can be reliably produced on this scale, starting with small test batches and working toward ever larger runs that number well into five figure digits. One can only imagine the dreadful sinking feeling to be endured on the rare occasions these runs go wrong, though James was keen to reinforce that even if the taste is off, there are various other ways to make sure the food isn’t wasted and it makes its way back into the food chain.

As the conversation moved onto sourcing, we touched upon another of James’ passions. That superb black pudding (no, it’s not for sale to the public) comes from Laverstoke Park, founded by Ferrari’s 1979 F1 world champion Jody Scheckter with the intention of providing the highest quality produce, farmed without compromise. It was nice to see a good Yorkshire beer on the menu too, with “Hop on Board” coming from Rudgate brewery as an exclusive offering for Virgin East Coast. Our conversation then had to work around our appetites for a while, talking with one’s mouth full perhaps less of an offence when the conversation is with the chef who developed the dish.

I grabbed one of those Rudgate beers to find it complemented my chicken curry very well while mac’ cheese and gourmet sausage rolls also appeared at the table along with frequent offers of more drinks and snacks. The curry had more bite to it than I expected and came with a small naan and portion of rice that added up to a sensible quantity. The mac’ cheese came with a crunchy topping that drew admiring glances from the table while the sausage roll was also James’ choice for a snack that offered crispy pastry and soft, high quality, meat.

Before long, we were back in York having taken up over an hour of James’ time, covering subjects as diverse as shoe fashion, air pressure controlled kitchens, celebrity stag do’s and the local restaurant scene. It was abundantly clear from both conversation and final offering that James has found a clear route to navigate the cost and logistical compromises inherent in offering good food on a train to suit both first and standard class pockets.

I’d approached the day curious to see how good food cooked on a train could be and how much I’d be willing to part with more money to travel first class in future. On the first point the food exceeded my expectations at every turn and, as for future travel, I’ve just booked first class tickets for the next train journey I have planned.

You can find more information about travelling, and eating, in first class with Virgin East Coast here: https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/complimentary-food-and-drink/

This post is sponsored by Virgin East Coast Trains

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Sutlers is a bar and kitchen that emphasises its spirit offering alongside its independence and dedication to fresh ingredients. In all honesty, the evenings have always seemed a bit too focussed on the drinks trade to appeal to me, hence not prioritising for a visit thus far, but the restoration of the former Army & Navy store is a pleasant and comfortable place to be over breakfast. Adding immeasurably to the ambience when we visited was the presence of Audrey, sporting the softest fur I’ve yet to find on a pug (admittedly from a rather small field. Pug fur rating isn’t activity I pursue often).

Having checked out the menu in advance, there was no great discussion as we ordered the skillet breakfast and eggs royale. Our server brought across some coffees to keep us company while the kitchen got to work and the usual Monday morning deliveries took place around us. On their website, Sutlers make a point of highlighting that the food is fresh and cooked to order so there can be a little bit of a wait for dishes to make it out of the kitchen. We weren’t in any hurry to get stuck into the rest of the Monday so were happy to go with the flow as we enjoyed our coffees and Audrey’s company.

When food arrived, we’d not been waiting long enough to cause irritation. The eggs royale that Grace had plumped for hid its toast under lustrous looking hollandaise and generous quantities of warm smoked salmon. The sauce packed in flavour and the textures mixed well to make up a generously flavoured and portioned dish.

My skillet breakfast perched a superheated skillet on a chopping board alongside some toasted bread. As usual, my enthusiasm for food overtook my concern for the heat resistance of my mouth, but when I’d gotten over the shock of the minor burn (I had been warned, my fault) I enjoyed the dish very much. Deceptively rich with kidney beans packed into the tomato sauce alongside the chorizo. It’s also always nice to see details such as good quality butter being taken care of too. As far as the presentation goes, when presented with something at the table this hot, I’d rather have it on something that more effectively limits the chance of burning oneself and offers somewhere to more easily balance a knife and fork. Still, I emerged unscathed and enjoyed the food.

Sutlers is definitely deserving of a place on my list. I won’t even hold against them the need to revisit that piece so soon. To be honest, even if the food didn’t warrant a return visit, I’d be making one anyway to say hi to Audrey, but thankfully it does anyway.

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One does wonder if this is the kind of place that’s going to really worry about quality when, for many, quantity would be the main attraction, but I’d heard good reports from a few people I trust so we fired up the yoafmobile, filled it with a few moderately reputable friends and hit the road.

Early discussion around the table centred, after the drink order, on if any of the group would succumb to peer pressure and tackle a food challenge. Thankfully the answer was yes, though it must now be said that the individual in question has requested his identity be omitted (if you’re wondering why the pics are strangely cropped, it’s for the sake of his modesty). The challenge in question was “Man vs Dog”: a pair of hot dogs smothered in chilli and topped with cheese. If that sounds achievable, remember they’re actually two feet long. Each. Four feet of hot dog, could be tricky.

The rest of the table showed more restraint and went for a variety of sliders, platters and meats which started to arrive in fairly short order as we watched our intrepid companion exhibit some nerves at the prospect of what he was about to take on. The whole party agreed that the various cuts of beef and pork reflected long and careful cooking processes with ribs and shredded pork gaining particular praise. Sides of corn, onion rings, fries, coleslaw and salads all hit the spot without being allowed to get in the way of our mission to consume large quantities of various animals.

While all this was going on, our companion was girding his loins ready for battle having been christened “The Sausage Slayer” by our server. The hot dog arrived, the comedy headwear was donned and the clock was started. Initial progress was made at a sensible pace so as not to over face his stomach, so things were looking good for a very respectable performance,but I don’t think anyone really expected victory by this point. Thankfully the difficulty of the challenge was reduced by virtue of the food’s quality. Good quality hotdog and bread were slathered in chilli with well-judged heat and a good balance of flavour with gooey cheese on top and all elements were being hoovered up with enthusiasm. At this point our server clarified a point for us. Just as the sausage warrior was starting to look a little defeated, it was confirmed that this was but half of the challenge as the question “Shall I get the second one now?” dropped on the table to a thinly disguised look of pain. ‘He who shall remain nameless’ had performed well, working through roughly three quarters of the first ‘dog, and done us proud. The server admitted that most people didn’t even get that far and a penny dropped in my brain as I requested the remaining two feet and chilli to go, an uncharacteristic feat of foresight that took care of several meals.

I can’t say you’re going to see me at Nathan’s hotdog contest any time soon, but I have to admit, I get it now. We had a thoroughly good time at Holy Moly’s Deep South Kitchen, the food was good quality and well-priced and we walked away with a load of leftovers, so nothing was wasted through our excess. It still seems oddly negative to me to force yourself to eat until uncomfortable, but each to their own and the sight of it gave us all a good chuckle. Now who else can I find who will bow to peer pressure?

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