{"id":19480,"date":"2020-01-01T20:11:19","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T20:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/?p=19480"},"modified":"2022-03-31T20:17:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T19:17:48","slug":"looking-back-at-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2020\/01\/01\/looking-back-at-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking back at 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Not only is it the end of another year packed with food and family adventures but it&#8217;s the end of a decade which is ending rather differently for me to how it began. Back then I was a Business Analyst (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ISEB (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www2.bcs.org\/certifications\/ba\/business-analysis-foundation-certificate\" target=\"_blank\">ISEB<\/a> qualified and everything) in financial services rather than whatever I am now (which feels hard to pin down to a few words). The intervening decade has featured 2 redundancies, a divorce, a number of jobs, a marriage, a birth, a house move, a whole lot of travel and a predictably large amount of food. I don&#8217;t suspect for a moment that the niceties of my life throughout the decade are of great interest but, as is starting to feel traditional, let&#8217;s have a look at the highlights of the last 12 months.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>January<\/strong><br>The <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2018\/08\/19\/feed-leeds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"first meal (opens in a new tab)\">first meal<\/a> to pierce this month&#8217;s post-festive vagueness was Sunday Lunch at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Feed (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/feed-leeds.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">Feed<\/a> in a Leeds suburb that featured fried chicken and padron peppers to complement more traditional main courses. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Coconut Lagoon (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.coconutlagoonuk.com\" target=\"_blank\">Coconut Lagoon<\/a> hosted Baby Fork&#8217;s mate&#8217;s first birthday and was as fabulous value as ever while Alternative Sunday Lunch from (the now sadly departed <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2018\/09\/26\/born-to-lose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Born to Lose (opens in a new tab)\">Born to Lose<\/a>) was in the process of establishing itself as the best value meal in York. We also sneaked in a trip to Keswick where we popped into the perennially tasty <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesquareorange.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Square Orange (opens in a new tab)\">Square Orange<\/a> and called by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rheged.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Rheged Centre (opens in a new tab)\">Rheged Centre<\/a> for a tremendous brunch with local ingredients on the way home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19532\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3645-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Feed Fried Chicken<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3735-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Born to Lose Alternative Sunday Lunch<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3825-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Square Orange Tapas<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>February<\/strong><br>Obviously the highlight of February was spending \u00a33000 on a new boiler, but there was still time (and funds) for some food related fun. A <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/02\/08\/sushi-time-with-york-cookery-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"sushi course (opens in a new tab)\">sushi course<\/a> with a Masterchef Professional at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorkcookeryschool.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York Cookery School (opens in a new tab)\">York Cookery School<\/a> taught me plenty as did an evening learning to cook the perfect steak at The Grand&#8217;s new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.googleadservices.com\/pagead\/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwiG87fGjeLmAhVGtO0KHR2PCiYYABAAGgJkZw&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESQOD2R0I_b2ATD9rMQEEX0bFb0T95DMEy7obWqE3U7gjrVazfN2NYbS9eSkRHet4oX-IVaf08s0vC1aDYGwIBXuU&amp;sig=AOD64_0ngHO8fOoAcCMAAEta1vsdkCcQig&amp;q=&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiyh7HGjeLmAhXhVBUIHXlDAyQQ0Qx6BAgNEAE&amp;adurl=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Cookery School. (opens in a new tab)\">Cookery School.<\/a> Mokosh started to make its presence felt with stunning pierogi and is hopefully bound for great things. We enjoyed an impressive <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/03\/11\/afternoon-tea-at-oxos-on-the-mount\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"afternoon tea (opens in a new tab)\">afternoon tea<\/a> at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oxosrestaurantyork.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Oxo's on The Mount (opens in a new tab)\">Oxo&#8217;s on The Mount<\/a> on Baby Fork&#8217;s first birthday and also marked that occasion with a stunning cake from a friend that suited the occasion perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19535\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4149-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19536\" width=\"580\" height=\"773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4198-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"895\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-1024x895.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-1024x895.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-300x262.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-768x671.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-1536x1342.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_3911-2048x1790.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>Sushi<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>March<\/strong><br>As we made our way out of the colder months, March turned out to be busy, featuring notable meals at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Fish &amp; Forest (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/04\/fish-forest-moves-to-gillygate\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fish &amp; Forest<\/a> during their stint at Spark and brunch from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Press Kitchen (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thepresskitchen.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">The Press Kitchen<\/a>. We also had a cracking light dinner at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Cave Du Cochon (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.caveducochon.uk\" target=\"_blank\">Cave Du Cochon<\/a> on the way to a Goldie Lookin&#8217; Chain gig (a unique combination I suspect). This month also saw the finalists awarded at the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Garbutt &amp; Elliot Food Awards (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.garbutt-elliott.co.uk\/food-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\">Garbutt &amp; Elliot Food Awards<\/a>, a judging panel that it was extremely rewarding to be a part of. <a href=\"http:\/\/thewhippetinn.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Whippet Inn (opens in a new tab)\">The Whippet Inn<\/a> also served up their <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2018\/11\/19\/whippet-pie-menu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"pie menu (opens in a new tab)\">pie menu<\/a> and I was lucky enough to spend an <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/03\/26\/meeting-a-cheerful-masterchef-with-naked-noodles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"evening with Masterchef finalist Nawamin (opens in a new tab)\">evening with Masterchef finalist Nawamin<\/a> over in Leeds. I also spent a<a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/03\/29\/exploring-manchester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" day in Manchester (opens in a new tab)\"> day in Manchester<\/a> exploring with a highlight being lunch at Cottonopollis, who turned out stunning steak tartare and sushi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4255-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Press Kitchen<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4504-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Meeting Nawamin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"983\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-983x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-983x1024.jpeg 983w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-288x300.jpeg 288w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-768x800.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-1475x1536.jpeg 1475w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_4604-1966x2048.jpeg 1966w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 983px) 100vw, 983px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>April<\/strong><br>This is the month of our wedding anniversary so to celebrate, we scheduled in a <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/04\/24\/family-fork-visit-chester\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"trip to Chester (opens in a new tab)\">trip to Chester<\/a>, partly to have the opportunity to dine at the peerless <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/01\/ushering-in-a-new-era\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sticky Walnut. (opens in a new tab)\">Sticky Walnut.<\/a> The city turned out to be beautiful, even if Baby Fork snoozed her way around Chester Zoo. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hankypankypancakes.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Hanky Panky Pancakes (opens in a new tab)\">Hanky Panky Pancakes<\/a> is a top tip should you find yourself in the area. Back in York, a <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/09\/a-foraged-feast-with-mr-p\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"dinner (opens in a new tab)\">dinner<\/a> featuring foraged ingredients at <a href=\"http:\/\/mrpscurioustavern.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Mr P's Curious Tavern (opens in a new tab)\">Mr P&#8217;s Curious Tavern<\/a> really hit the spot, and I was more impressed than I expected to be with <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/08\/going-lebanese-in-leeds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Comptoir Libanais (opens in a new tab)\">Comptoir Libanais<\/a> in Leeds, but personally speaking the silverware my team bought back from an <a href=\"http:\/\/aebba.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"All England Bar Billiards association (opens in a new tab)\">All England Bar Billiards association<\/a> challenger event had to be the highlight of the month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5103-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5245-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>May<\/strong><br>It&#8217;s always a pleasure to find the smaller players in York who maybe don&#8217;t have the time to shout about themselves, so <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/10\/family-fork-visit-almaz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Almaz (opens in a new tab)\">Almaz<\/a> was a treat after a well reputed chef tipped me off to it. An <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/22\/happy-birthday-mak-tok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"evening with Maktok (opens in a new tab)\">evening with Maktok<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.talbotmalton.co.uk\/cookery-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Malton Cookery School (opens in a new tab)\">Malton Cookery School<\/a> was a great opportunity to celebrate some lovely young people who&#8217;ve subsequently earned a chunk of investment from Dragons Den. Baby Fork took her first steps so we accompanied her on strolls around the National Railway Museum and Moorlands Nature Reserve. A musical highlight of the month was my success in persuading a friend to book Professor Elemental for an exceptional evening of steampunk themed chap-hop. Afternoon teas came from <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/05\/29\/afternoon-tea-with-hotel-du-vin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Hotel Du Vin (opens in a new tab)\">Hotel Du Vin<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/06\/06\/silver-service-afternoon-tea-from-hudsons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Grand (opens in a new tab)\">The Grand<\/a> for some sweet indulgence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5334-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5360-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption><em>Maktok<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>June<\/strong><br>Fossgate is one of the best served streets for food in York so the Fossgate Festivals that are held monthly through the summer are a great chance to sample some of its residents&#8217; dishes. On this occasion Kiosk and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oshibi.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Oshibi (opens in a new tab)\">Oshibi<\/a> hit the spot. The <a href=\"https:\/\/herbsunlimited.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Herbs Unlimited (opens in a new tab)\">Herbs Unlimited<\/a> open day has been an annual highlight for the last couple of years and the addition of Josh Whitehead from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harewoodfoodanddrink.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Harewood Food &amp; Drink (opens in a new tab)\">Harewood Food &amp; Drink<\/a> and Nick Brown from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackswanoldstead.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Black Swan at Oldstead (opens in a new tab)\">Black Swan at Oldstead<\/a> to accompany the always fabulous Steph Moon served to ratchet things up another notch for fantastic day. I also had the pleasure of a cookery class with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riverford.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Riverford (opens in a new tab)\">Riverford<\/a> vegetable boxes and attending the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visityork.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Visit York (opens in a new tab)\">Visit York<\/a> Tourism Awards, the judging panel of which it had been an honour to join. The biggest event of the month was Baby Fork&#8217;s first trip abroad to <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/07\/02\/first-travels-with-a-baby\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Amsterdam (opens in a new tab)\">Amsterdam<\/a>, featuring a food walking tour, a science museum, Europe&#8217;s highest swing, food vending machines and a stunning brunch from Little Collins. Oh, top-tip too, much as I love my knife and fork tattoos&#8230;having both arms tattooed a few hours before a flight with a toddler did turn into something of a bloody endurance test. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_5735-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6040-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"516\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/da5ad770-0611-4eed-ac94-6e2e9d26253d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/da5ad770-0611-4eed-ac94-6e2e9d26253d.jpg 516w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/da5ad770-0611-4eed-ac94-6e2e9d26253d-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px\" \/><figcaption>nor<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>July<\/strong><br>This month started with a memorable <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brunch (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/07\/20\/assembly-underground-brunch-launch\/\" target=\"_blank\">brunch<\/a> in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Assembly Underground (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.assemblyunderground.com\" target=\"_blank\">Assembly Underground<\/a> over in Leeds. This place is run by great people with the right idea about what constitutes good food, try the breakfast tater tots if you call by early in the day. I also made my first (overdue) trip to The Great Yorkshire Show courtesy of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spiritofharrogate.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Slingsby Gin (opens in a new tab)\">Slingsby Gin<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/04\/16\/yorks-chocolate-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York's Chocolate Story (opens in a new tab)\">York&#8217;s Chocolate Story<\/a> welcomed me for an evening of cocoa based fun and I made the journey to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.castlehoward.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Castle Howard (opens in a new tab)\">Castle Howard<\/a> for a look at their new adventure playground &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/07\/21\/welcome-to-skelf-island\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Skelf Island (opens in a new tab)\">Skelf Island<\/a>. Notably that visit introduced Baby Fork to a Blue Peter presenter, at whom she scowled aggressively. Undoubtedly the biggest honour of the month was a trip to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marmadukestownhousehotelyork.com\/the-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Park (opens in a new tab)\">The Park<\/a> at Marmaduke&#8217;s for a charity dinner that Adam Jackson put on for chef Tim Bilton. A trip to <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/07\/30\/searching-for-fairies-in-the-woods-near-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York's first fairy sanctuary (opens in a new tab)\">York&#8217;s first fairy sanctuary<\/a> afforded Baby Fork ample opportunity to run away from us, acquiring her first ever scraped knee in the process. We then made our way to the interactive <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/08\/01\/the-van-gogh-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Van Gogh experience (opens in a new tab)\">Van Gogh experience<\/a> in a church on Coppergate. I got to spend a day reviewing the latest special edition <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/08\/11\/getting-to-know-the-mazda-mx5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Mazda MX-5 (opens in a new tab)\">Mazda MX-5<\/a> in the Cotswolds, oh and I turned forty. A perfect opportunity for a meal out surely, <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/08\/15\/bridge-cottage-bistro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Bridge Cottage Bistro (opens in a new tab)\">Bridge Cottage Bistro<\/a> fitting the role perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6535-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8592-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"965\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-965x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-965x1024.jpeg 965w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-283x300.jpeg 283w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-768x815.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-1447x1536.jpeg 1447w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_6848-1929x2048.jpeg 1929w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 965px) 100vw, 965px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>August<\/strong><br>Drag racing in the UK needs all the help it can get so <a href=\"https:\/\/straightliners.events\/index.php\/events\/car-events\/melbourne-raceway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"an event (opens in a new tab)\">an event<\/a> at what was York Raceway was not to be missed. I also got to fulfil a personal dream by seeing the Dead Kennedys live over at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brudenellsocialclub.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Brudenell Club (opens in a new tab)\">Brudenell Club<\/a> in Leeds. <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/08\/26\/vice-virtue\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Vice &amp; Virtue (opens in a new tab)\">Vice &amp; Virtue<\/a> hit me with a stunning tasting menu in further 40th birthday celebrations while I made my way back to Castle Howard to check out Countryfile Live.  <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/09\/07\/hidden-harewood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Hidden Harewood (opens in a new tab)\">Hidden Harewood<\/a> provided a stunningly memorable dining experience throughout the Harewood Estate and I also got to judge children&#8217;s art at the Bilsdale show &#8211; an engagement that puts me under most pressure annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7183-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>September<\/strong><br>This month brought more judging, this time for the <a href=\"https:\/\/deliciouslyorkshire.co.uk\/2019-taste-awards-shortlist-announced\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Deliciously Yorkshire Food Awards (opens in a new tab)\">Deliciously Yorkshire Food Awards<\/a>. That might sound glamorous but 24 preserves for breakfast before 40 cakes and a selection of kombuchas, kaffirs and savoury items made for a taxing day. <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/09\/15\/homage-du-fromage-comes-to-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Homage 2 Fromage (opens in a new tab)\">Homage 2 Fromage<\/a> debuted in York at Lendal Cellars and <a href=\"https:\/\/zaapthai.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Zaap Thai (opens in a new tab)\">Zaap Thai<\/a> took over the former Gourmet Burger Kitchen site on Lendal. This month was dominated by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yorkfoodfestival.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York Food &amp; Drink Festival (opens in a new tab)\">York Food &amp; Drink Festival<\/a> though, my involvement with which was greater than expected this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7556-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7716-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>October<\/strong><br>October started with a quality steak at <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/10\/11\/firelake-leeds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Firelake (opens in a new tab)\">Firelake<\/a> in Leeds before I made my way back to home turf to check out an expansion at <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/10\/15\/expansion-at-robinsons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Robinson's (opens in a new tab)\">Robinson&#8217;s<\/a> on Bishy Road, thoroughly deserved success for a real gem of the city. Fine dining came from Melton&#8217;s and I got the chance to turn my hand to fudge making with <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/10\/17\/a-sweet-treat-with-fudge-kitchen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York Fudge Kitchen (opens in a new tab)\">York Fudge Kitchen<\/a>. A trip around <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/10\/30\/130-years-of-history-in-a-jar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Shaws (opens in a new tab)\">Shaws<\/a> gave an insight into producing condiments, a contrasting experience to axe throwing with <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/10\/finding-an-axe-to-grind-on-gillygate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"The Hilt (opens in a new tab)\">The Hilt<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/04\/fish-forest-moves-to-gillygate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Fish and Forest (opens in a new tab)\">Fish and Forest<\/a> also moved on from Spark to The Gillygate where they continued to provide some of the best seafood in York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_7820-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8107-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>November<\/strong><br>It would have been hard to turn down a couple of days in a French chateau that hosted a Michelin starred restaurant. So I didn&#8217;t (review to come). Covering that for <a href=\"https:\/\/calibremag.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Calibre (opens in a new tab)\">Calibre<\/a> was definitely the headline experience of the month, though that didn&#8217;t make me enjoy my other meals out any less. The Star Inn the City launched their new <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/16\/supper-with-the-star-inn-the-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Supper Club (opens in a new tab)\">Supper Club<\/a>, Castle Howard launched their typically breathtaking <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/20\/a-christmas-masquerade-with-castle-howard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Christmas Decorations (opens in a new tab)\">Christmas Decorations<\/a> and I enjoyed the new lunch menu from Roots. A dinner at <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/11\/18\/a-learning-experience-with-the-future-of-food-in-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"York College's training restaurant (opens in a new tab)\">York College&#8217;s training restaurant<\/a> was a new experience and Street Cleaver&#8217;s Thai pop up packed in lots of their typical flavour punches. I also finally got myself to <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/12\/10\/malton-cookery-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Malton Cookery School (opens in a new tab)\">Malton Cookery School<\/a> to enjoy a course on game cookery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8913-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_8282-2048x1536.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>December<\/strong><br>In the run up to Christmas, I finally got round to sharing my experiences of my 40th birthday present, the <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/12\/01\/sage-barista-express\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Sage Barista Express (opens in a new tab)\">Sage Barista Express<\/a> coffee machine. <a href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2019\/12\/13\/chef-lus-chinese\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Chef Lu's (opens in a new tab)\">Chef Lu&#8217;s<\/a> Chinese was the latest York food gem I unearthed while I also had a day out in London that featured some excellent snacks at Seven Dials Food Court just around the corner from Covent Garden. The wonderful people at SASH put on an inspiring evening at the National Centre for Early Music to share details of the vital work they do with youth homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-19562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/IMG_9016-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, it&#8217;s been quite an eventful year, as seems to generally be the case these days. I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to enjoy some stunning food, travel to some interesting places, drive some cool cars and (even better) involve my family in a lot of it. Baby Fork has made the leap to becoming Toddler Fork, helping us toward our 10,000 steps a day by demanding to be chased frequently and I can&#8217;t wait to see what the new decade brings. It&#8217;s hard to see it being more eventful than the last one!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not only is it the end of another year packed with food and family adventures but it&#8217;s the end of a decade which is ending rather differently for me to how it began. Back then I was a Business Analyst (ISEB qualified and everything) in financial services rather than whatever I am now (which feels&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[220],"class_list":["post-19480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-york","category-5","description-off"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Looking back at 2019 - York on a Fork<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A review of my experiences in 2019, including food &amp; drink in York amongst other trips further afield and general musings.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/yorkonafork.com\/2020\/01\/01\/looking-back-at-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Looking back at 2019 - 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