From curries to steaks; what is on the menu in Yorkshire?
THERE are plenty of other Yorkshire staples doing us proud this year, from food suppliers to bona fide restaurants.
It’s prime time for Yorkshire’s award-winning food businesses and managing director of The Wensleydale Creamery, David Hartley, said he was “delighted” after the creamery scooped a Super Gold award for its Wensleydale Blue cheese at the prestigious 2015 World Cheese Awards at the BBC Good Food Show, Birmingham. It was up against nearly 3,000 entrants, judged by 250 industry experts, and has now been ranked one of the best 62 cheeses in the world.
Yorkshire family-run brewery, Little Valley, has launched a premium, organic and vegan barleywine ale to celebrate its 10th anniversary, and Whitelock’s Ale House in Leeds is celebrating a negotiation which means that the pub, most famous for its Sunday Dinners, will be able to sell ale from its very own brewery.
In Yorkshire, we’re well-known for our love of curries, just as much a good steak.
Thankfully, neither are in short supply if you fancy a change before starting on the turkey and trimmings of the Christmas season.
Harrogate’s Cardamom Black restaurant in Harrogate has been shortlisted as an ‘exceptional’ Asian restaurant in the Best in Britain Awards, having only launched four years ago in a derelict Empire Theatre building.
Listed in the north east region, they were also listed in the top 50 Best in Britain Awards alongside some of the UK’s well-established and Michelin-starred Asian restaurants.
Cardamom Black Pan South Asian restaurant and cocktail bar on Cheltenham Parade have been highlighted as a “new to the list, but highly recommended” restaurant.
Nick Rahman, owner of Cardamom Black restaurant, said: “We are delighted to have won this prestigious award and are really proud to be listed amongst some of the finest Indian restaurants in Britain.
“In just four years of opening it is the third award we’ve achieved, as we previously won Best Indian Restaurant in the highly regarded Oliver Awards in 2013 and runner-up in the Northern Design Awards in 2012, which we have been shortlisted for again this year.
“The Best in Britain Awards is a real achievement, not only for us, but for the region to be recognised alongside other fantastic Asian restaurants nationally, in what is a hugely competitive industry.”
Cardamom Black is a 200 cover restaurant, with a cocktail bar and private dining area for events and parties.
Ox Club is the new grill restaurant launched last night at Headrow House, from the entrepreneurs behind Belgrave Music Hall.
The new offering is built around an imported Grillworks grill from the US, and cooked using natural woods. All the meats are smoked on site too.
Ox Club is one of only three restaurants in the UK to have the solid fuel Grillworks grill, serving Hanger Steak and home fries, Himalayan salt-aged beef, cherry-wood smoked ox cheek with bacon jam and scallops cooked on coals with grapefruit.
The concept oushed forward by Ben Davy, head chef at Belgrave and the man behind Patty Smiths Burgers, Dough Boys Pizza and Fu-Schinkens, will be the first restaurant for the food entrepreneur.
The Yorkshire hanger steak was the highlight of the evening, seared on the outside on that fantastic grill and tender in the middle – medium rare is perfect for this one.
My dinner date for the evening, Lorna, was highly impressed with the double cooked chips as an accompaniment, as well as an amazing bearnaise sauce and salsa verde.
TO EAT: Hanger steak with double cooked chips and/or the cod if you’re more of a fish person
