An unforgettable dining experience - Chef’s Table by Josh Barnes at Swinton Park
I was lucky enough to be invited along as a guest to experience the Chef’s Table by Josh Barnes at Swinton Park Hotel.
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Food, Drink & Stay
You have probably heard about Yorkshire's famous hospitality, so in this section of my blog I will be giving some recommendations as to the best places to stay for both 5 star treatment and on a budget, as well as where to got to sample the finest Yorkshire fayre.
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Yorkshire has a wealth of independent food producers, micro breweries and gin distilleries as well as quaint tea rooms, traditional country inns, gastro pubs, street food markets and farm shops - so we will be exploring and reviewing the best of Yorkshire's food and drink scene.
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Hope the articles here give you a flavour (pardon the pun) of what Yorkshire has to offer for visitors....
timbarber
- Jun 9
- 4 min
Arras – fine dining, full of flavour in York
A friend of mine who lives in York had raved on about Arras for a number of years, so with a tour finishing in York last Friday and my wife
91 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 6
- 3 min
Yockenthwaite Farm Granola - diversification in the Dales (at Helen's Farm!)
I’m sure many people have watched the new series of All Creatures Great and Small and seen the beautiful farmstead at the foot of the fells
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timbarber
- Apr 11
- 3 min
Ditto in Whitby – excellent food and a pleasant change from fish and chips
Whilst in Whitby for a few days, we decided on our last night to have a change from pub grub or fish and chips. After googling...
561 views0 comments
timbarber
- Nov 16, 2023
- 3 min
Delicious home-made pasta and Calabrese food in the heart of Ilkley
Over the years I had been a few times to the little village of Ben Rhydding just outside Ilkley, to a small, homely restaurant called...
104 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 19, 2023
- 2 min
After Fred & Nadiya visited in Remarkable Places to Eat – I needed to try the famous Crab Brioche...
I’d been looking forward to checking out The Seaview Restaurant in Saltburn for a while after seeing Fred Sirieix and Nadiya Hussain...
3,270 views0 comments
timbarber
- Sep 26, 2023
- 4 min
York Minster Refectory – top food in a heritage building
After donating a Tour of York as a prize for a charity auction at the Yorkshire Awards, I was surprised when my wife and her friend...
280 views1 comment
timbarber
- Aug 28, 2023
- 4 min
The Abbey Inn at Byland – a Perfect Sunday Lunch at Tommy Banks New Pub
I’d heard that Michelin starred chef Tommy Banks had recently bought the Abbey Inn opposite Byland Abbey and turned it into a pub. It...
686 views0 comments
timbarber
- Aug 3, 2023
- 1 min
Yorkshire's Best Food Blogs according to FeedSpot
I recently found out that this Real Yorkshire Blog had been listed by Feedspot, the global blogger directory as one of the Top 15...
82 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 8, 2023
- 2 min
Yorkshire Chorizo - delicious charcuterie made in the heart of the Dales
I often call into Town End Farm Shop in Airton when taking clients on tours of the Yorkshire Dales. This great little tea room with views...
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timbarber
- Jul 5, 2023
- 3 min
The Wensleydale Heifer – wonderful sea food in Wensleydale
After walking the 6 Dales Trail between Otley and Middleham, we had decided to spend an extra night in Middleham and have a rest and...
175 views0 comments
timbarber
- Nov 13, 2022
- 2 min
Estbeck House – Seafood supper in Sandsend
I’ve been wanting to visit Estbeck House for a while, having heard about its great seafood offering on the Yorkshire Coast. Now the kids...
173 views2 comments
timbarber
- Oct 31, 2022
- 3 min
From war torn Syria to Sowerby Bridge - the inspiring story behind Yorkshire "Squeaky" Cheese!
Whilst exhibiting at The Great White Food Festival in Harrogate, I managed to get the chance to wander around the other stands and chat...
1,074 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 30, 2022
- 4 min
Buckden to Cray to Hubberholme loop with lunch at The George Inn
I regularly drive through upper Wharfedale on my All Creatures Great & Small tours, stopping at Hubberholme to visit the church of St...
552 views0 comments
timbarber
- Sep 23, 2022
- 3 min
Sunny side up: Some of the best breakfast spots in York
Guest blogger Sean O'Connor takes us through some of his favourite breakfast spots in York... Enjoying a scrumptious breakfast is the...
1,070 views0 comments
timbarber
- Aug 10, 2022
- 7 min
Yorkshire's Top 5 Picnic Spots revealed in new study - do you agree?
A survey by our friends Hampers by Dellie about Yorkshire's picnic spots was recently published - see the article below. But what do you...
160 views1 comment
timbarber
- Jun 13, 2022
- 3 min
The Black Swan at Helmsley – a comfortable stay at a historic location
Needing to head up to the North York Moors to recce a walking route for a future tour, myself and my wife decided at short notice to head...
470 views0 comments
timbarber
- May 2, 2022
- 2 min
Restaurant Number 20 at Port Mulgrave – a homely Michelin Plate gem on the Yorkshire Coast
I’ve been meeting with a group of old mates from Leeds University for a number of years for an annual walking weekend, but this year I...
1,353 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 20, 2022
- 4 min
The Man Behind the Curtain – innovative dishes with more than a touch of theatre...
For a vibrant city the size of Leeds, you would expect it to have more than just one Michelin starred restaurant. But The Man Behind the...
203 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 17, 2022
- 2 min
Fine Dining in Yorkshire - Michelin Star and Michelin Plate Restaurants 2022
With this years Michelin Guide 2022 launched on 16th February – it is great news that in a year when we still experienced the after...
1,224 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 13, 2022
- 3 min
Is Yorkshire the most romantic place to celebrate Valentine’s Day?
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner – I decided to give some thought as to why Love and Yorkshire go hand in hand, plus how and...
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timbarber
- Feb 11, 2022
- 4 min
The Magpie Cafe - Yorkshire's best fish & chips? Discuss!
The Magpie Café in Whitby is a bit of a Yorkshire Institution and its popularity can be seen by the queues which form outside most...
777 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jan 3, 2022
- 4 min
Simonstone Hall - a great all round experience for a post New Year break
I regularly stop for lunch at Simonstone Hall on my way up and over Buttertubs during my tours of the Yorkshire Dales. My guests are...
393 views0 comments
timbarber
- Dec 29, 2021
- 3 min
Mowgli Street Food in Leeds - finding out what all the fuss was about?
In the space of a week, my daughter and a client both raved on about Mowgli, I saw an article in the newspaper about the founder Nisha...
1,007 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 4, 2021
- 3 min
Fine Dining in Middleham - The Tack Room Restaurant at The Wensleydale Hotel
Every September, one of my school pals comes up to Yorkshire with his partner for a week’s break in Middleham. Over the years I have been...
185 views0 comments
timbarber
- Sep 11, 2021
- 3 min
Pontefract Cakes – the liquorice lozenge and its Yorkshire heritage
These small tablets of liquorish are synonymous with Yorkshire but what is the story behind these strange black confectionary disks,...
845 views1 comment
timbarber
- Aug 6, 2021
- 3 min
Skosh – a delicious small plate sharing experience in York
Having arrived back in Yorkshire after a week’s holiday in Northumberland, we still had a Friday off. To end our break in style I had...
50 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 25, 2021
- 4 min
Stonebeck Cheese - a delicious raw cow's milk cheese made in Nidderdale
If you mention Yorkshire cheese – most people would immediately think of the crumbly Wensleydale cheese made famous by Wallace and...
656 views1 comment
timbarber
- Jul 1, 2021
- 2 min
The newly launched - Yorkshire Wine Trail
In late July there was a flurry of activity on social media about the launch of a Yorkshire Wine Trail. Whilst I was aware of Yorkshire...
154 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 21, 2021
- 3 min
Home – relaxed, informal fine dining in Leeds
I’d heard lots of people raving about the Leeds based restaurant Home, situated where the old Darbar Indian restaurant once was in...
134 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 18, 2021
- 2 min
Hail the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle
It’s that time of year again, when Rhubarb features on the menu again. But its not just rhubarb crumbles or pies, Chefs are now using...
103 views0 comments
timbarber
- Feb 20, 2021
- 2 min
Yorkshire Chorizo Jam – too good to be true…
I’d bought a jar of Chorizo Jam whilst conducting a food tour of the Yorkshire Dales for some clients during the summer during a stop off...
70 views1 comment
timbarber
- Feb 6, 2021
- 2 min
Two more Yorkshire Restaurants receive Michelin Stars in 2021
The 25th January saw some great news when the Michelin Guide for 2021 awarded two new Yorkshire Restaurants with a coveted Michelin Star....
161 views1 comment
timbarber
- Jan 18, 2021
- 3 min
Fruitcake paired with cheese – weird or wonderful?
An old rugby pal of mine from London decided to pay a visit to Yorkshire with his family before Covid struck. We ended up going with his...
2,625 views1 comment
timbarber
- Dec 14, 2020
- 3 min
Festive Food Traditions in Yorkshire
People travel from far and wide to experience a traditional Yorkshire Christmas, with many of our older towns and cities decking...
251 views1 comment
timbarber
- Nov 22, 2020
- 3 min
Old Peculier Ale – What’s in a name?
Theakston’s Brewey based in the Yorkshire Dales market town of Masham has been brewing ale since 1827. It is still run by direct family...
2,366 views2 comments
timbarber
- Nov 3, 2020
- 4 min
A last supper before lockdown – The Angel Inn at Hetton
The Angel at Hetton in the Yorkshire Dales had become a bit of a Yorkshire institution over the years and was widely regarded as the UK’s...
152 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 6, 2020
- 3 min
The Lickerish Tooth Distillery – weird and wonderful gin making in Lythe near Whitby
Whilst helping renovate a cottage in Staithes over the last week, I have been forced to make a number of trips down the coast road to...
525 views0 comments
timbarber
- Oct 3, 2020
- 3 min
Shepherds Purse relaunch their Yorkshire Fettle to help support the UK’s Sheep milk industry
I’ve always been a fan of Shepherds Purse cheeses, being a particular fan of their Yorkshire Blue and Harrogate Blue cheeses. Having...
55 views0 comments
timbarber
- Aug 19, 2020
- 2 min
A taste of Italy comes to Yorkshire - The Yorkshire Pasta Company
Well, I had never realised that the Yorkshire Pasta Company existed until it was pointed out to me by Chris Wildman on a recent visit to...
101 views1 comment
timbarber
- Aug 9, 2020
- 3 min
Andrew Pern’s The Star Inn the Harbour – a delicious fish supper
Whilst staying in Staithes on a week’s holiday, we decided to go for tea at The Star Inn the Harbour in Whitby. It is owned by Michelin...
41 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 26, 2020
- 4 min
Sunday Lunch at The Box Tree in Ilkley
Well you are not 55 every day of the week, so as a special treat my wife had booked for a family birthday (Sunday) lunch with the kids at...
635 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jul 1, 2020
- 3 min
Ye Old Shambles Tavern – one of York’s famous pubs prepares to re-opens
With opportunities to guide limited at present, I made contact with Keith Mclean owner of Ye Old Shambles Tavern and his manager Luke to...
652 views1 comment
timbarber
- Jun 22, 2020
- 4 min
The Yorkshire Pudding - a humble history
I was lucky enough to be taken by Visit Britain to New York and Boston last year to promote Yorkshire to the US Travel Trade. Over 5 days...
701 views0 comments
timbarber
- Jun 10, 2020
- 3 min
The story behind Timothy Taylor's Boltmaker's new name?
It’s no secret amongst my friends that I am a fan of Timothy Taylor’s beers – with Landlord and Boltmaker being particular favourites....
1,054 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 29, 2020
- 2 min
Filey Bay – Yorkshire’s First Single Malt Whisky
I was lucky enough to take a tour of the Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery in Hunmanby on the Yorkshire Coast early in 2019. It was a great...
71 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 29, 2020
- 6 min
Yorkshire Beer and Cheese Pairing...
Very controversial I know, but there has been a gradual move for cheese enthusiasts to suggest that beer works better with cheese than...
299 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 3, 2020
- 3 min
A Yorkshire Classic - A focus on Wensleydale Cheese
Named after one of the northern Yorkshire Dales, Wensleydale cheese has a long history with the Dale. The cheese itself has been made in...
408 views0 comments
timbarber
- Apr 1, 2020
- 2 min
Harrogate Blue - award winning cheese
Whenever I have friends up to visit particularly from down South, its always good to put together a bit of a Yorkshire cheeseboard. There...
30 views0 comments
timbarber
- Mar 30, 2020
- 4 min
The Owl, Leeds Kirkgate Market - a review
Back in November 2019, I read an interesting review from the restaurant critic Grace Dent in The Guardian about a new restaurant which...
234 views0 comments
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