Fish & Forest, York
Fish&Forest is a forward-thinking sustainable fish and game restaurant, which sources the best ingredients and was recognised in the Michelin Guide within a few months of opening for its commitment to Sustainable Gastronomy.
Situated in the heart of York, on the top of Micklegate, Fish&Forest is an unpretentious sustainable fish and game bistro by Chef-Owner Stephen Andrews, supported by Yohan Barthelemy. The pair aim to bring the quality of fine-dining in the techniques we use to prepare and source the ingredients but are committed to maintaining a relaxed attitude on the restaurant floor, with a vibrant atmosphere and welcoming staff.
Fox & Hounds, Hunsdon
Independent gastro-pub and events venue, Hertfordshire
The Fox & Hounds, Hunsdon is a modern European restaurant and pub set in the Hertfordshire countryside. It is the only Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in the county.
Head chef and owner, James Rix, serves imaginative food with rustic Italian and French influences. James previously worked alongside chefs Gary Rhodes and Alastair Little, and was head chef at Tom Conran’s The Cow in Notting Hill. Driven by a desire to open their own restaurant outside London, In 2004 James and and his wife, Bianca who runs the front of house, fell in love with and opened the striking Fox & Hounds, lovingly restoring it to create the stylish restaurant and pub you see today.
The simple but sophisticated menu features creative seasonal food with seasonal ingredients including light dishes like Crab Taco with mango salsa and hand-made spaghetti with clams to Swaledale Lamb Rump and Old Spot Pork Loin. Ingredients are carefully sourced including rare-breed meat, native Cornish lobsters and local game.
The Fox & Hounds is stylishly decorated with eclectic furniture, quirky art and shelves full of James’ favourite recipe books. The light and spacious dining room is perfect for private parties from weddings to family gatherings or business events, while the terrace and garden are a peaceful spot to relax in the summer.
Gareth Ward at Ynyshir
Michelin-star restaurant and rooms in Wales
Ynyshir is a Michelin star, 5 AA* rosette restaurant and rooms in Wales. Chef Owner, Gareth Ward, is the Good Food Guide’s Chef of the Year 2019 and regularly cited as one of the most exciting chefs in the country.
Gareth Ward’s philosophy is ‘Ingredient Led, Flavour Driven, Fat Fuelled, Meat Obsessed’. Ynyshir is all about great food, great music and amazing drinks. Ward describes it as: ‘fun dine’ rather than ‘fine dine’.Ward is passionate about using the best British ingredients to create dining experiences rather than just a meal. He doesn’t adhere to traditional culinary rules with every small dish taking you on a journey of flavours, textures and ingredients.
Chef Gareth Ward is passionate about using the best ingredients including local meat, foraged herbs and berries - for example tapping all the birch in their grounds to make syrup or the whole team taking a day out to harvest and preserve wild garlic for the year ahead. He is also known for his use of Japanese techniques and ingredients like miso, dashi, mirin and soy which enable him to get as much flavour as possible out of the other ingredients while keeping the dishes light. Ward is renowned for his dedication to ageing meat to improve its flavour and texture and Ynyshir is the first restaurant in the UK to have a fully-wrap around Himalayan Salt Chamber.
Tucked away between the golden sands of Borth Beach and the rugged mountains of Snowdonia National Park in Wales, Ynyshir’s location makes it the perfect remote escape for food lovers looking for a completely unique culinary experience. The dining experience takes guests on a creative journey through Wales and the British Isles, surprising and delighting their taste buds with every dish.
Bia Rebel Ramen
Ramen shop and take-away in Belfast
Bia Rebel Ramen is a small casual restaurant and take-away in Belfast which fuses the best Irish produce with Japanese cuisine to create addictive bowls of “authentic Irish ramen”. With plans to open a second site in the city in 2020, founders Brian Donnelly and Jenny Holland have brought us in to help raise their profile in the UK media, to grow the Bia Rebel brand and tell Brian’s inspiring story.
‘Bia’ means food in Irish and founders chef Brian Donnelly and his partner Jenny Holland are true their name rebelling against formal fine dining and cheap fast food. They aim to create “food that touches your soul” at affordable prices in an informal setting. It’s their passion for delivery and ability to execute it that sets Bia Rebel apart. “We want to create an eating experience that is comforting, nourishing and at the same time exciting and totally unique.”
Winners of the Observer Food Monthly Cheap Eats Award in 2018, Bia Rebel opened only a few months earlier in March 2018. With just 12 seats and take-away, Bia Rebel locals, students and even Japanese families come in for fast nourishing bowl of ramen.
Brian started working in kitchens aged just 13 spending most of his career in Michelin-star restaurants led by the likes of Gary Rhodes, Gordon Ramsey and Kevin Thornton and the creator of Irish cuisine Myrtle Allen at Ballymaloe. By 2017 he needed to step away from the stress of working in fine dining restaurants and Jenny convinced him that the time was right to open their own place. After a year of trialling concepts at Belfast’s St George’s Market, they hit on ramen.
Brian says: “We decided to focus on just one product and hit upon the iconic Japanese noodle which is loved across the world. We’re not trying to be Japanese. We’re an Irish restaurant. It just so happens this wonderful, perfect dish we’re making is considered Japanese. Provided you adhere to basic building blocks you can make it what you want.”
Brian quickly found out that it was impossible to source fresh noodles here so set his mind to perfecting his own recipe. He says “Our noodles are made by hand from just a few ingredients - it’s a pure process that takes huge commitment and dedication.”
Jenny says: “We see Ireland and Japan as two island nations with so much wonderful produce to choose from. We chose our suppliers carefully, and use small farmers and independent producers as much as possible. You won’t find produce of this quality and this price anywhere else.”
PX+ Festival
PX+ Festival
17-19 August, 2019
PX+ Festival is a unique event for the hospitality industry which gives people working in the sector the opportunity to create, share, discuss and celebrate. It is created for the industry, by the industry
PX+ Festival brings together top chefs, farmers, bakers, butchers, makers, suppliers and producers to create for a weekend-long event held at Duchess Farms in Hertfordshire.
PX+ Festival is the spark to launch real change – not only for the way we work, but also how we support and look out for each other. It’s a chance to join discussions in the “Let’s Talk About It” Barn, share thoughts and plan actions; to take part in workshops and rest and rejuvenate with yoga and massage as well as kick back to the sounds of live music and guest DJs.
In its first year PX+ hosted over 230 headline acts from restaurants, hotels, cafes, and suppliers to the industry alongside 30 of the UK’s top chefs. In 2019 the event will be even bigger.
pxplusfestival.com
Chef: Andrew Sheridan
Andrew Sheridan is an up and coming chef who represented Wales on Great British Menu in 2018 and was branded ‘the maverick chef’ for his unconventional approach. He scored a couple of 10s from Paul Ainsworth and the other judges.
Sosban is housed in striking Victorian Pumphouse close to the sea at Llanelli. Since he arrived in autumn last year, he’s transformed the food leading on tasting menus which play with intriguing flavours, textures and temperatures.
Sosban is one of the most exciting restaurants in Wales. Andrew and his team create menus that connect diners with each dish either through memories, taste or seasons. Andrew cooks with flair and imagination, combining bold flavours with intriguing textures and temperatures to create a memorable experience all served in a relaxed environment.
Andrew believes that each dish should tell a story - torched mackerel for example, is reminiscent of barbecuing fresh fish on the beach. He says “My philosophy is simple: I use the best possible ingredients to create dishes that emphasise seasonal flavours and excite the palate. Whether that is the freshest seafood, seasonal fruit and vegetables or the best quality meat, every item on the menu is meticulously sourced and each plate is designed to intrigue and excite our diners.”
Sosban is becoming renowned for its four- and seven-course tasting menus (with vegetarian versions). The menu features some of Andrew’s signature dishes such as Cod Five Ways, cabbage puree, salt and vinegar chips; and Pembrokeshire Goat, torched cucumber, caramelised goats cheese and wild garlic and his elevated apple rice-pudding made famous when it scored 10 points from judges on the Great British Menu.