I guess the clue is in the name of the place but ‘Hideaway Kitchen’ really is tucked away in North Yorkshire’s in rolling countryside. Only a short trip by car from York or Harrogate down a single lane road and you find yourself in the most beautiful village of Lower Dunsforth where Georgina and Amelia are working their magic. 

This is no village pub or cafe or restaurant it’s a wonderful mix of all three and more. Over the last few months it has been transformed in to a light and bright all day eatery with Mediterranean influences running through the menu. I was invited by The Harrogate Girl (@THarrogateGirl) to join a group of bloggers for the evening and I am very glad I took up the invite as this place is a hidden gem. Our menu, featuring a range of dishes from the regular evening offering, was fresh and light, making the most of summer produce.

We kicked off with a range of sharing plates including jamon, a sheeps milk cheese that was beautifully salty and rich, crackling strips that had a wonderfully loud crunch, houmous spiced with dukkah and then, the highlight for me, pickled cockle popcorn that popped with flavour.

Next arrived a perfect summer evening dish of crab, pea shoot and nasturtium salad that was expertly seasoned with mojama, a dried and salt cured tuna. Another example of the spanish influences in the cooking here.

The cashew chicken with mango, chilli and Thai basil salsa and a satay dipping sauce was full of colour and summer flavours

The tuna carpaccio brought us back to mediterranean influences with a seasoning of parmesan and spanish olive oil. Simple and delicious.

Then lamb rump with harissa sweet potato, pea and mint salad and chimichurri dressing was definitely a spice hit. 

The evening was rounded off with a fresh and light dessert of strawberry parfait with pistachios and basil.

The Hideaway Kitchen call themselves ‘your home away from home’ and the description is spot on. Part way through the evening, a couple walked through with a pint and a slice of cake confirming to me this is my kind of place. A relaxed and varied offering appealing to a great range of people. It offers something a little different; an opportunity to go for as little or as much food as you want in a relaxed countryside setting but with flavours and influences that stems from a partnership of culinary and travel expertise. I would certainly recommend it and will be returning for more.

Note: I attended Hideaway Kitchen as part of a bloggers event and no charge was made for the evening.

There is something rather exciting about the group of restaurants that make up ‘Elite Bistro’s of the World’. Gary Usher has this wonderful way of inviting you into the family, warts and all and taking you on an emotional roller coaster.  You desperately want him and the restaurant dreams to succeed. And so, nearly a year after our little investment in that dream, we arrived at Wreckfish, voucher in hand.

I have to admit on the train over there was lot of excitement and a bit of trepidation. It had been a great adventure from afar and I wanted reality to live up to expectation. I also made the mistake of looking at the sample menu online. I know the rules. You can’t and shouldn’t expect a sample menu to fully reflect what you might be offered on a given day BUT I spotted the cauliflower risotto on the menu. I have a slight obsession with cauliflower and I wanted it. To my huge relief it was there.

Lunch at Wreckfish is amazing value and the menu perfectly crafted meaning that choosing one starter and one main is hard. You’ve no doubt established by now that for starter I chose the cauliflower risotto and it did not let me down.  The vadouvan spice perfectly balanced bringing the whole thing to life. It was good. Really really good. Mr F went for the ox tongue salad with artichoke and beef croquette. It was beautiful, delicate and a great choice for a summers day.

And so, on to our mains. Oh my, the mains. I had whole plaice perfectly cooked with butter and salty capers and Mr Fs feather blade of beef… well just look at it. Melt in the mouth, rich, beefiness accompanied by silky smooth caramelised cauliflower purée and a side order of gloriously crisp and fluffy parmesan and truffle chips. Mr F didn’t speak for a whole five minutes as he was so immersed in his food! He reluctantly let me try a little and boy did it taste good.

For dessert I had mango sorbet, passion fruit mousse, caramelised white chocolate and pineapple. A brilliantly light and tangy to finish my meal.  Mr F had the strawberry semifreddo, marinated strawberries and fresh honeycomb. Simple and delicious.  We were now officially stuffed full and very happy indeed.

I can’t praise Wreckfish enough.  It was everything I hoped it would be and more.  The food was fantastic value and of the highest quality, the staff clearly proud of what they’ve achieved.  It makes you want to visit again and again. We’ve already talked about a return visit and I can’t wait to see what Gary Usher does next.  

I’m embarrassed to say I have never been to Halifax so we decided on a day of exploring before heading to the Moorcock Inn later on.  Turns out that was a great idea as the Chow Down was on all weekend at The Piece Hall.   If you get the chance go.  Make a day of it, explore the impressively refurbished Piece Hall with its multitude of independent shops, go to the industrial museum and watch quality street being made and lap up the atmosphere at the Chow Down whilst eating a Lebanese chicken kebab, bao buns, deep fried doughnutty goodness and drinking Magic Rock High Wire in the sun.

Then off we went to The Moorcock.  There is always a risk in going somewhere that a few people have recommended to you.  You build up a picture in your mind that can lead to utter disappointment if it doesn’t match up.  However, when both Marina O’Loughlin and Josh Overington tell you about somewhere it is generally wise to listen.  I must admit when we arrived and looked at the slightly tired exterior of this isolated pub, high on the moor, I began to doubt we’d made the right decision.  Though we all know you should never judge a book by its cover and as we walked through the door I’m glad I didn’t.

When it comes to dining out, some might argue against understatement, preferring sophistication and style. I, however love simplicity; ingredients being given room to breathe and tell their story.  For me that’s what sophistication is.  The confidence to keep it simple and not relying on irritating foams or swirls. 

Part of the story of The Moorcock is the connection with nature and fire.  Much of what is served has been cooked, at least in part, in the woodfired ovens outside.  Our table by the open window next to the ovens just added to the evening for me.  The smell of wood fire on a summer’s evening is a joy.

Simplicity runs through this menu.  No choices, other than what to have from the wine list and with Gruner Veltliner as one of the choices I was confident it would be a good evening.  The Moorcock doesn’t mess about. One menu, eight courses, amazing value.

The first to arrive was the bread and cultured butter. Oh my. It’s good. Really really good. So good that we wanted to buy some but other pesky diners got there first and we were out of luck.

Next came a plate of ‘snacks’ and confirmation that this was the kind of place for me. Anyone who can boldly serve woodfired broad beans in their pods with a sprinkling of lovage salt is my kind of chef.  I do have a slightly unhealthy obsession with broad beans and there is nothing more satisfying than opening up the pods and enjoying fresh broad beans at this time of year.  Turns out fire just makes then even better and so my plans for a woodfired oven at home are picking up a pace. Also on the plate sat two perfect slices of cured sea trout with some fresh home made cheese which were a total delight. 

Our next dish was titled courgette, herbs, flowers, currants. When I read this description I was imagining dried fruit (don’t ask me why). What arrived was an explosion of lightly pickled whitecurrant joy nestled amongst fresh yoghurt, herbs and strips of courgette lightly cooked with a hint of the smokiness of the woodfired oven.  Perfect for a summer evening. 

The lightly grilled Lindisfarne oyster with chamomile was paired with a superb bacon and scallop sauce.  I’m not a big fan of oysters (or chamomile) but the texture of them lightly grilled suits me well and the fragrance of the chamomile balanced the sauce with no reminiscence of the tea my mum drinks.

Monkfish with smoked egg yolk and marigold leaves was a confident dish and a highlight of the evening. The rich and creamy smoked egg yolk and a hint of tarragon bringing the dish to life. 

During our first dishes, I was a little surprised to see the head chef emerge from the kitchen and wander over to our table with what looked like a boulder. I wasn’t expecting the delights within. This was no boulder but a whole chicken encased in salt clay that had been slow cooked in the oven.  This is the personality of The Moorcock in a nutshell. Fully immersed in the ingredients, the land, the flavour and wanting to share that journey with everyone who comes.

The dish was worth the wait. The chicken coated in rich chicken liver sauce with little bits of samphire adding seasoning and the gravy, oh my the gravy. Heaven on a plate.

The cooling tea of sorrel and meadowsweet that arrived next was the perfect antidote to all that richness.  

I don’t normally opt for a cheese course, I’m usually trying to avoid being overfed by the end of a meal but the offer of Botton Creamery cheese, Moorland Toome, to be exact, was too hard to resist. This needs no messing about. Some medlar paste and homemade oatcakes allowing the cheese to speak for itself. 

We rounded off the evening with pineapple weed ice cream and gooseberries. Simple again, full of flavour again. You don’t see pineapple weed used much but I love it and it was perfectly placed in a light dessert to round off our meal.

I want places like The Moorcock to thrive. Honest cooking; embracing simplicity and the seasons and bringing joy to those who go on the journey with them.

I’ll certainly be back.