York Minster Refectory restaurant gives first taste of locally sourced, seasonal menu

Michelin starred chef Andrew Pern and his team have revealed a first, early taste of the seasonal Yorkshire food and produce which will be at the heart of their menus in the new York Minster Refectory.

When it opens in the coming months the new brasserie style restaurant will be run day to day by Joshua Brimmel, executive head chef of The Star Inn The City, who with Andrew will also now oversee the development of the menu and all food and hospitality functions. The menu and approach behind it will fit in with the “style, history and former use of the building”.

“We are about 75 per cent there with the menu and will be bringing character, individuality and style in our approach while offering a high standard of food and restaurant dining, which is in the DNA of what we do,” said Andrew, the restaurateur behind the Michelin starred The Star at Harome and Michelin listed The Star Inn The City York.

“I am lucky to have worked and trained in France on classical dishes, which is the foundation of all my cooking; so the food will very much be old fashioned British-style favourites with a new take through Anglicised French classics; they are classics for a reason, they just work, which is why they are popular.”

Accessible-to-all the brasserie-style restaurant cafe also includes a daytime takeaway element and evening dining along with a mixture of smaller function, lounge and private dining options.

Andrew continued: “The York Minster Refectory will be charismatic, vibrant, memorable and full of personality in our sense of community and a celebration of everything that is good about the food, drink, people and places of York and Yorkshire.

“People are already booking, and asking about spring, summer and Christmas, now that will be quite Dickensian and very much old England, with roast goose, plum pudding, and all those tasty filling crowd pleasers that we love as a people and which we’re known for around the world.”

A small selection of dishes from Andrew and Joshua’s new York Minster Refectory menu being developed includes:

• Carpaccio of Yorkshire venison with garden beetroots, rocket pesto and Spenwood shavings
• Cured North Sea halibut with gooseberry fennel, ewes curd and toasted pikelets.
• Entrecôte steak on the bone
• Braised oxtail in a beer broth with button mushroom, pearl onion, bacon and smoked potato.

While the York Minster Refectory will have a settled fixed menu, Andrew and Joshua will also be putting on a lot of daily seasonal specials.

Joshua Brimmel concluded: “We will let the seasons write our menus; all our food goes hand in hand with the seasons. We have a brilliant pantry of food here in Yorkshire, and we’ll certainly be flying the White Rose flag for our producers.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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