Brewtown Tours brewtowntours.co.uk Everyone knows that York has a plentiful supply of great pubs, but few realise the sheer scale of how many breweries and microbreweries there are in York and the surrounding area, and the list keeps on growing. Apart from Brew York and York Brewery who are both based in the city and offer tours, most of the breweries you see supplying the bars of York are based on farms and industrial estates out of town. Unless you know the brewer you're unlikely to get through the front door, and even if you did, you'd still have to drive home limiting the enjoyment of any tastings. Luckily Mark Stredwick has recently moved back from Australia and brought with him a solution for beer lovers which has become Brewtown Tours. Designed with locals, tourists, and organised events all in mind Mark has put together a selection of different tours that start at York Tap at the station and take in a tour and tasting session at some of the area's best breweries that are usually behind closed doors, finishing back in town a either the Brew York tap room or back at the York Tap. I met up with Ben from York on a Fork for a quick pint in York Tap while we waited for Mark to pick us up at 13:00 then we were straight off to Rudgate at Marston Moor Industrial Estate. There are three different tours available for York and one in Leeds: North West - Rudgate, Yorkshire Heart, then Brew York South East - two from Hop Studio, Half Moon, Ainsty Ales then Brew York Malton - Bad Seed, Brass Castle, then Brew York Leeds - North Brewing, Northern Monk, then Brewery Tap Leeds. The first thing we realised when arriving at Rudgate is that this is a working brewery in full swing and you are in the thick of it rather than looking in from a viewing gallery. We started with a full tour of the site, followed by the opportunity to chat with the head brewer while we sampled some of the beers being brewed around you which included Jorvik, Battleaxe and our favourite, a superb Chocolate Stout. Back in the van...
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Sunday Lunch - The Woodman Inn 16 Main St, Bishopthorpe, York, North Yorkshire YO23 2RB. 01904 706507...
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Sunday Lunch - Guy Fawkes Inn Guy Fawkes Inn, 25 High Petergate, York, YO1 7HO. 01904 466674 As I continue my search for the Best Sunday Lunch in York, we visited The Guy Fawkes Inn, sat in the shadow of York Minster. What's on offer? As the meat on offer changes week to week there is a specials board with the roasts on. Traditional Sunday Lunch Beef, Lamb, or Chicken. And of course... homemade Yorkshire puddings. £10.95 What worked? Almost everything. The beef was one of the nicest cuts of meat I've found on my search for York's Best Sunday Lunch with no gristle to be seen and completely pink in the middle it really was fantastic. Both the mash and the roast potatoes were full of flavour, although the roasties lacked that wonderful crisp shell that I'm finding so elusive. So many places take their Yorkshire's to the very brink of being burnt but these were light and fluffy in the centre and a perfect crisp on top. The side dishes were plentiful and perfectly cooked, the cauliflower cheese was so filling it remained unfinished but the bright, crisp veg was the perfect accompaniment to the main course. Overall we were completely satisfied by the portions and the quality and would recommend this over and over. What didn't work? The dining room at The Guy Fawkes Inn is mainly candle lit with a couple of gas lamps scattered around (most of which are off). It's was quite an effort to get the picture of the meal that is at the top of this page without using a flash as the room is so dark. Although this would be fantastically atmospheric while drinking, I like to see what I'm eating, and it was just a step too dark for me. Is it York's Best Sunday Lunch? It's the best so far all...
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Sunday Lunch - Sutlers While sauntering up an enjoyably pedestrianised Fossgate during a festival I spotted an A-board outside Sutlers announcing their Sunday Lunch. Having not realised they did a roast on Sunday as it wasn't on the main menu that I'd seen previously, I grasped the opportunity and popped in to see if they could be a contender in my search for York's Best Sunday Lunch. What's on offer? I liked the simplicity of the choice for the Sunday menu: Choose from a selection of lamb, beef and pork. Freshly cooked on site this morning. Vegetarian option will be available. 1 course £8.95, 2 courses £11.95. And that was it, so we both plumped for the beef. What worked? I'll start with the beef as this was exceptional. There was absolutely no gristle to be found as it was both a fantastic cut of meat and had been cooked to perfection rendering all the fat leaving an incredible boozily basted crust. The Yorkshire pudding was also bang on, fluffy and soft at the base, and just crisping off around the top. The spuds were full of flavour and combined well with the deep, rich gravy. The simple steamed side veg gave a nice crunch and provided the perfect accompaniment to the richness of the main dish and the addition of the baby sweetcorn was popular at the table. What didn't work? Sutlers really feels like a bar designed for drinking in and not particularly with eating in mind. I felt crammed in, with the uncomfortable school-chairs back to back so neither person could get out without bashing against the person behind them and the sparse environment and hardwood furniture echoed with every noise. Fine for a weekend evening drinking, but not ideal for a sit-down meal. Although the spuds were some of the tastiest I've had so far they lacked any crunch, the only personal disappointment with the food. Is it York's Best Sunday Lunch? It's up there and gains five stars from me,...
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Sunday Lunch - Evil Eye Still on the hunt for York's Best Sunday Lunch we finally managed to get the Evil Eye Sunday Lunch after a succession of failed attempts where we were either too late, or they weren't serving them that Sunday. What's on offer? Throughout the week Evil Eye serves up wonderful South East Asian dishes, including my favourite Nasi Goreng in York. On Sundays the kitchen is handed over for a traditional Sunday Roast that come in either "Regular" or "Monster" proportions. I didn't see a menu but there was beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and nut roast options. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine and went for the Regular size beef, I've seen the Monster portions and knew in my hung-over state I'd struggle to finish it. What worked? Everything about this plate screams of a home-cooked hearty roast. The flavours were simple and bold with charred rosemary needles littering the roast potatoes giving a powerful aroma and crunch, a big slab of pink beef dominated the plate alongside a large Yorkshire pudding, and a straightforward mix of vegetables completed a delicious and substantial roast. What didn't work? If you're out looking for top restaurant quality with inspiring flavours or a wow-factor, this isn't it. If you want a decent Sunday Roast that you could cook at home but you can't be bothered with the hassle of the washing up, this is spot on. Also be aware that Evil Eye is primarily a cocktail bar so if you normally like a pint with your roast you'll be stuck with wine, bottled lager, or one of the hundreds of cocktails on the list. I'll recommend the Bloody Mary - it's got a real kick here! Is it York's Best Sunday Lunch? No, but I'd recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. If you're starving, upgrade to the Monster. Evil Eye Sunday Lunch ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of...
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Sunday Lunch - Walmgate Ale House After reviewing the Walmgate Ale House I had to return to eat in the upstairs Bistro in my search for York's Best Sunday Lunch. What's on offer? From the Menu: Traditional Roast Slow Roast Yorkshire Beef or Pork, Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes & Vegetables. (Meat from Taste Tradition, Thirsk) The Sunday Lunch is served between 12:00 and 19:00 as part of the set menu which is £13 for one or two courses and £15.50 for three. We both went for the Roast Beef as a main course and then ordered a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream, and a Selection of Yorkshire Cheeses for desert. What worked? The meat was absolutely stunning; perfectly cooked chunks of beef browned on the outside and pink in the centre and still piping hot throughout, wonderful. I would have eaten just a plate-full of the beef and gone home happy, I think it should be a menu option. The Yorkshire Puddings were far and away the best I've found in York. Large fluffy bases with a just-crisp top, full of flavour and deep enough to fill with gravy. I love it when you get gravy in a jug on the side, everyone wants a different amount and being able to decide for yourself is a huge bonus. On this occasion the gravy was delicious and I enjoyed topping up my plate every time I went back for extra portions of the side dishes. What didn't work? The only real issue I had with the whole meal was that for the purposes of this website I'm trying to find the best Pub Sunday Lunch in York and the Bistro is a full-time restaurant. The split between the upstairs and downstairs is noticeable and unavoidable. An issue that arises from this is that the Sunday Lunch ends up feeling like an item on restaurant menu and not a dedicated full roast; the veg on the side are delicately cooked pieces of kale and tender carrot, not hearty chunks of roast parsnip and crunchy potatoes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the food, it's fantastic, it's just not what I was looking for in a pub lunch. Is it York's Best Sunday Lunch? I can heartily...
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