My first experience of a pop-up Yorkshire restaurant (apart from our own Squidbeak Dinners of course) was a bit of a mixed bag: lovely location, nice people, so-so food.
A year on and I’m ready to risk another one, partly because the invitation was so intriguing: ‘Twelve months, twelve locations, everything on your plate hunted, gathered, grown by us.’
It comes from Nicola Dixon, former operations manager of Filmore & Union, who describes herself as ‘a vegetarian turned huntress’ with a passion she says, for foraging and sustainable living.
Her idea of the Laden Table is to hold twelve dinners in twelve different locations: farms, orchards, greenhouses, but all of them linking the food to the land.
The first dinner will be at Bar Lane Studios, York, on 25th/26th January, not obviously rural, but Nicola promises that the connection with the land is assured. A roster of different chefs will cook the twelve dinners. Georgina Welburn, head chef at Nidd Hall, Knaresborough, kicks off in York. Other locations are the Bivouac, at Swinton Park, that Mandy recently raved about and in May, chef and forager Stephanie Moon will cook at Helmsley Walled Garden.
Sounds promising. Tickets for the first Laden Table on 25th/26th January are £34 to include aperitif, canapés and a set three course meal. Wine can be purchased separately on the night. To book:.www.wegottickets.com/TheLadenTable