Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday Yemi writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips – please get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell or even share a recipe.

Greg’s simple one liner description on social media says: 'chef, foodie, dad and all-round good guy' and it’s a perfect description of him. I first ran into Greg at food festivals two years ago where he did demonstrations on how to cook steak.

I love steaks and I jump at any opportunity to learn about cooking different cuts of steak. I left his demo session knowing some cheaper cuts of steak that, when cooked right, produce excellent results.

A Kiwi who now calls Yorkshire home, it’s not a surprise that Greg loves what he does. We got on well when I spoke to him and since then we have exchanged ideas about food, recipes and swapped family stories. 

I finally got the chance to visit Sykes House Farm, and I was impressed by 'Method' their new concept kitchen. I delayed my visit because Greg shared his vision of what they were building, and it made sense to see the finished project.

A place to train chefs in the art of butchery

Sykes House Farm has been operating for 40 years, and spans three generations of the same family.

Its tagline is 'the chef's butcher' and since inception, it has developed a reputation for supplying meat to many of the top restaurants and hotels across Yorkshire.

I delayed my visit because Greg shared his vision of what they were building, and it made sense to see the finished project. So I was very pleased to be able to make the trip over to Wetherby and see the culmination of his hard work.

Method is a well kitted out concept and development kitchen, designed to be a space for future chefs to be trained in butchery, preparation and cooking of meat products.

It also aims to be a hub for seasoned chefs to collaborate or work on new flavours to compliment the products from the farm, and a venue for Greg to host events and demonstrations.

I was impressed by the investment into the space,and inspired to think of how it may be used to create and deliver these events in the future.

Using the produce creatively

Knowing where my food comes from is important to me so I love that I can order my grass-fed meat online from them, or pop down to the farm to see the varieties on offer that week. 

I left the farm with some beef short ribs, oxtail and ribeye, and decided to use the ribs for dinner that evening, paired with a tomato-based sauce called Sugo, a staple dish in Nigerian cooking.

This is a great dish for mid-week meal times, using a pressure cooker for the beef whilst cooking the sauce on the hob, all of which allows the dish to be cooked in one hour. 

Sugo is made with ripe tomatoes, white onions or shallots, garlic, basil and olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper, this dish relies on the ingredients to shine - so don’t scrimp on quality. 

Beef short ribs Sugo with fresh pasta

Ingredients (serves two)

• 2 chunks of beef short rib.
  
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes.
  
• 1 chopped white onion or 2 shallots.
  
• 6 cloves garlic – crushed.
  
• Drizzle of olive oil.
  

Method

• Pressure-cook the beef short ribs with fresh herbs, salt, onions, celery and garlic.
  
• Add a drizzle of olive oil to a non-stick pan over medium heat.
  
• Cook the onions and garlic gently, until translucent before adding the tomatoes.
  
• Season with some salt and pepper; add torn basil leaves and simmer for 25 minutes.
  
• Shred the beef and add to the sauce. Simmer for another 15 minutes or as long as possible over low heat.
  
• Serve with fresh pasta or rice; add more fresh basil; finish with a drizzle of olive oil or herb oil.
  

Yemi's top tip: In some recipes, the garlic cloves are sliced lengthwise or kept whole during cooking before removing. I grated my garlic to allow it to melt into the sauce for a stronger flavour.