5 alternative Easter activities in and around Harrogate5 things to do in Harrogate and the district this weekendYemi’s Food Stories: Rafi’s Spicebox Harrogate

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 for 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.

Anyone who knows me well will already know that I love spices from all parts of the world. I am intrigued by the unfamiliar and some of my highlights from my trip to the Middle East revolved around the spice markets, and the waft of aromas that hit you creating a beautiful assault on your culinary senses.

Walking into Rafi’s Spicebox in Harrogate took me right back to those places evoking the same memories. There is something beautiful about the colours and smells from different spices, that each tell their stories.

From saffron, the king of all spices, to golden yellow turmeric, from the redness of kashmiri chilli powder to the lemony tang and orange hue of pul biber, there is no end to the response that each spice is able to elicit.

A selection of goods at Rafi’s Spicebox

The rich darkness of tamarind belies its sourness, but this might just be what you need to cut through a rich dessert if you want to avoid the saltiness from salted or miso caramel. Add some tamarind to your sticky toffee sauce to elevate it to something special.

I love hibiscus because of the stunning colour and tart flavours it adds to dishes. Hibiscus is hugely popular in Nigeria as it is used to make a local drink called Zobo. To make Zobo, simply steep hibiscus in boiling water to extract the colours and add a sugar syrup. You can add spices like cloves, nutmeg, ginger and citrus rind to introduce some complexity.

Premixed spices can work for you

At Rafi’s Spicebox, you don’t need to be an expert to cook a curry because they have done all the hard work for you with their premixed spice blends which are suitable for vegetables, seafood or other proteins.

Spices can be customised to your taste if you describe the flavours you like. From Thai to Indian, mild to hot, creamy to nutty, thick curries to broths, spices can be blended to help you deliver the perfect results.

I love the spice blends which are designed to get everyone eating more vegetables. From adding spices to stir fried broccoli, spiced aubergine and potatoes, as well as elevating grated carrots with toasted seeds, there is something for everyone.

Rafi’s Spicebox is a family-owned business with shops in Harrogate, Sudbury and York

Each curry blend comes with instructions on how to cook it and many of their recipes can be ready in under 30 minutes which makes it a viable way to get home cooked meals ready in the same time it would take to have a takeaway delivered.

Rafi’s also curates a seasonal curry range so you can get spice blends that match the season from comforting, cooling to heating to keep the cold away.

The beauty of many dishes from around the world is that they come with ‘buddies’ so at Rafi’s you can get pre-prepped pilau rices, flours, and a range of chutneys, sauces, and flat breads to complete your meals.

Lamb curry with a Rafi’s twist

I left Rafi’s with a pack of Previn’s Thepla – a spiced roti – and a packet of ‘Paretal Spice Blend’ that elevated the Nidderdale lamb I purchased from Addyman K butchers, that I cooked with coconut, asafoetida, tamarind, curry leaves, chillies and the usual staples of onion, garlic and tomatoes.

I added some pul biber for a bit more heat and served the delicious lamb curry with saffron and turmeric rice topped with ghati masala. To accompany this meal, I pan-heated the roti, which has fenugreek, coriander leaves mixed with flour, ginger, turmeric and coriander powder.

Yemi’s lamb curry

My nervousness about pre-made curry spices has always been the salt levels. In my experience, many popular brands make their spice mixes overly salty, that can give dishes a raw and harsh taste.

However with the Rafi’s Spicebox packet, the salt level after following the instructions was perfect for me, and the spices cooked in the 20 minutes suggested time. I cooked my lamb curry for an extra ten minutes to get it more tender.

Find out more

Rafi’s Spicebox is a family-owned business with shops in Harrogate, Sudbury and York. You can pick up their spices from some local butchers, fishmongers and farm shops but for an immersive experience and a chat to their lovely experts, I would recommend popping into their main shop along Commercial Street.

Spices can be customised to your taste if you describe the flavours you like

I’m doing a chef demonstration at the Living North Food event at York Racecourse this Saturday, March 23, so I will share some highlights in next week’s post.

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From Beyoncé to Birstwith – meet the new chef at The Station HotelYemi’s Food Stories: Bringing a taste of Syria to the Harrogate district

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing 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.

 

I love Middle Eastern foods, so when I found out I was going to try authentic Syrian cuisine, I couldn’t have been more excited.

This week, I visited the Syrian Pop Up, which was held at Summerbridge Methodist Church, and hopes to become a regular event from next January.

The spread was the creation of Mohamad and Huda Al Habboul, who moved from Syria to Yorkshire in 2022.

It was a real family affair. The the food was laid out as a buffet – and there was lots of it! I could see the importance food plays in their culture just from first glance.

Mohamad and Huda Al Habboul.

The cold dishes included hummus, baba ghanoush, dolmas, Fattoush, and tabbouleh.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a healthy, Levantine salad which consists of finely chopped parsley, mint, onion, soaked bulgur wheat seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper.

Variations include adding tomatoes, cucumbers, and spring onions, or swapping bulgur wheat for couscous. The dish can be made gluten-free by substituting quinoa for bulgur wheat.

Fattoush salad

The Fattoush salad with crispy pastry was fresh, vibrant and flavourful.

The salad is made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz – an Arabic flat bread – combined with mixed greens, radish and tomatoes.

Kibbeh

Kibbeh is considered the national dish of Lebanon and Syria.

I expected to see it on the night and there was not one, but three versions of it: vegetarian, lamb and an un-fried one, which resembles a dense pate.

To make this croquette-like dish, you need bulgur wheat, your choice of ground meat, pine nuts, onion, garlic, and spices.

The wheat is softened and kneaded until pliable enough to hold the filling.

It is a labour of love but when fried to perfection, it will wow your guests!

Some of the flatbreads that were also served.

Rice dishes

The hot dishes included bulgur with lentils and caramelised onions, as well as several rice-based meals.

Dolmas is seasoned rice wrapped in vine leaves before being steam cooked in a rich stock.

Ouzi is rice cooked with ground lamb or beef, peas, carrots, cinnamon, coriander, 7 spice blend, Aleppo pepper, turmeric, and toasted nuts before being wrapped in filo pastry and baked.

The final rice dish reminded me of the Afghan pulao, but the Syrian version didn’t include raisins, so had a savoury rather than sweet note to it.

Hot dishes

There were also three casserole-like dishes amongst the spread.

One included peas, potatoes, carrots, courgette, aubergine, tomatoes and onions – it was a truly heart-warming and delicious creation.

The second, horaa osbao, included beans, lentils and Swiss chard dumplings seasoned with coriander. It was the perfect winter dish.

The final one was lamb mince cooked with tomatoes and onions and layered with aubergine. It reminded me of a Greek moussaka and, again, was absolutely delightful.

Baba ghanoush, salads and side dishes.

Baba ghanoush

If you love aubergine, you’ll love the Syrian baba ghanoush!

It is made from fire-roasted aubergine, Tahini, olive oil and lemon juice. Their version had a touch of sweetness, which I suspect came from adding pomegranate molasses.

Dessert

Finally, it was time for dessert.

We had baklava, which is layered filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey – it’s the perfect after-dinner treat.

There was also mahalabia – a traditional Middle Eastern dessert – which consists of set milk topped with cashews and pistachio, topped off with glazed cherries.

I left with a huge appreciation for Syrian cuisine, which contains a balance of vegetables, meats and grains, topped off with indulgent sweets.

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New street food vendor opens in Ripon

A new street food vendor has opened in Ripon.

Called Squid and Tonic, the venture was founded by Paul Page and Carol Williams and aims to serve high quality street food around North Yorkshire.

Mr Page, who has more than 30 years experience in catering, and Ms Williams, who previously worked in the hospitality industry, came up with the idea to launch the family business and tour different locations serving food.

The vendor serves a range of dishes including wood fired pizzas, noodles, grilled seafood and meat flatbread.

Mr Page, who describes himself as a passionate foodie, said the idea for the name came from the bar in the couple’s garden.

He said:

“The name comes from our garden bar and eatery where Carol served up the cocktails and I whipped up delicious creations in the pizza oven including spiced lamb flatbreads, whole marinated Persian chicken and tapas side salad.”

Paul and Carol serve up wood fired pizzas.

Paul and Carol serve up wood fired pizzas.

Mr Page added that the business travels up to 50 miles for functions and events.

The couple will next be travelling the short journey to North Stainley to serve wood fired pizzas at the village hall on Friday, October 6.

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Yemi’s Food Stories: Dining at Bar & Restaurant EightyEight at Grantley Hall

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday, Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing 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. 

 

I was excited to try out head chef Samira Effa’s new menu at Bar & Restaurant EightyEight at Grantley Hall near Ripon.

I first knew of Samira from the Great British Menu competition where she was my choice to win. She suggested the eight-course tasting menu.

The first course of fragrant Tom Kha Gai with rice crisp topped with chilli miso ketchup and sorrel was a silky-smooth and well-balanced soup with high notes of lemongrass, citrus, subtle heat level, the right amount of sweetness and great depth of flavour.

With a great mouth-feel, flavours that thankfully lingered on, I couldn’t help licking my lips to capture every last sensation. The rice wafer dissolved on the tongue and the heat from the addictive ketchup started as a slow burn that crept up on you. This course was a ‘smack you in the face’ kind of flavour and a wonderful start to the dinner.

The second course of Warrendale Wagyu beef tataki with sesame ponzu, daikon, onions and shiso had a calming effect on the tastebuds, almost as though it was gently courting you. The toasty and spiced notes from the sesame seeds and oil were beautiful.

The slightly pickled daikon, light and fresh with the right amount of crunch, was served with lightly seared and dressed tender beef. The emulsion was like a great mayonnaise on steroids and the magic happened when you put everything together, as it resulted in a taste sensation that was light, elegant and delicious. This course took your tastebuds in a completely different direction, which made it impossible to compare with the earlier course.

Photo of Warrendale Wagyu steak at Restaurant and Bar EightyEight, at Grantley Hall.

The Warrendale wagyu beef tataki.

The third course of grilled diver-caught king scallops with smoked kimchi butter sauce, leek and oyster leaf was a sight for sore eyes, with the lightly seared scallops proudly sitting on a stunning sauce speckled with finely chopped herbs.

The kimchi butter gave body and character to the dish and the sweetness of the scallop married well with the delicate but yummy sauce with subtle notes of lemon and a hint of chilli that popped up at the end of each bite. The sauce was so delicious that I wished I had a piece of bread to mop it all up; it felt criminal to leave any of it on the plate.

Photo of the scallops on the eight-course tasting menu at Restaurant and Bar EightyEight at Grantley Hall, near Ripon.

The king scallop with smoked kimchi butter sauce, leek and oyster leaf.

The fourth course of roast cauliflower satay, coconut, kafir lime, and coriander made me see the vegetable in a whole new light. Who knew cauliflower could be sexy?

Cauliflower delight

Cauliflower roasted in masala spice nestling on a bed of silky-smooth purée that was as light as air, topped with a drizzle of light satay sauce. The stunning lime gel brought everything together with a burst of sweetness and sharpness that awakened your taste buds. I had a ‘happy laugh’ in my belly as this course made me smile with joy. I scraped my plate clean which is really something for someone who doesn’t usually like cauliflower. Like Oliver Twist, I wanted more.

The fish course of robata grilled halibut, fragrant shell bisque, Whitby crab gyoza, pak choi and sea herbs had perfectly charred yet juicy fish. The bisque had a great lobster-shell flavour with notes of lemongrass and coconut cream, and the micro herbs lent an aniseed flavour to complete the balance of sweet, salty, sour and umami. The accompanying dumpling had a skin that melted away leaving one to enjoy the delicate crab filling with the pak choi bringing in a juiciness that cleansed your palate, allowing you to experience the flavours all over again.

I was in love with the five-spiced Thirkleby duck breast, crispy confit leg, celeriac and umeboshi plum before I’d even tasted it. The accompanying sounds from my friend and me were all that was needed to confirm the yummy-ness of the dish. Juicy five-spiced duck meat in a crunchy coating, tender and pink duck breast, rich and delicious yet light plum jus and celeriac was a well-executed dish and a perfect way to end the savoury courses.

I couldn’t decide on out my favourite course; I had been taken on a culinary roller coaster journey with each stage as exciting as the previous one. I was eager for the dessert courses.

The glazed Yorkshire strawberry, mint and jasmine dessert was a visual and flavourful triumph. The strawberry sphere with the thinnest shell housed a sublimely light mousse with a mint centre. The meringue shell dissolved as soon it landed on your tongue and before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’, the strawberry shone through this dessert.

I didn’t think the strawberry dessert could be topped until the caramelised white chocolate and cherry, white sesame and tonka came out looking even more visually striking. The mousse, sat on crunchy bits, was like eating an elegant cheesecake, cherry ice cream brought a slight bitterness and the cherry compote was sharp enough to reengage your brain after you went to dessert heaven. The delicious sesame crisp was a sensational nod to an ingredient that popped up in different guises.

We ended the meal with salted caramel dark chocolates with a hint of liqueur. The mocktails were excellent, staff were so attentive they spotted a napkin that had slipped to the floor and brought a clean one.

Overall it was a belter of a meal and we left floating on a gastronomic cloud. Samira has created an eight-course meal that is a delight to eat and easy to fall in love with. Shout out to the incredible head pastry chef (@stefthepastrychef) for doing things with pastry that many of us can only dream of.

I highly recommend you go check out Bar & Restaurant EightyEight at Grantley Hall, where your mind-blowing experience starts as you drive onto their glorious grounds before eating in a fairytale-like dining space.

Next week, I will be writing about my visit to Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka.

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Yemi’s Food Stories: A ‘sweet day’ at Bettys Cookery School

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  and sharing 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.  

 

‘Push, push, push; stop and twist’ was the mantra at the end of my day at Bettys Cookery School. Let’s get back to the start of my day so you know how I ended up with a mantra and a tip that you will find useful.

Bettys is a Harrogate institution and thousands of people are welcomed each year for the Bettys experience. As a local, I am not surprised that every guest we have wants to visit Bettys and some repeatedly so.

For lingering memories of your Bettys experience, you can shop at the end of your meal, order Bettys products for home delivery or better still, sign up for their cookery school so you can take that knowledge home with you. 

I signed up for the pastry class which I knew would give me different skills. 

Lisa Bennison, the chef tutor, joined Bettys to gain work experience as part of her training from York Cookery School and never left. She has spent 37 years in different roles with the past 20 years at the cookery school.

She loves teaching basic principles, sharing fail-proof tips on how to get the perfect results whilst encouraging everyone to embrace and learn from any mistakes. 

Our day started with warm chocolate pastries with a choice of coffee or tea before we moved on to the first demo.

The pastry class includes making Bettys signature lemon tart and profiteroles. You learn how to make sweet tart pastry, perfectly roll out your dough, line your tart tin and create your tart cases without any cracks or accidents. You then move on to making the lemon filling before learning about the importance of timing and temperature control to correctly manage all elements. 

Salmon salad

Whilst our tarts were baking, we sat down to a gorgeous meal of salmon salad with garlic roasted potatoes with choice of wine or non alcoholic drinks. The strawberry cheesecake dessert was divine and went well with a hot drink. 

And we were off to the second half of the day after proudly checking out and taking pictures of our lemon tarts. 

Next we learnt how to make a choux pastry, knowing what to look for to ensure we get the perfect glossy consistency to ensure a perfect rise. 

Then came the mantra of ‘push, push, push; stop and twist’. This is how to perfectly pipe out your profiteroles to get the even round shape. Hold your nuzzle down directly on the baking tray and pipe gently moving up whilst thinking of the mantra. 

This easily became a song in my head and we all had a laugh knowing we would be reciting it every time we pipe our choux. 

Off we went to make our choux pastry and then came the piping and mantra with many still a bit scared they would pipe it wrong. My first few attempts were hit and miss but Lisa gave me some tips and using them, I decided to re-pipe all my choux and I was happy with them.

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The crème patisserie and the chocolate ganache were the last two elements that we learnt how to make whilst the choux buns were baking. Other tips include looking for the v-drop of your choux pastry for the right consistency and don’t be afraid to let the choux make contact with the pan when cooking. We are tempted to constantly stir but we don’t need to do that and once it starts to leave a film on the pan base, it’s cooked. 

A great idea for couples

As with all things Bettys, the experience is well crafted starting with a team of people that made you feel welcome, a knowledgeable tutor who loves her job, stunning cutleries for your drinks and meals; plus table setting and food that made you feel like you were in Bettys tea room.

The facilities were top notch with enviable range cookers and adequate work surfaces for all participants. It was obvious they didn’t cut any corners in creating a cookery school to be proud of. 

Participants were across all age ranges, careers, had limited to good knowledge of food and came from as far as London. It was a day to make new friends, learn new skills, surprise yourself with your creations to wow friends and family, enjoy the Bettys experience beyond dining in the restaurant and most importantly take home the skill to occasionally recreate some Bettys signature creations.

A Bettys cookery school experience is a great idea for couples, hanging out with friends or co-workers, a gift for the budding or hesitant cooks in your life and would be perfect alternatives to hen-dos with everyone learning a skill for life. 

The icing on the cake was taking home all your creations after eating the ones made by the chef tutor. 

With classes including three-course meal, chocolate and bread making, patisserie and macarons, there is something to learn. The classes fill up quickly so get booking for a fabulous foodie day. 

New Starbeck chicken restaurant opens

A new chicken restaurant and takeaway has opened in Starbeck.

Chilli Chick’s, which is based on High Street, officially opened its doors today to become the fourth outlet of the restaurant chain.

The takeaway offers a range of food including chicken, burritos and rice boxes.

Farhan Murtaza, manager of the Starbeck outlet, launched the restaurant with his partner Khayyam Ifhaq.

Mr Murtaza said:

“We saw good scope for a chicken restaurant in Harrogate. Everyone seemed friendly.

“There is barely any chicken places around here.”

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The restaurant includes seating for 15 people, but also has the option for takeaway.

It will be open from midday until 11pm every day.

Chilli Chick’s also has outlets in Bradford, Dewsbury and Birmingham.

Yemi’s Food Stories: a porky discovery at Crimple

Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in last year’s BBC TV’s Masterchef  competition. Every Saturday Yemi will be writing on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’s food  – 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.  

 

Living in Harrogate means I am surrounded by amazing shops selling the wonderful produces of Yorkshire; but quite often I find myself falling into the habit of going to the same places which means I end up missing out on what might be available in other places or the experience of new sights and surprises.

The last time I went into Crimple in Harrogate was years before their renovation. Every week, I drive past it on my work commute and make a mental note to check it out.

It was a lovely surprise when I eventually went into the food hall a few weeks ago to discover an array of local Yorkshire produces from chutneys, cured meats and bakes to fresh meat.

I only went in to have a quick look but came out with fresh sourdough bread, Portobello mushrooms, eggs, and smoked salmon for brunch. I also found a gem in a balsamic reduction glaze and fresh beetroots that I needed for my next food event, and a tiny gadget that would be great for dipping strawberries into chocolate sauce.

As I continued my wander around the food hall, I spotted a cut of pork that had the kidney attached which really fascinated me. The butcher wasn’t at the kiosk, but my curiosity made me hang around until he came out from the back room.

I told him I had never seen a cut of meat that intentionally had offal attached and he explained that this was an historic way of cutting pork chops and that only a few chops would benefit from having a cross section of the kidney attached.

He said he was on a mission to bring back old butcher traditions; that is noble from a sustainability point of view and considering the ‘nose to tail’ revolution that many chefs are championing.

I grew up in Nigeria on ‘nose to tail’ eating and we never wasted any parts of an animal with the skin of larger animals used by local artisans to make leather products.

Anyone who knows me well would correctly guess that I walked out of Crimple with some Pork and Kidney chops. I figured it would go well with a honey mustard sauce served with creamy mashed potatoes and some purple broccoli.

I ended up serving it with a gravy alongside potatoes finished with a chilli and herby mustard seed coating which went down a treat. See below.

On my way out I wandered into the garden section, but I didn’t get to really explore it because my arms were filled with my food hall shopping, and I was in a bit of rush. I am going back to the garden centre, with plans to sample food from their bar and kitchen.

If you haven’t visited Crimple, it is worth a visit -there’s so much to love.

I would love to hear about your visit and any exciting food, produce or interesting garden gnomes that you find, so drop me a comment.

Yemi: Out and About

I am in Pateley Bridge today, (Saturday 13 May) to sample Chocolate at Cocoa Joe’s and Kendall’s pies from 12 noon. You can read about it next Saturday on The Stray Ferret.

Next on my list is The Café at the Himalayan Garden, Grewelthorpe which I will visit on Saturday 27 of May from 12.30pm.

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