People can be frightened by the idea of spice, but spice doesn’t have to mean heat.
In fact, the right spices can elevate any dish and a Christmas meal is no exception.
This week, we’ll look at how to be a little more adventurous this festive season without running the risk of burning your guests’ tongues…
Turkey
As mentioned, spice doesn’t have to equal heat and can often bring a balance of sweet and savoury to your plate.
So, why not try brining your turkey in a spiced solution for a warm and festive flavour?
Just add the meat to water with cloves, star anise, cinnamon, salt and a bit of sugar. Leave to rest and, once cooked, you’ll have a turkey bursting with flavour.
If the sweetness doesn’t appeal to you, you can try something a little more traditional. Add onions, peppercorns, crushed garlic, fresh herbs, grated ginger and salt to the water.
Gravy
To go with your aromatic turkey, you could also add some spices to your gravy for an extra kick.
Begin by using all juices from the meat to make the base of the gravy as flavourful as possible. Then, try adding some grains of selim and grains of paradise to it.
Both have a similar flavour profile to black pepper, while grains of selim have a musky essence which compliments the meaty flavour.
Roasties
I know roast potatoes can be a little polarising in terms of how they’re made; some like a simple olive oil and salt garnish, others like the full-whack with a homemade herb salt and goose fat.
No matter how you like them, I can guarantee a little added spice will take your roasties to the next level.
I like to add some urfa biber chilli flakes to my potatoes — a sweet and smokey chilli with an added kick. This is a simple step that will really elevate your dish.
If you’re wanting to go one step further, try making a spiced oil using a mix of black and white mustard seeds.
I then add shallots and spring onions, chilli flakes, mixed herbs and a pinch of smoked sea salt before grinding it together.
With so many flavours involved, your guests will be begging you for the recipe, I’m sure!

Yemi’s sara saffron and thyme crème brûlée.
Dessert
I’d recommend adding sara saffron to your puddings this year.
It pairs well with cream-based desserts, like panna cotta, ice cream or crème brûlée, and creates a lovely golden colour.
Top any of the above with raspberries and you have a perfectly light but indulgent dessert.
There is no end to the flavours you can create once you start experimenting with spices – and I hope you add a little more spice to your Christmas this year.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: My inexpensive kitchen gadget Christmas wish list
- Yemi’s Food Stories: My festive favourites from local suppliers
Yemi’s Food Stories: My inexpensive kitchen gadget Christmas wish list
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 writes on the Stray Ferret about her love of the district’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.
It’s that time of year again: our bellies are full, but our banks may be less so…
But Christmas presents don’t have to break the bank – even the ones we’d really like.
This week, I’m taking you through my Christmas wish list which will take your kitchen to a whole new level.
Latana 2-in-1 safety can and bottle opener
Christmas is the perfect excuse to stock up on all the kitchen gadgets you need. It’s something of a practical indulgence.
This year, the Latana 2-in-1 Safety Can and Bottle Opener is at the top of my wish list.
It’s safe – which is always handy with children running around – and, better yet, very easy to use.
It doesn’t require any force and the lid can be placed back on the can to keep leftovers fresh. To top it all off, it doesn’t have any sharp edges to worry about.
I first discovered this brand after I got fed up with can openers that weren’t user friendly. I was so pleased with it, I immediately got a spare one and even bought it for others!
It will make a great, affordable gift that every kitchen needs.
You can buy yours here.
A quality kitchen knife
The right knife will make prepping so much easier – you will wonder why you waited so long to get one.
There’s plenty of great knives out there and, again, they don’t have to dent your bank account.
I’d recommend the Robert Welch Santoku and Chef knives. They’re great quality and make the whole cooking experience so much more enjoyable.
But be careful – with good knives come sharp edges!
Peelers
I reach for a peeler nearly every day, so I will always happily receive a new one at Christmas.
However, there are different kinds of peelers for different uses. I have one with a serrated blade that is perfect for shredding vegetables, while the straight blades ones are better for peeling root vegetables.
With the fear of sounding like a real adult, they will serve as a great Christmas present and are a necessity in every kitchen.
Just think of all the beautifully carrots and parsnips you could dish up on Christmas Day thanks to a good quality peeler!
Of course, many of us would like a piece of jewellery, a new bag or a trip to Paris this Christmas – me included. But stocking up on kitchen staples goes a long way, and your tastebuds will thank you later for it.
This story contains sponsored content and links.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: My festive favourites from local suppliers
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Christmas drinks to impress your guests
Yemi’s Food Stories: My festive favourites from local suppliers
Food often takes centre stage at Christmas, but there are so many elements to the Christmas meal, it can become overwhelming in the kitchen.
So, this week I thought I’d share some of my festive favourites from local suppliers which will be sure to wow all your guests.
Wine: Ake & Humphris
The turkey may be the main attraction of the table, but we all know the value of a good glass of wine on Christmas day.
Ake & Humphris, in Harrogate, has the perfect accompaniments for you: Kovacs Nimrod Monopole 777 Pinot Noir.
This comforting red has gentle notes of fragrant cherry, wild strawberry and raspberry, as well as exotic spices. The savoury characters add complexity to this intriguing pinot with moderate tannins and good body.
It feels like a warm fire on a crisp evening, and has become a staple in my house every Christmas.
The wine, which has aged for more than 4 years in oak barrels, has a velvety and round finish, making it very moreish!
Luckily for Stray Ferret readers, this beautiful wine is available on your doorstep at Ake & Humphris, on Leeds Road.
You can even get 10% off by quoting code GREATWINEFERRET or by ordering it from their website.
Ake & Humphris also offers a six-bottle hamper, specially curated to compliment the entire Christmas meal.
Enjoy!

Ake & Humphris Christmas wine selection.
Cheese: The Cheeseboard
When the post-dinner lethargy kicks in, many of us just reach for a packaged selection of cheese for our Christmas cheeseboard, but why not make it a talking-point of the meal?
The Cheeseboard, on Commercial Street in Harrogate, will make all your dairy dreams come true…
One of my personal favourites, the Stonebeck, is made locally in Nidderdale by Stonebeck Wensleydale Farmhouse.
The cheese is made from the milk of Northern Dairy Shorthorn cows, a rare breed native to the Yorkshire Dales, and is hand pressed and bound in calico before maturing.
The taste and texture are an expression of the farm: soft and creamy with long, complex and layered flavours.
It’s delicate and rich and is guaranteed to put a smile on your guests’ faces.
Blue cheese is probably the most polarising of the cheeses, but I can guarantee you’ll fall in love with Swaledale Blue.
This pasteurised cheese, which is made by the Swaledale Cheese Company in Richmondshire, has a soft, melting texture that dissolves to cream on the tongue and a taste that is mild with gentle, herbal sharpness.
It is certainly full of flavour, but the peppery hints take the classic Swaledale cheese to a whole new level.
I cannot recommend these cheeses enough and both can be bought at The Cheeseboard. Make sure to get them before they sell out!
Appleton’s Butchers: Pies
I know many of us devote ourselves to one particular butcher, but Appleton’s Butchers has become a local institution for a reason.
Pork pie is something I look forward to every Christmas and the premium quality meat on offer at Appleton’s has me dreaming of it from summertime.
The standout medium lattice pork pie, which is even loved by King Charles II and Phil Tufnell, is a testament to Appleton’s commitment to quality, with a perfect balance of pork and pastry.
It also offers the highest quality locally-sourced beef, poultry and Yorkshire lamb.
It may seem a risk trying a new butcher, but this one will pay off when you taste Appleton’s Butcher’s meat!
You can find them in Harrogate, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Wetherby, or order online here.

Appleton’s medium lattice pies.
Chutney
Christmas isn’t complete without condiments – and chutney is no exception.
Fodder, in Harrogate, stocks a wide range of flavours that will accompany your cheeseboard brilliantly.
The Christmas Chutney is made from plums, apples, onions and sultanas, while the Boxing Day chutney offers flavours of caramelised onion and cranberries.
Find them in store, just off Wetherby Road.
This story contains sponsored content and links.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Christmas drinks to impress your guests
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Bringing a taste of Syria to the Harrogate district
Yemi’s Food Stories: Christmas drinks to impress your guests
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.
Christmas is a very special time, so it’s an excuse to go all-out in the kitchen.
The Christmas Day meal, of course, takes centre stage and can be stressful for many of us. We often over-estimate what we need and end up with overstocked fridges, cluttered worktops, and eventually a lot of waste.
The secret to reducing the stress over this period is planning — and festive drinks are no exception to the rule.
By asking what people like to drink in advance, you can prepare your Christmas cocktails ahead of time and reduce any unnecessary stress (which can instead be channelled into tending to the turkey!)
Winter hero
One delicious festive cocktail is the winter hero and, luckily, it’s simple and easy to make.
The ingredients are:
- 50ml vodka
- 100ml ginger ale
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- A sprig of fresh thyme and orange slice to garnish
To make this, simply stir all ingredients in a wine glass with ice and add the garnish.
Mocktail
Not every alcohol-free person wants to be relegated to water, so I’ve added something a little more special for those who are spending their Christmas sober.
To begin, you need to make a simple syrup. These are easy to make and can be stored in your fridge for up to a week in advance.
To make it, add equal parts of water and sugar to a pot and bring to a gentle simmer. You can get creative with the flavours here; my favourites include mint and lemon, or strawberry and pomegranate.
Simmer for a few minutes until the fruits soften. Then, turn the heat off and leave to infuse for as long as possible.
Finally, pass through a fine sieve and store your syrup ready for the mocktails.
Serve over ice with sparkling water and garnish with fresh fruit and a sprig of herbs.
Black forest martini
No matter how much we’ve eaten, we always seem to find room for pudding on Christmas Day.
For an elaborate drink to accompany your dessert, I’d recommend giving a black forest martini a try. To make it, you will need:
- x20ml vodka
- 20ml espresso liqueur
- 15ml Martini Rosso
- 3 dashes of chocolate bitters
Simply stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy!
Hibiscus tea
Warm hibiscus tea is another alcohol-free option that is perfect after a heavy meal.
To make this, add dried hibiscus flowers to a pan and add water to it before bringing to a boil. Allow to simmer until the colour seeps out.
You can add spices, like cloves or star anise, but hibiscus also pairs well with citrus, like lemon or lime. Sweeten with honey or agave and serve warm with slices of fresh oranges.
Christmas drinks can be prepped in advance and help you to take a back seat on the day.
You might even get to tell them if you like yours shaken or stirred.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Bringing a taste of Syria to the Harrogate district
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Behind the scenes at Harrogate’s Fodder
Yemi’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.
Read more:
Yemi’s Food Stories: Let’s talk oil
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.
Oil isn’t always at the forefront of our minds when we think about cooking, but it is an essential ingredient that can infuse flavours into our food. From caramelising onions and roasting peppers, to dressing salads and grilling vegetables, the right oil can elevate most dishes.
Chefs and restaurants have popularised infused oils, which are usually used to finish and dress dishes. For many home cooks, however, their idea of infused oils is to buy a jar of oil with dried chillies…
Herb oils are very simple to make; you just need a good blender, fresh herbs, and a neutral oil. Basil, parsley, dill, coriander and fennel tops all work well to give you a vibrant green oil that can make your dish stand out, whilst giving you a burst of freshness.
Firstly, wash and dry your fresh herbs and add to a blender with some oil. Then, blend until you reach a temperature of 65c and strain through a muslin cloth.
Spring onion oil
One of my favourite oils to make is spring onion oil — it’s delicious and versatile.
To make it, add sliced spring onions (1 – 2 bunches depending on size) to a medium-sized deep pan with a litre of oil and place over low heat. Leave it to simmer until the spring onions turn a pale green colour and become crispy. Then, turn off the heat and leave to infuse.
Once completely cooled, strain the oil through into a container and v-oil-a! This oil is perfect for making omelettes, roasting potatoes and veggies, cooking red sauces, drizzling on flatbread or making stir-fries.
I also make my spring onion mayonnaise and spring onion salad dressing using the infused oil.

Prawns and poached egg dressed with parsley oil and bao buns with rapeseed mayo and chilli oil — both made by Yemi.
Chilli oil
Another favourite oil is chilli oil and, again, it’s super versatile.
To make it, you will need mustard seeds, crispy shallots, crispy garlic, chillies and fresh herbs.
First, make sure you have a clean jar, then finely slice some garlic, and set aside. In a heat proof bowl or pan, add a variety of chillies – I use Korean chilli flakes, Kashmiri chilli flakes, aleppo chilli and regular chilli flakes – with some yellow mustard seeds and a pinch of smoked sea salt.
Place another pot with some neutral oil over a medium heat and once it is hot, fry the sliced garlic until light golden in colour. Make sure to keep an eye on the garlic as it fries quickly and can burn. Remove as soon as it is crispy and the right colour, then set aside.
When the oil is very hot, remove from heat and pour over the chillies. Stir and leave for a few minutes before adding the crispy garlic slices, then finally into your jar.
Once you master this basic recipe, you can experiment. Sometimes I add a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme to the jar, or grate in some ginger, before topping off with the hot oil.
The chilli oil is a perfect dressing for boiled potatoes as an alternative to roast potatoes. You can elevate your Christmas leftovers by using this oil to stir fry leftover meat and vegetables to make grilled sandwiches, wraps, pies, soups, boiled rice, noodle dishes – whatever works for you.
Flavours from around the world
The beauty of oil is that the recipes are truly endless and can easily draw on international flavours.
For a Mexican flavour, use ancho and chipotle chillies, and for Indian flavours use Kashmiri chilli and spices like cumin.
Some oils include soy sauce to lend themselves to Chinese dishes, while toasted sesame seed oil elevates a Japanese dish beautifully.
Ginger oil is perfect for pouring over steamed fish like sea bass, sea bream or whole snapper, as well as enhancing Thai-inspired dishes. To make this, add slices of ginger with skin on to a pan of oil and simmer gently until the flavours are infused.
I have a wide variety of oils in my cupboards, including red palm kernel oil from Nigeria, avocado oil and traditional olive oils. I’ve found our very own local oil — Yorkshire rapeseed – is best for frying, due to its high boiling point, and makes a lovely golden mayonnaise.
All you need to do now is think about the version that tickles your fancy and get the ingredients to make it! All these oils take just minutes to make, so with a bit of planning, you can easily wow your guests.
Next week, I will be visiting Fodder, in Harrogate, so look out for my piece on that.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: A visit to the Harrogate pop-up Afghan Kitchen
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Exploring Harrogate with Yorkshire Appetite Food Tours
Yemi’s Food Stories: A visit to the Harrogate pop-up Afghan Kitchen
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 first learnt about Afghanistan’s national dish kabuli pulao – which consists of rice cooked with raisins, carrots, nuts, and lamb – back in 2021. I followed a recipe to create it and it was one of the most delicious, aromatic rice dishes I’d ever tasted.
The char masala mix that goes into the dish is made up of only four spices: cumin, cinnamon, black cardamom, and cloves in equal proportions. Other recipes include green cardamom and black pepper corns, but I am told the secret is the black cardamom.
When I got the invitation to the pop-up restaurant, Afghan Kitchen in Harrogate, I knew I was in for a treat. I was excited to taste the authentic version from people who have cooked and eaten this dish their entire lives.
The Afghan Kitchen is the vision of Nahid Hamidi, a wife and mother who had to flee Afghanistan with her family, leaving behind a successful charitable organisation she had built and everything else they owned.
She and some other refugee families now live in the Harrogate district – working hard to rebuild their lives. Nahid’s desire to help her fellow women led to this venture; she wanted to help them settle into their new environment and earn some income.
The women get a chance to use their skills and share their food, with the added benefit of meeting people in the community.

Yemi enjoyed Afghanistan’s national dish Kabuli Pulao.
The dining experience started when we were welcomed at the door with sugared almonds that looked wintery and tasted delicious.
The starter was crispy Afghan rolls. The filling included shredded carrots, onions and other vegetables served with a hot dipping sauce made from tomato, garlic, lemon juice and chilli – which added a lovely hint of sweetness.
The anticipated main course was fragrant rice steamed in a vegetable stock with onions, julienne carrots, and plump raisins. This dish is the main attraction of any dining table. The rice was fluffy and tasty, and although it looked oily, it didn’t taste oily. I surprisingly enjoyed the raisins and carrots that brought an extra sweetness.
It was a dish that could be enjoyed on its own, but it was served with a choice of chicken dopiaza or qorma-e-lubia for vegetarians. The chicken — spiced with garlic, cumin, turmeric, and lemon juice — was made with twice-cooked braised onions, peppers and tomatoes. The golden yellow broth was beautifully seasoned and I enjoyed mopping it up with flatbread.
The vegetarian qorma-e-lubia reminded me of a bean dish we cook in Nigeria – using brown or black-eyed beans. The Afghan version is made by cooking kidney beans with fried onions, tomatoes, turmeric, coriander and garlic. This was comforting and delicious, and was the perfect accompaniment for the flatbread and rice.
Side dishes included sabzi — a vegan dish made from chopped spinach, leeks and spring onions — Afghan naan, which was freshly baked, and a fresh salad which included cucumber and red onions dressed with lemon juice.
When I was told the dessert was a cold milk pudding called Firni (also spelt Ferini), I wasn’t too excited as I’m not a huge fan of milk. However, I was blown away by how delicious it was. I tasted it and kept going back for more until it was finished.
This Afghan delight was flavoured with cardamon and finished with chopped pistachios and almonds. The dessert is served hot or cold across many parts of the Middle East, but the Afghan version is always served cold.
Green tea flavoured with cardamom and baklava were served to end the heartwarming and indulgent experience.
Nahid and her team will continue running the pop-up kitchen in Knaresborough and Harrogate whilst looking at other locations.
The price for this experience is £25 per person.
The team can be contacted via email: theafghankitchenyorkshire@gmail.com
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Exploring Harrogate with Yorkshire Appetite Food Tours
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Let’s ‘mise en place’ this Christmas
Yemi’s Food Stories: The Harrogate coffee shop that puts quality and community first
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.
If you’re looking for a friendly and welcoming coffee shop, Folk Coffee House in Harrogate is the place for you.
As the name implies, it is designed to be the heart of the community. Whether you prefer outside seating for (rare) sunny days or a cosy interior, it is a perfect hang out space for friends, colleagues, or families.
When my boys were growing up, one of the things I looked forward to each day was meeting up with other mums for coffee. This coffee shop took me right back to that time; I could see myself unwinding there with friends and sharing ideas.
Folk Coffee House serves great coffee, homemade cakes, and light bites.
I ordered the carrot cake – as it was apparently the best cake a customer had ever had — and with such endorsement, I had to give it a go. The cake was packed full of nuts with a comforting toasty-ness and lovely plump raisins. The topping, which was made from a mixture of cream cheese, whipped cream, and icing sugar, was delightfully light.
It’s safe to say I was not disappointed!
There is also wide range of delicious gluten free options available, including a Bakewell blondie, double chocolate brownies and sugar free breakfast muffins.
Owner Sally proudly told me she focusses on balancing the cost and the quality of the in-house baked goods. She added she is passionate about zero waste and uses a daily ordering system to support this.
Folk Coffee House is proudly Yorkshire; it patronises local businesses for their produce and serves award-winning teas and coffees.
When it comes to tea, nothing but Canton Tea will do! The tea is served at many high-end venues including The Savoy, The Ritz, and The Mandarin Oriental. Now, it’s available to you right here in Harrogate! I had the berry and hibiscus tea with notes of rose hip which was delightful.
Local artists also display their work on the walls, and a new artist is featured every month. It creates a gallery-like space and no doubt contributes to the community feel.
Customers were also keen to recommend their favourites on the menu, so I will be heading back to check them out.
Folk Coffee House embraces the local community and wants people to feel welcome with a coffee in hand.
The tag line – ‘a place for all folk to meet, eat, drink, and create’ — says it all.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: a lesson on plot-to-table cooking and food waste at Harlow Carr
- Yemi’s Food Stories: the Yorkshire distillery that makes vodka from apples
Yemi’s Food Stories: the Yorkshire distillery that makes vodka from apples
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.
Walking in to Ellers Farm Distillery immediately brought up memories of growing up in Nigeria, as the smell of fermentation reminded me of the Palm wine my grandfather tapped on his farm. It was a happy memory and a great way to start my educational journey into the craft of vodka, gin and liqueur making.
It is one of ten distilleries that make their own alcohol out of 450 distilleries in the UK. The state-of-the-art distillery purposely built near York to be carbon neutral, is one of the largest in the country and its vision is to create incredible drinks with a positive impact on people and the planet.
This ethos shines through as Tabitha, the head of sustainability, was keen to show me the natural habitat they are creating to support nature in and around their orchard.

Yemi and Tabitha (R)
Ellers Farm’s ingredient of choice is apple, and they were the first to make vodka from the fruit – rather than the traditional potatoes or grains.
Despite the UK being home to 2,600 variations of apple, our country is at risk of losing them as orchards are being re-purposed. For this reason, the distillery is on a mission to preserve the UK’s apple heritage by planting over 28 types of apple in their orchard – with plans for even more.
It is clear the team has given the end products a lot of thought, driven by the farm’s powerful and clear vision to make the world’s best spirits in the most sustainable way.
Great quality produce, copper-finished equipment for a smoother finish and the most-awarded distiller in the world, Jamie Baggott, have all contributed to Ellers Farm’s success so far.
The exceptional front of house team are just as passionate about educating customers on how to use distillery’s products, while creating cocktails with flair and pizzaz.
Fun facts from Jamie included ‘Dutch courage’ coming from British soldiers being given a pint of 60% alcohol to help them fight in the war, and London dry gin is a way of distilling gin – not a brand name.
In addition, he explained that whisky is aged for 3 years, with the 3% lost to evaporation described as the ‘angel’s share’, and the proportion absorbed by the cask is the ‘devil’s benefits’. The rest is for us mortals to enjoy.
I also learnt triple distillation is a minimum requirement, but Ellers Farm distillery don’t do minimum requirements – they go above and beyond with the distillation process…
I was very pleased to discover Jamie uses Rounton’s coffee in the coffee liqueur, as well rare spices, including Vietnamese wild forest or lai chau pepper, herbs and botanicals used in their flavoured gins.
The distillery has created a range of sublime products – which it is extremely proud of – backed by world-class craftsmanship and minimal footprint and waste thanks to the sustainable practices.
More importantly, its award-winning products are delicious and easy to drink.
Their Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka and Espresso Vodka tasted amazing, and the wide range of liqueurs including Elderflower & Elderberry and Pineapple and Grapefruit, were all fantastic.
I was drawn to the labelling of their Sloe Gin which tasted beautiful, with a jammy sweetness that gives way to complex flavours of piney juniper, cardamom, and a warming ginger – finished with luscious notes of plums, raisins, and a moreish acidic tang.
You can also find their products in Morrisons, ASDA and on Amazon, and can even sign up to be one of the first to own a cask of their whisky.
The company is open to collaboration with chefs, as they have a versatile space, which is perfect for pop up events, where food can be paired with their drinks.
Here is a deliciously beautiful recipe for you to try – please drink responsibly.
Hero Serve
2 shots of Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka
2 dashes of orange bitters
Loads of ice
Slice of red grapefruit
Sprig of rosemary
Next week, I will bring you some highlights and recipes from the RHS Festival of flavours.
Read more:
- Yemi’s Food Stories: A ‘sweet day’ at Bettys Cookery School
- Yemi’s Food Stories: Memorable weddings with Blossom Tree Cake Company