I was lucky enough to be invited as a guest to experience Chef's Table by Josh Burns at Swinton Park Hotel. I often have guests at hotels or have visited many times with tour operators on social trips, but I had never eaten there before, so I was excited about this opportunity.
I had never experienced a Chef's Table event before either, so a quick Google search told me what to expect.
“A table in the restaurant's kitchen, reserved for special guests, where they can watch the chefs at work and sometimes be offered a tasting menu.”
I was looking forward to the visit as I had heard of Chef Josh Burns' arrival at Swinton Park earlier this year and had read about Josh's plans for an 'Estate to Plate' ethos of food provision. I did. Because Swinton Park Estate is larger than Manhattan, it can offer a wide variety of produce, many of which are seasonal and can be incorporated into tasting menus.
A little background on Josh Burns…
His reputation spread before him and Yorkshire's gourmet scene was buzzing when he arrived at Swinton.
Josh came to Swinton Park having secured a place in the Michelin Guide after spending time at Goldsborough Hall on the outskirts of Knaresborough. Previously, he was Head Chef at Galvin Brothers La Chapelle Restaurant in London, where he held the prestigious Michelin Star and 3AA Rosette status. This is a very good qualification!
Arriving at the estate at 7pm, we were greeted by Matt, the restaurant manager and sommelier for the evening, and shown to the room where the Swinton Park Cookery School was also held.
The large room with double front Aga is bright and welcoming, with drinks and wine in the corner, a huge island with seating for up to 12 people and classic cookbooks. There is a small seating area with a glass table. Some are by Rosemary Schrager, who originally founded the cooking school at Swinton Park.
We were served glasses of fizz and offered some appetizers. The most interesting is the cooked and crispy beef tendon served with wild garlic and peppercorn mayonnaise. Josh explained that his philosophy was not to waste the edible parts of the animal, so he experimented by dehydrating the tendons and frying them in hot oil. It had bones and looked like mushrooms, but it was delicious as a dip.
Then Matt served us our first glass of wine. I have to admit that I was surprised at first when I was shown the Japanese whites to go with the first two courses. I was worried that it would taste like saki, but Matt explained the story behind the family business and it was unexpectedly delicious.
The first course was smoked sea bass, lobster emulsion and turnip. This was served in a puffball and had a strong smoky flavor when I bit into it. It was so delicious and who would have thought that turnip would go well with lobster!
Course two was a Lincolnshire poacher's rique velouté, a chewy dish with a very strong cheesy flavour. The elegant diary dunker looks like someone had described this dish before. I'm a fan of dark cheese, so I really enjoyed this.
As great as the food and wine have been so far, it's worth noting that this was more than just haute cuisine, it was more of an experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and Josh, along with sous chef Kieran and Matt, were chatty and friendly. We were able to watch them prepare the dishes and ask questions about the ingredients, preparation, presentation, where the ideas came from, how they were prepared, etc.
It gave us a real insight and understanding of the whole process and how much thought goes into each dish.
Continuing with the courses we were served some lovely warm sourdough bread with homemade butter, but we were careful not to get too full with this as there were still many courses to come.
This bread actually contained pork liver from Duck & Waterfall Farm. This was paired with an Olifantsberg 2018 white from the Western Cape (which was great), but Matt also asked if I would like to try another drink, which is being considered as an alternative pairing .
This was wild fermented Thornborough cider from just down the road, close to the historic Thornborough Henges. The owners of Thornborough Cider had just dropped off bottles that afternoon, so we felt very proud to be their guinea pigs. It was very dry and I felt it would go well with the pork liver, but Josh wasn't so sure.
The next dish was called Beef Part 1 and was served with a Binz & Batts Pinot Noir/Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a pleasant light red color and went well with the crispy style beef served with sheep yogurt and wild garlic.
Next was the cod dish. Dry-aged cod wrapped in spring cabbage and served with mushroom soup. This was delicious. Dry-aging the cod gave it a stronger flavor and was eaten with Spanish Alvarinho.
The final savory course was very special and aptly titled Beef Part II! This was a more traditional beef dish with lovage, seasonal vegetables from Swinton's walled garden, wild garlic and beef tendon. This is a more classic dish than the previous, more experimental Beef Part 1, and I think it just overshadowed it for me.
It's worth mentioning that this was accompanied by a Lebanese wine from Château Musar, but it wasn't the most widely known version, it was a père et fils called Hoshar. It was a truly inspired choice and complemented the dish perfectly.
Accompanied by vegetables, it was interesting to hear about Josh's close working relationship with Dame Susan Cunliffe Lister, mother of Mark, 4th Earl of Swinton and owner of the estate . Now in her 80s, Susan is a former president of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and head gardener at Swinton, helping to provide an abundance of seasonal produce foraged or grown within the large walled gardens. I'm doing it.
First up is Yorkshire forced rhubarb, Ivory Coast, and aged soybeans. I love rhubarb and this dish did not disappoint. The sourness of the rhubarb was offset by the custard and very sweet white chocolate.
The last dish was Carmelia and Mori Chicken and milk ice cream. It may sound strange, but mushrooms were infused into chocolate to create a uniquely rich chocolate-flavored pudding. Matt paired this dish with Alcione, a very rare dessert wine from Uraguay. I have never tasted anything like this. The first mouthful gives you a strong chocolate jolt, then settles into a more floral and sweet flavor.
Josh Burns' The Chef's Table is priced at £90 per person (wine pairings are an additional £70). But this event isn't just a tasting menu of delicious food, it's a whole “dining experience” as mentioned above.
In summary, this event accommodates 12 diners each night and runs every Wednesday through Saturday.
It's not every day you get to chat and learn from such a highly acclaimed chef. In fact, I think this will be an experience that all “foodies” will enjoy. The Chef's Table is often attended by hotel guests, but is open to everyone and will be a memorable table for those looking for a visit to the Yorkshire region or a special occasion with friends and family.
The menu is constantly adjusted as Josh experiments and responds to in-season and out-of-season ingredients.
It was definitely a memorable experience for me and my wife. We hope to return with friends later this year.
