Gusto Restaurants

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Sunday, 25 November 2018 13:54

Written by Northern Living

Gusto  have 18 Italian styled restaurants across the United Kingdom. Unlike many food chains Gusto offer traditional Italian Food with a twist. Made from high quality ingredients which are delivered to each branch on a daily basis. Their staff are welcoming and enthusiast front of house and the in the kitchen you will find talented and inspired chefs from throughout the EU.

There is a Dinner Club available in all branches which offers a discount of 20% on booking and various seasonal offers, making a high end restaurant experience no more costly than a simple takeaway. But if you prefer to eat at home, they do also offer a delivery service! So get the cutlery out and wait for the chap on a bike to bring your pipping hot and freshly made meal!

What do people say? “I don't do chain restaurants for dinner and Gusto is a chain restaurant, albeit a small chain but it is an exception. Over the last couple of years I have found myself making reasons to re-visit and actually joined their Diners Club which gives perks to regular diners. Why am I reviewing now? We someone gave me Gusto vouchers for Christmas and I realised that though I constantly say "I don't do chains" others realised I was in denial about Gusto. Service is always friendly and efficient even when busy. It IS noisy but I call it bustle! The menu changes a couple of times a year and the food is always tasty and a bit different from the pizza/pasta places around ( they do some really different pizza'pasta though). For the style of restaurant and the varied menu, prices are not much different from the more basic pizza places in the city and if you are a diners club member or when they have off season deals, this value increases even more. So, if like me you don't like chain Italian pizza places, try this chain restaurant for an exception to the rule.” Via TripAdvisor

In an Internet world where sites like Trip Advisor are used by keyboard warriors this is high praise indeed!

For full details and menus click here - https://gustorestaurants.uk.com/

Circles Café ltd York

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Friday, 05 October 2018 12:38

Written by Northern Living

Circles is a quaint coffee shop, eatery and bar located within 2 minutes walk from the city atractions of York, but yet offering a peaceful atmosphere in which to sit, eat and drink.  With a garden area over the River Ouse and great views of York they pride themselves on providing only the best quality coffee, teas, food and alcoholic refreshments. Working with local suppliers to source the freshest, highest quality offerings to their customers

“Come rain or shine, our cosy eatery and garden area will be full of guests enjoying a drink, lunch or a treat or two (hot water bottles and blankets provided in the garden area).

We are a family-run business, who pride ourselves on excellence in all we do... We have a fully-licensed bar and are also pet friendly. We offer a wide variety of hot and cold drinks, we also provide a range of home made sandwiches, Paninis, Salads, Soups, Breakfasts, Lite Bites, as well as savoury and sweet options. So whether you're stopping or visiting and looking for a morning coffee, lunch, or an afternoon snack, we've got you covered!”

Circles Café ltd offer a number of discounts in association with local and national businesses and are available for private hire. They offer a comprehensive food menu and are fully licensed. Whether you are looking for a venue to celebrate a birthday, special occasion or a corporate event, Circles offers the perfect location, along with commanding views.

Circles Café ltd. Lendal Bridge,York, North Yorkshire. England. YO1 7DP

Tel. 07814962253

Web Address:- https://circlescafe.co.uk/

The Origins of York Ham

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Sunday, 16 September 2018 08:09

Written by Northern Living

Legend has it that the original York Hams were smoked with wood shavings left from the construction of The Minster. It's a nice tale but probably nothing more than that. There almost certainly is a link to St. Mary's Abbey in medieval times however. The monks produced vast quantities of Ale which was the drink of choice especially when water might well make you ill at the least, or kill you in extreme cases. The bi-products of brewing were large amounts of spent grain, which are ideal pig fodder. The local availability of large white pigs probably went hand in hand with this food source.

Although York Ham doesn't have protected designation of origin status there is a distinct difference from the inferior modern ham pressed from reformed Pork. Firstly it in not technically a Ham but rather a Gammon. The difference is that Ham is cured with the bone removed, whereas Gammon is cured with the bone in. The base ingredients for a York Ham are a good sized leg of Pork, Salt with Sugar and Saltpetre. The York ham is traditionally a dry cured Gammon from a Large White pig. It is slightly saltier and firmer textured than the hams we are probably used to today. They were laid on a bed of salt in the cellar on the stone slabs where it is cool and dry. November 11th – St Martins Day, was traditionally the first day of curing, as the weather is cooler, the pigs have been foraging and are now fat, and the flies are no longer an issue, so there was a good chance that ham and bacon would cure well. After a number of days in the salt, being turned and massaged regularly, they would then be hung up to dry for a minimum of 2 months. The longer the ageing process, the more the flavour changed and developed.

Smoked or not? This was probably down to personal choice of the person curing the meat. Smoking certainly assists with meat preservation. But a well cured York Ham will keep unrefrigerated for longer than required without the need to smoke it. The breadcrumbs? Almost certainly a later addition intended to please the eye rather than enhance the flavour. But there is a phrase “You eat with your eyes”...