Forage Bar & Kitchen unveils exciting spring menu and new head chef

Following the phenomenal success of Forage’s temporary pop-up kitchen which opened in November 2021, the business has just announced plans to create a permanent food offering with the appointment of head chef, Kieran Duffy, and today launches the spring menu.

Kieran Duffy is fast becoming a Yorkshire renowned chef, having worked previously at acclaimed restaurants including Roots and Le Cochon Aveugle in York. He has carefully curated an exceptional menu featuring locally sourced game, fish and seasonal produce, much of which is cooked on an open flame. From brunch, casual lunch through to evening meals, the incredible array of dishes can be shared or eaten individually and have been created to delight all taste buds.

Examples include:

Starters

• Pan fried pigeon, duck fat hash, parmesan crisp, devilled sauce
• Slip sole cooked in curried cultured butter, lemon, chive

Mains

• Pan fried turbot, braised fennel, onion puree, fish veloute, wild garlic, black onion powder
• Mushroom tortellini, bbqed oyster mushroom, fried shimeji mushroom, mushroom dashi

Desserts

• BBQed banana profiteroles with miso caramel
• Yuzu curd meringue pie

Forage Founder, Callum Houston, explained: “It’s a major coup to have Kieran heading up the team. He is an accomplished and talented chef with flair and creativity in abundance and shares our passion about celebrating seasonal produce, and transforming it into delicious dishes. Great food; bold and exciting flavours; and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do and now runs through our entire offering.”

The announcement comes on the back of the launch of the Forage Speakeasy Charcuterie & Cocktail Bar in February – a behind closed doors bar offering exclusive cocktails and a unique food menu in a restricted environment that is only accessible to a few.

Forage has become notable locally for its wide range of theatrical and delicious cocktails skilfully created by expert mixologist, Callum Houston, who champions the use of foraged ingredients. For example, discarded banana skins are transformed into a banana oil, and feature in the infamous, “Dolce & Banana” drink! And off cuts of fudge from the local Fudge Kitchen are repurposed into a delicious Fudge Liquor.

Callum added: “Forage is about more than good food and drink – it’s a place where people feel relaxed. It’s an afternoon that turns into an evening, because when the service is friendly, the food exciting, the atmosphere easy and the music carefully pitched, our guests can’t help but settle in.”

The neighbourhood restaurant and late-night bar is in the beating heart of York, moments from the cobbled streets of Stonegate and just a few streets from the historic Shambles – it’s the grown-up hangout that’s open all day and just the right amount of night.