A beautiful pub in Yorkshire has been awarded one of the highest foodie awards going.
The Punch Bowl Inn, North Yorkshire, was recently awarded an AA Rosette for its great quality ingredients, culinary expertise, and meticulous attention to detail - making it one of the best places to eat in the region.
This award is reserved exclusively for restaurants that showcase a real talent for their craft, with precision and a passion for excellence apparent in all of their dishes, and it's not given out lightly.
Known for its great pints and beautiful surrounding country views, the pub's Head Chef, Alex Wood is inspired by seasonal flavours and uses these to inform the menu at The Punch Bowl Inn.
Image: The Punch Bowl Inn
The village pub also takes pride in growing its own, fresh produce at the nearby kitchen garden in Mount St John estate in Felixkirk. The private, walled kitchen garden supplies seasonal produce all year round to the Marton-cum-Grafton pub.
Speaking about the prestigious award that has put The Punch Bowl Inn on the map, General Manager, Paul Neesam, said: “We pride ourselves on the provenance of our food so being recognised with an AA Rosette award is an incredible achievement for us.
"Alex is an accomplished chef who deserves to be recognised for the incredible dishes he creates, supplemented by produce from our kitchen garden.
Image: The Punch Bowl Inn
"The hospitality industry has experienced such a tumultuous time so it’s a real honour to be recognised in such a way. We are also hugely grateful to the local community in Marton-cum-Grafton for giving us their support and helping us to achieve this award.”
As well as a warm Yorkshire welcome, The Punch Bowl Inn offers a light lunch menu featuring the likes of gourmet sandwiches and light bites, such as haddock fishcakes with a lemon and baby caper beurre blanc and Yorkshire Wolds chicken breast with gnocchi.
Or for those looking for something a little more substantial, the a la carte menu packs a punch with sticky beer braised oxtail, Mount St John beetroot cured salmon, Yorkshire wagyu burger and Yorkshire reared free range duck breast with Chinese greens and a hoisin jus, amongst an array of other tasty dishes.
The dog-friendly pub is part of Provenance Inns, a group of seven sites based around Yorkshire.
Image: The Punch Bowl Inn
The group's latest acquisition is The Coach and Horses in Harrogate which is due to open in 2022.
Each pub has its own personality and prides itself on attention to detail when it comes to the food they serve.
Their passion for the county they call ‘home’ was most recently showcased in sales of their ‘Yorkshire Special’ – a chicken and chorizo pie with £1 from every pie sold donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance that ran for one month.
The group has managed to raise over £500 to donate to the charity. Paul concluded:
“We’re really proud of our Yorkshire heritage and this helps to inspire our offering. We hope that this AA Rosette award encourages more people to come and taste the delights on offer at The Punch Bowl Inn. They can be sure of a proper Yorkshire welcome and some incredible food.”
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival has announced the dates for this year's festival.
This year's festival will explore the words of the celebrated Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour: "To make art is to say we are here."
These words will reflect the content of this year's festival, which aim to keep Palestinian stories alive; defy the erasure of history; and bring voices from the depths of destruction.
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival will open Friday 13 November at the iconic Hyde Park Picture House with Life Support, a documentary about doctors in Gaza directed by Daniele Rugo.
Image: Supplied
The screening will be followed by a live Q&A with the director and doctors from the film, chaired by Healthworkers4Palestine.
Early programme highlights include the UK premiere of Conversation with the Sea, Muayad Alayan's family drama in which a 60-year-old Palestinian man in Jerusalem, ordered by an Israeli court to pay a debt allegedly owed by his son who drowned decades ago, sets out to discover what happened.
Also showing will be Maggie Lemere's documentary, Land of Canaan, follows Palestinian farmers and their olive trees, some more than 1,000 years old, and the fair-trade movement led by Dr Nasser Abufarha to protect them.
Image: Supplied
Frances Bernstein, Festival Director, said: “To make art is to say we are here. We chose the words of the celebrated Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour as this year's theme because they reflect what the programme is for: keeping Palestinian stories alive, defying the erasure of Palestinian history, culture and identity, and bringing voices from the depth of destruction to audiences in Leeds."
The full programme, guests and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks. You can find out more here.
Viral Yorkshire shop urges visitors to avoid weekends as huge queues form
Clementine Hall
A viral apothecary shop in Yorkshire has warned visitors about huge queues forming outside its doors, urging people to visit during the week if they want to avoid the crowds.
The Cabinet of Curiosities in Haworth has become a popular destination for those looking to really get into the autumn spirit.
And it seems like there's a lot of people who are looking to do so, as huge queues have been forming along the quaint cobbled streets of Haworth.
So much so, that owner Carolin had to issue a statement via The Cabinet of Curiosities Instagram page.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It reads: "Weekends in Haworth have become particularly busy during Autumn and we are so grateful to all those lovely souls who have patiently queued to visit the shop.
"We are so honoured that you are happy to wait to come in to our magical apothecary shop, and I can’t quite believe it when I look out of the windows and see the queue snaking up the cobbles. Be assured that the queue does move fast and it makes for a far more pleasurable visit if there are fewer people in the shop at once.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"If you would rather avoid the busy times it’s best to visit during the week if you can. Our shop is open 7 days a week 10-5, but to make sure all the shops in Haworth are open then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are probably the best days to visit.
"We are doing our best to keep up with restocking and our fabulous workshop witches are busy blending, filling and packing every day to keep to keep the shelves stocked. We are humbled and forever grateful that you love our little shoppe, and hope you enjoy your potions and your visit to The Cabinet of Curiosities."
Georgina Pellant -
29th October 2021 
