Tommy Banks to open gastropub
The new venture, close to their Michelin-starred restaurant the Black Swan, will have a focus on hyper-locality and sustainability, keeping in line with the company’s ethos. Produce grown and reared in the family’s farm in Oldstead will take centre stage.
The team is working on a refresh of the historic site, with a state-of-the-art kitchen, relaxed dining room and bar area complete with roaring fires and a well-stocked bar.
The food-focused pub will include a number of rooms, and two-night packages will be on offer for guests wanting to visit the Black Swan as well as the new pub.
An exact launch date and location have not yet been revealed.
Michelin-rated
The Tommy Banks Group comprises Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan in Oldstead and Roots in York, nationwide food delivery box and events service Made in Oldstead and canned wine venture Banks Brothers.
The operator opened its second venue, Roots, in autumn 2018. The restaurant offers casual and playful sharing dishes with a focus on quality.
Tommy Banks was the youngest British head chef ever win a Michelin star aged 24 in September 2013, after his pub, the Black Swan, retained the accolade.
Impressive accolades
The chef also competed on BBC 2’s Great British Menu in 2016 and 2017, with his fish dishes making it through to the banquet in both years. He has since returned as a judge on the show, and his debut book, Roots, was published in April 2018.
He also launched a podcast, Seasoned, last month, which looks at the ins and outs of running one of the UK’s top sustainable restaurants.
The Group is rooted in the Banks’ family’s farming heritage in Oldstead. The family bought the Black Swan in August 2006, and the pub has now won numerous accolades including a Michelin Green Star, four AA Rosettes, AA 5 stars and more.
