York restaurant named the best in the country in national food awards

A York restaurant has been named the best in Britain.

Roots York was named the Best Restaurant in the Observer Food Awards 2022.

It took the award after a poll of the readers of the Sunday newspaper.

Run by Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks, Roots, on Marygate, it is the city sister to the Black Swan, Oldstead.

It reopened after the lockdown in a new form, the Observer wrote. “The restaurant reopened four days a week not six, serving tasting menus only (dinner, £135 to £160), numbers capped at 46. Banks’s kitchen teams already worked four-day weeks, but where previously Roots required 18 chefs, it now has a regular team of 12.”

Tommy and his team at Roots York were naturally delighted with the honour.

“One of the most prestigious awards night’s in the culinary calendar, we sat shoulder to shoulder with some of the cooking world’s most influential people from Nigel Slater and Yotam Ottolenghi to Angela Hartnett and Paul Ainsworth,” they wrote.

“The icing on the cake? Picking up the award for Best Restaurant in the UK.

“We are truly blown away and honoured by this accolade, a true testament to the passion, dedication and enthusiasm of our team.

“We’ve gone through changes and challenges in the last couple of years and have come out the other side with a menu, restaurant, team and culture that we are immensely proud of.”