Taste Cheshire in BBC Good Food! #Blog

Scott Holliday
12th December 2017

By Sophie White

Last month, BBC Good Food explored the wonderful city of Chester as their city for their “Best Places to Eat..” feature.

In the feature, food critic, Tony Naylor, gives outsiders to the fantastic food-centric city a glowing review! Naylor mentions 20 restaurants in Chester and why you should visit them/tailored to different needs – whether you want to eat casually with the family, get the full fine dining experience, or eat on the go between sightseeing.

As a foodie and a Taste Cheshire member, I was thrilled to see some of my personal favourites and 6 of our members featured on the list!

First up, Burger Shed 41! Describing the food as “juicy-as-hell”  Naylor writes

“Calling it a ‘shed’ rather undersells this dimly lit, hard-edged burger restaurant, which is soundtracked by a mixture of Cuban jazz, moody indie rock and the sizzle of hot patties.”

We couldn’t agree more. Burger Shed 41’s burgers are bursting with juicy flavour and at a friendly price too with burgers starting from £7! The Shed is located on Bridge Street.

Next on the list, is the exquisite The Chef’s Table.

Naylor compliments the consideration the team behind Chef’s Table have put into every aspect of the restaurant, not just the brilliant food.

“From its meats (supplied by award-winning butcher Edge & Son) to the pegs that neatly pinion your napkin, every detail of this restaurant has been carefully considered. Chef-owner Liam McKay’s dishes – for example, miso & maple pork belly with king prawn, chorizo, spiced corn, caramelised pineapple & polenta in a sweetcorn butter sauce – take modern British food on an exhilarating world tour.”

Chef’s Table has also just been named one of 100 Best Restaurants in the UK by Opentable. Mains start from £14.95.

The Chef’s Table is about to undergo a refurb but keep an eye out for their Covino X Chef’s Table supper clubs throughout January and February.

Naylor also writes about The Yard, Chester’s great value.

“..the food (crowd-pleasing, diligently cooked Italian) knows exactly where it’s at. The beef cheek Bolognese with tagliatelle delivered sound, slow-cooked flavours and silky, al dente pasta. The fixed price menu (two courses, £12.50) is good value. The staff are great, too.”

Mains start from £13 and you can find it on City Road.

Another amazing member featured on the Good Food list, was Oddfellows!

“From the street, this Georgian townhouse (now hotel) gives a little hint of the design-led complex within. For instance, its light-filled restaurant opens out into a large, quirky ‘secret’ garden. From snacky lunchtime soups and sandwiches to evening mains of, say, pork cutlet with brawn hotpot, rosemary carrots and crackling, the food is of good quality.”

Mains start from £14. Find the beautiful Oddfellows on Lower Bridge Street.

We were delighted to see Hickory’s Smokehouse receive a mention too!

“You would be forgiven for letting out a ‘yee-haw!’ as you walk into Hickory’s, so loud, lively and authentically American does it feel. Its owners have brought back more than a love of TV sports and country music from their Stateside road-trips, too. BBQ meats, done in a variety of regional styles (try the 16-hour smoked Texas brisket), hit the mark, while Hickory’s wings, burgers and soul food dishes, will please both kids… and big kids.”

Mains start from £9.50 and you can find this rodeo on Souters Lane.

Lastly, our Taste Cheshire Farmers Market at the Grosvenor got a little shout out too!

Well done to all our fabulous members for showing BBC Good Food how fantastic Chester, and Cheshire as a whole is for food!

Read Tony Naylor’s BBC Good Food article here – https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-places-eat-chester