Classic Christmas flavours and traditions are being given a Yorkshire twist at Kino as Head Chef Josh Whitehead and his team get ready to launch their festive menu.
Among the starters capturing the season’s aromas and tastes are Sea Trout cured with salt and pine needles and a rich Pheasant Ragu served with tagliatelle flavoured with Christmas Pudding spices. A seasonal version of Josh’s trademark pâté en croûte uses free-range gold turkeys raised a few miles away in Ripon, while a Venison Mince Pie has been inspired by a traditional recipe from the 1800s and offers a tantalising combination of minced venison, dried fruit and spices encased in hot-water pastry.
Diners looking for a more classic roast can opt for local guinea fowl served with Kino’s special bread sauce made to a closely-guarded secret recipe. For vegetarians, the classic Christmas sides have been transformed into a Roast Potato Terrine served with a carrot and birch syrup gravy and accompanied by a parsnip, salt baked in hay and glazed with ‘Sourmite’ – a spread made daily in the Kino kitchen from sourdough bread.
Turkey & Smoked Bacon Pâté en Croûte with cranberry chutney and chestnut mustard at Kino © Jo Ritchie
Foraging in and around Leeds lies at the heart of several dishes. Fir needles collected in Roundhay Park are used not only to cure the sea trout but also to flavour a sherbet to accompany a Mince Pie Donut – a tongue-in-cheek take on a sweet mince pie.
When the menu launches, the Baked Alaska du Jour will be a fully foraged dish with everything picked from within a small area on the Chevin, a wooded ridge near the Yorkshire market town of Otley. As Josh explains: “I’ve picked rowanberries, pineapple-weed and hazelnuts on Otley Chevin and James from the team will be going there to gather some blackberries in a couple of weeks. The hazelnuts will be used in the Baked Alaska sponge, the bottom parfait will be flavoured with the pineapple-weed, the top parfait will be blackberry, and the jam will be made from the rowanberries.”
Christmas at Kino © Jo Ritchie
Anything not foraged is sourced as locally as possible. The meat is provided by R&J Butchers in Kirkby Malzeard, the fish is sourced from Tarbetts Fishmongers in Leeds Market and Chapel Allerton, and all the fruit and vegetables are supplied by Delifresh in Bradford. Kirkstall Brewery, Northern Monk Brewery, Masons Gin, Slingsby Gin and North Star Coffee are just some of the drinks providers who can also claim a proud Yorkshire heritage.
Josh continues: “Our emphasis at Kino is very much on the local and sustainable. The quality of Yorkshire produce is unbelievable, so we always try and source ingredients locally in the first instance. We’re also committed to sustainability whether that’s using the whole bird or animal, repurposing pastry trimmings and unused sourdough bread in our sauces and spreads or collecting used coffee grounds for our take on a classic trifle. We hope people have as much fun eating our Christmas dishes as we’ve had creating them.”
The Kino Kitchen Team © Jo Ritchie
The Christmas set menu offers two courses for £31 or three courses for £34, with anyone booking before 31 October receiving a 10% discount on their final bill. Bookings of 8 or more people will also receive a free Christmas cocktail on arrival. The Christmas menu will be available from Tuesday 21 November to Saturday 30 December (excluding Sun 24 Dec to Tues 26 Dec and Sun 31 Jan to Wed 10 Jan 2024 when Kino will be closed).
