New dinner dates coming soon…

We’ve been having a great response to our supper clubs of late, from both guests old and new. We still love running our dining events, and whilst we still have this passion and people still want to dine with us, we’ll continue to put events on. As a result, we’re just putting the finishing touches to our next set of dates and will be releasing them for sale next week - keep your eyes peeled as they tend to sell out fast!

Our Booking System
We’re slightly changing the way in which people can book on to make it more simple and straightforward. Instead of paying a deposit at the time of booking, we’ll be asking guests to buy tickets up front for the dates that they want to come to. We hope that this will make the supperclub experience an easier one all round, as it means there’s no confusion over what balance needs to be paid prior to the event taking place.

What if I can no longer attend?
We know that lives are busy and so If you find that you can’t come after you have booked on, then so long as you let us know at least 3 weeks prior to the event happening then we will be able to refund your ticket price in full (minus a small admin fee that Paypal charges us).

If you notify us 2 weeks before the event then we’ll be able to refund 50% of the ticket price, and if it’s 1 week before the event then we will be unable to refund the ticket as we tend to have made orders to our suppliers by then, and we’re a small operation.

We are sorry but tickets are not transferable to other events as we can’t guarantee availability – our events tend to get fully booked far in advance.

Our commitment to you is that we have frozen our prices for our extravagant 6-course meals at £30pp. We think that’s a bargain as you get a fun night out and a free welcome drink thrown in!

To be the first in the queue for getting tickets to our events we strongly suggest that you subscribe to this blog. It’s a “Follow” link at the bottom of the screen and it means that you’ll get an email every time we write a new post. Similarly if you use Twitter then follow as @dine_leeds and we’ll tweet about new events!

French Fodder!

Last month was our Rachel Khoo inspired French event. We’ve now done a few events using recipes from the ‘Little Paris Kitchen’ book, including a private supperclub and an afternoon tea. We like Rachel’s peasant style recipes paired with her stunning patisserie (she trained as a pattisiere). We found that the recipes don’t always work, as Rachel cooks in such a small oven at home where she created her recipes, and so we had to test everything thoroughly in advance.

Our guests were welcomed with a classic Kir royale, it couldn’t be any other cocktail for a French theme could it?! These were joined by canapes of lettuce cups, filled with crunchy nicoise style veg, creamy egg and lemony dressing; quail egg mini croque madame muffins (now a firm Manor favourite!); and crostini topped with a fresh and punchy ratatouille. Our amouse bouche was shots of Rachel’s creamy potato and cauliflower soup. This soup can be served hot or cold and the cauliflower makes it the silkiest soup I’ve ever tasted.

Dinner at the Manor does Paris!

Bonsoir! As you may have seen, our next event will have a French theme, where we will be using the wonderful Rachel Khoo as inspiration  I was lucky enough to be in Paris at the beginning February so I took it upon myself to do a little bit of R&D before our March event! Laduree, Pierre Herme and a few other places were ticked off my list and I can’t wait to use some of these sweet ideas next month!

Another thing I wanted to do was attend a Parisian supperclub, but not having enough any French conversational skills made me write off the idea, until…

Eight strangers, one table, Paris. Four Brits, six Americans, (two living in London, relocating to LA, two living in the States and two living in Paris) this was truly a global dining experience! Yes, I was lucky enough to be part of an Anglophone, Parisian communal dinner at cult restaurant Verjus!

Run by American couple Braden and Laura, Verjus is a labour of love and passion for food. The child of now defunct secret supperclub the Hidden Kitchen, where Laura and Braden used their supperclub to meet new folk, they took the massive steps to open their own bona fide restaurant.

I had been looking for a restaurant for Nick and I to visit over the weekend in Paris and having learned about Verjus’ story, I immediately wanted to visit. I emailed to reserve a table for two, and to my surprise Laura responded saying that they were holding a communal dinner in their newly refurbished Barnaby Room and would we like to come! A communal dinner? In Paris? If I could’ve bitten Laura’s hand off I would!

Eight courses, with paired wines for €100. A bargain to my mind and waited in anticipation!

The restaurant itself lies in a small passageway overlooking the Theatre du Palais-Royale and inside the dim lit interior was intimate, warm and welcoming and at 8.00pm was already full. Shown upstairs to the private dining room, we were the second guests to arrive. Introductions were made with our dining pals (Them = glamourous US marketing types currently in London, relocating to LA. Us = Less glamourous Yorkshire folk ) then we got to look at the menu for the evening… treating ourselves to a glass of champagne as we perused. Needless to say I was salivating…

This was truly a menu which was a clash of different cultures and flavours – harrissa, kimchi, sauerkraut and peanut butter all on one menu? To my mind it made me think of US, and indeed UK culture – it is now a mish mash of flavours. How it should be!

The other guests filtered through, some previous guests, some new. All excited about the prospect of the menu but I also think equally excited about the prospect of spending several hours with strangers! Which I think is the most exciting thing about what we do at the Manor – yes the food is important but for us its the prospect of meeting new people that spurs us on!

Anyway, I won’t go into a long essay describing each and every course because I don’t actually think I’d be able to do the food justice if I did. You don’t need me to use the words “yum” “nom” over a hundred times! Needless to say the food was stunning. The ingredients we so fresh! Braden later told us that they only work with a handful of regular suppliers and that Verjus basically have to try and adapt their menus depending on whats available to them, which I love.

Highlights for me were the scallops – so soft! The warm egg yolk, the hangar steak and definitely both puddings! The citrus curd was clean, sour and palate cleansing whilst the peanut butter mouse was the equivalent of an all American heart attack. Delicious!

We were even given a surprise unadvertised course – a salad of shaved foie gras, baby spinach, pickled grapes, hazelnuts and shaved crimini mushrooms. A great way of serving such a rich ingredient.

Unfortunately I didn’t take many pictures – as a group we all got on so well that I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of conversation with my flash going off every course! I did manage to take a couple, of the scallops and the peanut butter, which will give you an idea of how beautifully everything was presented.

Coffees and petit fours were served (Habanero pate de fruit!) and before we knew it, it was unfortunately time to leave…past 1am! We couldn’t have met the nicest group of people to share an evening in Paris with. It’s a testament to Braden and Laura that they have been able to create such a real “supperclub” feel to their restaurant with these communal dinners. Subjects we all chatted about ranged from the Oscars, football, rugby union (and the nude calendar the French team posed for – who knew!?) and Cats. The food all the while bringing us together.

Conversation at the end of the night turned to meeting up again at Verjus in a year’s time. Will we? Who knows? All I know is that it was a wonderful way to spend an evening in Paris, one I won’t forget in a long time.

Verjus, 47, rue de Montpensier, Paris, FR.

Sunshine on a snowy day!

Last Friday night Dinner at the Manor enjoyed a long overdue visit to the supperclub at Chapel Allerton’s Sunshine Bakery. We know owner and head chef Dave from him visiting our supperclub in the past and have been hearing brilliant things about his tasty food at bargain prices.

For those of you who haven’t visited the bakery by day it’s a cute, bijou, vintage dining room with antique tables and chairs crammed in amongst retro crockery and chintsy doilies. It was a very welcoming place from the prolific snow falling outside!

The supperclub set up at Sunshine is a bit like an alternative restaurant. They don’t have a licence so you can bring your own wine, but you’re sat at your own tables rather than one big communal one. There were 3 choices for starters and main courses and then coffees, cupcakes and brownies for dessert.

My starter was a brilliant garlic mushrooms dish, which came full of creamy flavour atop a crispy and chewy bun. This bore no resemblance to the dreary pub classic – it was absolutely delicious and extremely filling! Susie went for the chicken terrine which was moist and full of smokiness from the bacon.

All of the main courses sounded amazing but without any faltering doubt I went for the leg of lamb cooked with garlic and olives and served with roasted carrots and potato dauphinoise. The lamb was super soft and melt in the mouth. The strong flavours of the garlic and olive gave it a lovely modern punch. The dauphnoise were luxuriously creamy and the roasted carrots were served elegantly in halves and had been roasted to perfection. It was a generous portion but I scoffed it all down! Susie opted for the sea bass with artichokes, sautéed potatoes, spinach and sweet potato purée. The fish was perfectly cooked and melt in the mouth and was complimented perfectly by the accompanying vegetables.

We didn’t have much room left but for dessert we were treated to some of Dave’s baked goods. I had the crunchie brownie whilst Susie had the mint Aero. Both were deliciously moist, rich and full of cocoa – a lovely way to end a meal on a cold snowy night!

The best thing about the meal was the price, which at £15 for 2 courses for top quality and tasty grub is unbelievable value. It’s probably just as well I live in a less glamorous suburb of Leeds otherwise I’d be at the Sunshine Bakery every night! The atmosphere is a calm and warm one. It’s obvious that the food takes centre stage with no need for pretentious frou-frou. We’ll certainly be back, thanks Dave!

Sunshine Bakery
182 Harrogate Road, Allerton, Leeds

A Christmas Feast

Christmas has arrived at the Manor again and in honour of our favourite celebration we held a dinner inspired by some of our favourite festive Nigella recipes. We used Feast, Nigellissima, Kitchen and Nigella’s Christmas as our guides to put together a filling and enjoyable banquet. We’ve always felt that the Manor is at its best as a winter venue and so it was an absolute joy to have an excuse to get the tree and decorations out particularly early!

We welcomed our guests in from a particularly chilly night and led them up to our cosy library with roaring fire and Christmas carols. We had a mixture of new and repeat guests who were all looking forward to some Christmas fun!

The cocktail for the evening was a ‘yule mule’ a vodka based tipple with lime juice, cranberry and ginger beer. This was paired with canapes that included bocconcini, or ‘golden balls’ – little mozzarella pearls coated in breadcrumbs and fried til golden and crisp. Also on the agenda were sticky and moist chipolatas in a moreish ginger and mustard glaze. Finally the canape we’ve been excited about for ages was mini meatzzas. A meatzza is Nigella’s bizarre attempt at combining a pizza but instead of bread, the base is made of meat! She makes giant ones but Susie adapted the recipe and formed mini bite size beauties. They were a revelation for us, elegant and fun – plus they did indeed taste of pizza!

Two Fat Loiners!

This weekend we channelled our inner greediness as we opened up the Manor for an autumnal feast inspired by 90s gems the Two Fat Ladies. Susie and I have recently picked up this retro cookbook from charity shops and were keen to put it to good use. Full of game, hearty ingredients and no nonsense directions it’s a fun book to work with – or so we thought!…

We spent months picking the right dishes for our November menu and putting them to the test. It soon transpired that we were wise to do this as not all the recipes were foolproof, or even that tasty!

We kickstarted our meal with a welcome drink of sloe gin fizz that was spiced up with ginger syrup and lime juice. This was paired with Susie’s elegant canapes of scotch eggs made with quail eggs. These differed to Jennifer and Clarissa’s version, which suggested chopped ham and anchovy instead of the seasoned sausage meat that Susie used. Also on offer were crostini topped with poor man’s caviar (a smoked aubergine pate, baba ganouch) and deliciously sweet crab, coriander and corn fritters – both of which we’re afraid to say were also slightly adapted!

King of the Castle

We ended our foodie expedition of Scotland with a splurge meal at Edinburgh’s Castle Terrace, a modern British restaurant influenced by classic French techniques and driven by a passion for seasonal Scottish ingredients. I’d previously had a fantastic meal at Leith’s The Kitchin, which is the sister restaurant of Castle Terrace, plus I had heard good things from fellow food blogger My Monkfish. Chef patron Dominic Jack is a close friend of Tom Kitchin’s having met him whilst cheffing in Edinburgh when they were both teenagers. Kichin’s influence throughout the restaurant is obvious from the dark and luxurious decor, professional and attentive staff to the ethos of ‘nature to plate’ food.

My Monkfish had put in a good word for us ahead of our visit and so on arrival we were mysteriously ushered down to the kitchen to meet chef Dominic. Set up in a corner of the warm but quiet kitchen was a ‘chef’s table’ where we were seated and given complimentary champagne, canapes and menus to peruse, whilst watching the chefs go about their business. It was fascinating to see the inner workings of such a prestigious restaurant. It was controlled, thoughtful and precise. Everybody was working studiously and effectively under the watchful eye of Dominic. The atmosphere was so peaceful and serene that you could have heard a pin drop. It was almost a bit embarrassing being sat there as we felt like complete intruders! We joked with the waiting staff about how it wouldn’t normally be so ordered, but I genuinely was impressed by how unchaotic and tranquil it all was.

Canapes at the Chef’s table!

Happy Birthday to Us!

Last weekend saw Dinner at the Manor celebrate our 1st birthday, and what a year it has been! 245 dinners served over 18 events to some wonderful people, from all over the UK and beyond, who we hope have enjoyed it as much as we have.

Gardeners Delight!

To round off my gastro-tour of Scotland I had an obligatory trip to Edinburgh, which readers of the blog will know is one of my favourite cities to visit. Having made friends with fellow food blogger My Monkfish at last year’s My Home Supperclub I was keen for her to recommend to me some eateries for us to check out when we hit the Burgh.

Her first tip off was the brand spanking new Gardeners Cottage, which opened earlier this summer. Housed in (you guessed it) an ex-gardeners cottage within the Royal Terrace gardens on London road, it was a hop skip and a jump from where we staying in the Georgian New Town. Plus it had had a fairly decent review from the Guardian’s Jay Rayner the week before so we were happy to pop down for a feed. It’s run by Scottish chef friends Edward and Dale who have chefed in a number of famous Edinburgh eateries that include the Atrium, the Kitchin; as well working for Mark Hix in London.

The Gardener’s Cottage

Stars in the Skye – Michelin adventures in the Hebrides

I’ve recently been to Skye, which I guess isn’t the best tropical destination with which to round off a rubbish summer! However I’m a bit of a fan of the raw ruggedness of Scotland’s countryside and was keen to experience more of the beautiful highlands. We went for the week with my parents – who took a bit of convincing that it was the place to while away a week – until they twigged that the island is home to not one but two Michelin star restaurants, then we had them interested!

The island of Skye is a butterfly shaped piece of land which is joined to Kyle Lochalsh on the Scottish mainland by a small 90s bridge. One of the nice things about Skye is that even in the ‘large’ towns you still feel remote and isolated. Our first eating expedition was in the south of the island. Kinloch Lodge is a family run Michelin star restaurant and Conde Naste rated hotel.  As we drove down a dirt track it was hard to believe that we were arriving at a venue of such high accolade! The restaurant itself felt like the Victorian home of a wealthy crofter, full of antiques and ancient family photos. The location was to die for as we were surrounded by hills and water and as the sun was setting it twinkled mysteriously for us.

Kinloch Lodge, Skye

There was no choice on the menu, although you could opt in and out of any of the courses. We went for the 6 course menu, leaving out the cheese and oatcakes. Canapes were served in the drawing room and were presented proudly in neat rows on a piece of local slate. The stand out bite for me was the simple yet tasty parmesan cracker topped with salty blue cheese mousse and crisp, clean green grape.