Railway heritage meets fine dining – could this be the grandest hotel in the north?

By Staff reporter
Published 22nd Nov 2022, 10:09 BST
Updated 22nd Nov 2022, 10:35 BST
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There’s an energetic buzz about The Grand, York, and it’s not all down to the beehives on the roof.

The two colonies of industrious residents are being brought up to strength by an experienced beekeeper, but are already supplying honey to The Grand’s newest restaurant – Legacy.

When it comes to saving food miles, you can’t get much fresher than produce collected 50ft above the kitchens and harvested daily for inclusion into a mouth-watering dessert not long before the guests arrive.placeholder image
When it comes to saving food miles, you can’t get much fresher than produce collected 50ft above the kitchens and harvested daily for inclusion into a mouth-watering dessert not long before the guests arrive.

It’s all part of the big question general manager Simon Mahon and his team constantly ask themselves: “What does the hotel of the future look like in a 120-year-old building?”

The grade 2 listed building housing most of The Grand is hard to miss when you arrive by train. Just a couple of minutes’ walk from York station, you slip through a wide arch in the medieval city walls and The Grand is directly ahead, red brick warm against the ancient grey stone.placeholder image
The grade 2 listed building housing most of The Grand is hard to miss when you arrive by train. Just a couple of minutes’ walk from York station, you slip through a wide arch in the medieval city walls and The Grand is directly ahead, red brick warm against the ancient grey stone.

It was opened in 1906 as the headquarters for the North Eastern Railway, and these captains of transport and industry did not stint on space or eye-catching features. It’s said that Horace Field, the building’s architect, took inspiration from Sir Christopher Wren, with a nod to Hampton Court Palace’s grand corridors and wide stone staircases. No wonder it was known as a “palace of business”.

The Grand was converted to a hotel in 2010 with the parquet flooring and keystone-corniced arches retained, along with the quirky numbers that designated office doors rather than suites. Huge windows facing the city walls still contain the clever Edwardian double-glazing fitted to keep out the clattering noise of horse-drawn vehicles – and they do just as good a job of shielding the sound of any passing buses packed with sightseers.placeholder image
The Grand was converted to a hotel in 2010 with the parquet flooring and keystone-corniced arches retained, along with the quirky numbers that designated office doors rather than suites. Huge windows facing the city walls still contain the clever Edwardian double-glazing fitted to keep out the clattering noise of horse-drawn vehicles – and they do just as good a job of shielding the sound of any passing buses packed with sightseers.

One of these rooms with heritage glazing intact is home to Legacy, the intimate new eight-course tasting menu devised by head chef Ahmed Abdalla. Open since late August, it seats just 26 covers in a room that Simon confessed was once an unloved space.

Now after a sympathetic redesign that pays homage to industrious pioneers of York, with art deco lighting and architectural designs of the hotel writ large on the walls above curved banquettes, it is a welcoming and intimate space where diners get the full attention of Ahmed and restaurant manager Derek Scaife, whose skills as a sommelier are clever and bold.

Ahmed rose to head chef through stints at York favourite Skosh, Yorebridge House in the Dales and stages at Lucknam Park and Whatley Manor.placeholder image
Ahmed rose to head chef through stints at York favourite Skosh, Yorebridge House in the Dales and stages at Lucknam Park and Whatley Manor.

His enthusiasm for his craft is infectious, and as he treats us to a preview of one of the next dishes likely to be added to the seasonally updated menu – a juicy venison haunch bonbon that coats your mouth with smoky sweetness – his smile is broad in anticipation.

This is familiar food but done with a firm eye on getting the most flavour from hero ingredients that are all sourced as close to The Grand as possible. Fish from Whitby and vegetables from Malton means Ahmed can visit many of his suppliers in less than an hour.

Our party of eight all have different favourite courses, and Ahmed’s not precious about swapping in dishes to work around dietary needs. One friend whose pregnancy limits her diet doesn’t feel remotely short-changed by her bespoke dishes, and is given her own printed menu to show this isn’t an afterthought.

My favourite dish – Jersey royal veloute with oak-smoked cheddar and chicken skin crumb – is the most refined version of cheesy chips I’ve encountered and comes with a delicate wafer shaped like an oak leaf for extra crunch.

A close second is the celeriac with black garlic; prettily decorated with tiny nasturtium leaves and covered in a cloud of truffle at the table that adds to the richness of the sweet root vegetable. The pairing for this one is a Scandinavian cider. That’s right – fine dining and cider! But Brännland Iscider is no fizzy froth that stripped the palate, rather a deeply caramel nectar that makes me want to go out and shake a few frozen apple trees to help the next press.placeholder image
A close second is the celeriac with black garlic; prettily decorated with tiny nasturtium leaves and covered in a cloud of truffle at the table that adds to the richness of the sweet root vegetable. The pairing for this one is a Scandinavian cider. That’s right – fine dining and cider! But Brännland Iscider is no fizzy froth that stripped the palate, rather a deeply caramel nectar that makes me want to go out and shake a few frozen apple trees to help the next press.

The fish course is a dense but sweet halibut with the lightest mousseline sauce followed by a tender trio of Yorkshire lamb from a local farm.

When the desserts and cheese plate roll round, we are reunited with our friends, the rooftop bees. Lush honey ice cream and panna cotta are served with zings of yuzu and elderflower to balance out that home-harvested sweetness.

Finally, a little welcome table theatre when our waiter Antonios slices pieces of honeycomb direct from the frame to add to our cheese plate.placeholder image
Finally, a little welcome table theatre when our waiter Antonios slices pieces of honeycomb direct from the frame to add to our cheese plate.

Once the hives are up to full strength the honey will infuse a house gin in partnership with Yorkshire distillery Masons, just 35 miles up the A1.

When I checked in, there was a Viking in my bed – Viktor, a charming soft toy included in welcome packs for children. He proves a companion not just for exploring the city, but also the hotel, as there’s a scavenger hunt map of features to help younger guests find their way around – who knew an Edwardian office block could hide an outline of Mickey Mouse in its original flooring? Children are also given bath bombs and some “grand dollars” for a properly grown-up hotel experience to remember.placeholder image
When I checked in, there was a Viking in my bed – Viktor, a charming soft toy included in welcome packs for children. He proves a companion not just for exploring the city, but also the hotel, as there’s a scavenger hunt map of features to help younger guests find their way around – who knew an Edwardian office block could hide an outline of Mickey Mouse in its original flooring? Children are also given bath bombs and some “grand dollars” for a properly grown-up hotel experience to remember.

York itself is a treasure trove of activity for families, from the famous Jorvik Viking Centre where our new friend Viktor is sure to feel at home, to Clifford’s Tower with its new roof deck offering unrivalled city views. The National Railway Museum is barely 10 minutes walk from The Grand and the wide array of spooky ghost tours are more treat than trick in what is said to be the most haunted city in the UK.

The Grand also offers stargazing trips to the North York Moors with an astronomer on hand to share with you the wonders of the dark skies.placeholder image
The Grand also offers stargazing trips to the North York Moors with an astronomer on hand to share with you the wonders of the dark skies.

For those who would rather spend their evenings indoors, there are a choice of rooms and suites, including the penthouse, arranged to celebrate the quirkiness of the old offices including beds on mezzanine platforms. Interconnecting rooms make spaces big enough family groups, too.

The hotel’s other dining room Rise is open for breakfast and evening meals, with the afternoon tea selection saving you from the long queue outside the famous Betty’s tea rooms in the city centre. There’s an outdoor terrace including a terrarium to shelter in with a view of the city walls.

If you’re feeling creative instead, The Grand has an in-house cookery school including modern world street food, French brasserie classics and parent-and-child gingerbread classes.

Northern hospitality is key to The Grand’s brand – it may be a five-star hotel, but the staff I encounter are determined to make it feel like a home away from home.

The doormen, and I take my hat off to Robert and Wayne, give remarkably accurate weather forecasts before offering advice on the best route to key York sights. They’re likely to direct you up the short flight of steps opposite the hotel where you’ll find one of the prettiest stretches of the two-mile medieval walls that encircle the city centre, with York Minister to the west across Lendal Bridge.placeholder image
The doormen, and I take my hat off to Robert and Wayne, give remarkably accurate weather forecasts before offering advice on the best route to key York sights. They’re likely to direct you up the short flight of steps opposite the hotel where you’ll find one of the prettiest stretches of the two-mile medieval walls that encircle the city centre, with York Minister to the west across Lendal Bridge.

The words “Grand” and “York” have long gone hand-in-hand, and not just in the nursery rhyme. With the arrival of Legacy, York’s dining scene has become that bit grander too.

How to plan your trip

Classic double rooms at The Grand (thegrandyork.co.uk) start at £255 on a B&B basis while grand heritage suites start at £515.

The eight-course tasting menu is £120pp with £60 for the classical wine flight and £90 for the prestige option.

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