Owners of ‘best restaurant in the world’ pub to open second site

09-Apr-2018 - Last updated on 10-Apr-2018 at 14:31 GMT

Review site favourite: Twitter users voted the Black Swan at Oldstead the best restaurant in the world

The owners of a Michelin-starred Yorkshire pub, which was awarded ‘best restaurant in the world’ by TripAdvisor users, are set to unveil a second site in a city location.

Roots will be the Banks family’s second venue, following on from the award-winning Black Swan at Oldstead, which is headed by brothers Tommy in the kitchen and James in front of house.

So pleased to be able to announce our second restaurant @rootsyork that will open later this summer in York. We have so many ideas, I can’t wait to take @blackswan_oldstead ethos into a new concept in the city that we love. www.rootsyork.co.uk #roots #blackswanoldstead #york
A post shared by Tommy Banks (@tommybanks) on Apr 9, 2018 at 3:45am PDT

The Black Swan, which was number 12 on this year's Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs list, prides itself on a “very real farm to fork philosophy” along with a strong focus on innovation and self-reliance, bringing all members of the team together.

Casual and playful

Chef Tommy Banks, along with his family, will open the new site in York this autumn. Roots will incorporate the Banks’ style, offering casual and playful sharing dishes with the same focus on quality cooking with which Tommy has become known for.

Tommy – who recently featured in an advert for men's clothing line Jacamo – and James took the Black Swan on aged just 17 and 19 respectively and have since transformed it from a quaint North Yorkshire pub into the world’s best-rated fine-dining restaurant.

Four years ago, Tommy was the youngest British head chef ever to win a Michelin star at the tender age of 24. The chef has also released his debut cookbook, also named Roots.

Foraged food

The pub was awarded the title of ‘best restaurant in the world’ by users of TripAdvisor last year (October) where it beat competition from Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, which came in second.

It also beat former top-listed Restaurante Martín Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, north-east Spain, which was placed fifth after being number one since 2015.

Food at the pub is foraged from the hedgerows and woodland at Oldstead, it also uses traditional garden and field crop and experiments with alternative plants and develops techniques to produce something contemporary.