Perk Up - A Host Of New Ideas

Thursday 01 May

Spring has brought a whole range of exciting new things to Ripon’s award-winning perk up restaurant.

After being nominated as one of the Yorkshire Post’s top six Yorkshire restaurants at the end of last year, perk up is building on its reputation with a new chef and a host of new ideas.

Mike Taylor used to work as head chef at a local Michelin-starred restaurant, as well as for Betty’s Cookery School. He has also spent time working overseas, including time in Barbados. He comes to perk up highly recommended, and with a passion for fresh food simply cooked. Mike is also a talented baker, and is extending the dessert menu at perk up, as well as providing desserts for the daytime trade. He is working closely with 17-year-old apprentice chef Nikki Pybus, described by a restaurant critic as ‘a natural at the stove’. It’s a tribute to Nikki’s skills that Mike is very happy to work alongside him and help Nikki benefit from his experience. On his part, Nikki is excited to be working alongside such an experienced chef.

For anyone wanting good fresh food, locally sourced and cooked with flair, perk up is the place. Dinner is served from Wednesday to Saturday between 5.30 pm and 9.00 pm. For Early Birds there is a special menu, served until 7.00 pm, which includes favourites like a starter of seared salmon nicoise or a salad of buffalo mozzarella, beetroot and sun-blushed tomatoes. Main courses include fillet of hake with fresh chips, minute rum steak and mushroom risotto, while for puddings you may find lemon posset with blueberry compote or sticky toffee pudding.

Things go into an even higher gear on the main dinner menu, when you may find sauté tiger prawns with linguine pasta and broth of coconut and coriander, followed by roast breast of duck with dauphinoise potatoes, Savoy cabbage, chorizo and caramelised apple. If you’ve room, you could follow that with vanilla panacotta with tropical fruits or the intriguingly-titled (and truly scrumptious) chocolate, chocolate, chocolate – which is exactly what you get!

On Sundays it’s time to chill out. From 10.00 am to 5.00 pm you can spend the day in a more special way with the perk up Sunday Brunch. It offers you the chance to celebrate a special occasion or just to have a lazy day, relaxing with good food in a perfect environment. perk up’s Huge Breakfast is already legendary, and the Sunday Brunch takes it even further. You can choose from more than 20 different menu items – including porridge, local bacon, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms, eggs in all styles including eggs Benedict, and scrambled egg with smoked salmon.

If you want fish, there are at least eight choices, including the classic smoked haddock Omelette Arnold Bennett, as well as a wonderful smoked salmon rarebit. There are the freshly-baked muffins and brioche, not to mention freshly-squeezed orange juice, fresh-ground coffee and even Bucks Fizz . . You can take your leisurely Brunch anywhere on the premises – in the restaurant, in the atmospheric cellar lounge or, when the sun shines, on the award-winning terrace. Look out during the summer for a return of perk up’s renowned Jazz Brunch, when you are entertained with live piano music. Back again by popular demand is perk up’s tapas menu, available on Thursday and Friday nights, when you can enjoy the authentic taste of Spain - like pinchitos morunos, piquillo peppers and chicken livers in oloroso. Tapas are served in the cellar lounge, where there are leather armchairs and a laid-back atmosphere.

Over the last few weeks there has been lots of work going on in perk up to make its award-winning terrace even more special for the warm summer months we know we’ll be getting this year! So whether you’re eating in the main restaurant, in the cellar lounge or on the terrace, perk up is the place for some of Yorkshire’s best food. Go on, give us a try!

perk up, Market Place South, Ripon, HG4 1BZ 01765 698 888 │ www.perkup.com

Opening times: Tues: 10.00am - 3.00 pm; Wed - Sat: 10.00am to 3.00pm, 5.30pm to 9.00pm (Early Bird menu 5.30 to 7.00); Sunday Brunch: 10.00am to 5.00pm

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