Tommy Banks didn’t go to culinary school. In fact, he left school at 16, but that hasn’t stopped his climb to the top as one of Britain’s shining stars on the food scene – especially in his beloved North Yorkshire. He has his one-Michelin-starred restaurant The Black Swan; a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant, Roots; his new business Banks Brothers which produces canned wines (don’t judge until you’ve tried them); and The Abbey Inn, a beautiful little 19th-century pub-with-rooms in beautiful Byland. As if that isn’t enough, he is a veteran of Great British Menu, and “I’ve got a few projects I’m working on,” he tells me, “but I’m not allowed to say what they are just yet. They’re a bit under wraps.” When we speak, he is prepping to head to Manchester for the 2024 Michelin ceremony to find if he had retained his star or not (we are happy to confirm he certainly did).
What Tommy is really proud of, however, is his Academy Apprenticeship Program, which takes on seven apprentices every year. Each apprentice rotates through his businesses, doing three months in each place and getting the most hands-on experience possible. “We’ve got some really talented young people,” he tells me. “I kind of wish I’d had that sort of thing when I was 16. I left school at that age and didn’t go to college or do anything. It came about because we did a careers day and a couple of really great lads, Jake and Freddie, were wanting to leave school and come to work for us. They were so switched on and so refreshing to speak to. I think young people get a bad rep these days. Maybe it’s always been like that – older generations always worry about the young a lot – so we took those two on. And then, I decided to set up a scheme because you only learn so much at college; you need hands-on experience. I believe we can teach them and I get as much out of it as they do. I think the whole company gets a lot out of it. They are definitely the most popular members of the team.”
Tommy himself really came to the foodie forefront when he won Great British Menu in 2016, 2017 and again in 2020. He now has a role as veteran judge on the show, working alongside Nisha Katona, Tom Kerridge and Andi Oliver. “Nisha, Tom and definitely Andi, too – they’re doing a job, but it isn’t just a job because they really love what they do and believe in it. Tom and I both know what it’s like to be in that competition. We know the nerves and the adrenaline of doing it and how it takes over your whole life. Every waking hour, you’re thinking about your dishes and how you’re going to do them, and it really is hard.” As such, Tommy tells me his position as a judge isn’t one he takes lightly; “that responsibility is huge because [the contestant’s] heart and soul is in your hands and you want to do them justice. There has to be some subjectivity to it, especially with the job I have because I have to send somebody home before they have put their whole menu out. And that feels very harsh sometimes.”
Tommy’s work takes him all over the country, but he is a family man, and North Yorkshire is home, first and foremost. “It’s the biggest county in the UK in terms of landmass,” he enthuses, “so you’ve got quite a diversity of offerings. You’ve got a beautiful coast, the moors and rolling hills. You’ve got a very mixed countryside and lots of exciting places to eat, many of which are quite off the beaten track sorts of places. York is obviously the main city: we have restaurants full of tourists there, and a lot of people visit every year. It is an incredible place but, like anywhere, you want some local knowledge. There’s obviously many tourist traps and chains, so you need to know exactly where to go.” And, with that, Tommy gives us his four favourite, not-to-be-missed and often unknown North Yorkshire hotspots.
Cresci Pizzeria, York
“This is a proper Neapolitan pizza place run by Berardo and Armando, and they do incredible things with pizza. If you go somewhere that gets pizza right, it’s the most affordable, fine food you can eat, and these pizzas are top draw, made by people who really know what they’re doing.”
Who comes here?
“If you go there on a Monday night, you’ll see everyone who works in other restaurants in the city having dinner; it’s one of those places. If you know, you know. I go all the time with my two-year-old daughter, who loves pizza, and we will go, just the two of us, and hang out. It is very family-friendly, very chilled out, and when you get that quality of food without any pomp, it is quite special.”
Best table in the restaurant
“It’s a very busy, high turnover sort of place, so really just sit wherever they can fit you because they get rammed. Upstairs is a bit more chilled if you are on a date, but normally, I’m with my kids, so it’s carnage. They’ll go and look at the pizza oven, and my daughter points at the pizza oven and shouts “hot” over and over for about 20 minutes, but they don’t seem to mind. ”
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Best time to come
“I know it best on Monday nights as it’s my day off.”
Dish to order
“They’re going to hate me for this, but there is never tiramisu on the menu. That said, if you ask the waitress, she’ll bring it out to you, and it is absolutely banging. Pizza-wise, I always order something different. My wife always has a ham pizza, which is really simple but delicious, and I always go for the specials. I recently had a really good one with pumpkin purée as the base, blue cheese, walnuts, and nduja, so it was slightly spicy. ”
Mary’s Sandwich Shop
“This is on Sands End Beach, which is just up from Whitby, another big tourist place in North Yorkshire. Sands End is just a few miles up the road, along that bay's corner. It’s a really lovely sandy stretch of beach; it’s a part of the Northumberland coast that people take pictures of in the summer and others ask if it's the Caribbean. There isn’t much in Sands End, to be honest, but that’s what’s lovely about it. There’s an incredible hotel and a fish place, which is very popular. I came across Mary’s because a lad who used to work for me went to work there during Covid. This is a tiny little place you probably wouldn’t find on your own. You’d probably end up in Whitby, which has some amazing fish and chip shops by the way, but this is a really cool little hidden alternative. And this is really high end cooking, but in a sandwich. It’s beautiful meat, slow-smoked for hours and hours, and all in a gorgeous setting, literally just right on the beach.”
Who comes here?
“Anyone coming in off the beach. It’s a cute little place that used to be the local post office, and they still sell a few bits. They have great coffee and craft beers, and amazing sandwiches served throughout the day, all made with local, slow-cooked meats like pastrami and pork. They also do really nice falafel sandwiches and, in the evenings, fantastic smashed burgers.”
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Best table in the restaurant
“There isn’t one really; just grab what you can or take it outside onto the beach if it’s busy. It’s a really cool place with concrete floors so you can come off the beach with your dirty, wet dog and your wellies on in the midwinter, as I did on New Year’s Day, and it’s chilled. Then, you have a really, really good sandwich. When we went, my wife and I had a sandwich each. They were so good, my wife suggested we get another one and split it.”
Best time to come
“Day or night. By day, you get an amazing sandwich. And if you go in the evening, you can have a fantastic smash burger and a beer.”
Dish to order
“I love the sandwiches made with slow-cooked pastrami with a local craft beer.”
The Star Inn, Harome
“The Star is now a bit of an institution. It reminds me of the pub in the movie The Holiday. Some readers may have heard of The Star but it’s so worth a visit. They do hospitality really well. Andrew [Pern] is a larger-than-life character and it’s always great to see him when I go in. They had a fire not long ago that was quite devastating, but the job they’ve done on it, you just wouldn’t know it had happened because it’s exactly the same as it was before.”
Who comes here
“Because The Star Inn has a Michelin star, you’ll get people there from all over the country coming to try it, but it’s also got accommodation, so you’ll find people there making a getaway of it. It’s loved by locals too, so it’s a real mix-up of people.”
Best table in the restaurant
“The pub bar in the old, thatched inn is really cosy, especially if you get a table by the fire, but if you are staying over for a few nights, the private dining room up in the eaves is pretty incredible for something a bit special.”
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Best time to come
“I think it’s amazing all the time, but especially in winter. It’s a really cosy place, and, again, it celebrates North Yorkshire and all its amazing produce.”
Dish to order
“I’m not a big shooter myself, but, apparently, North Yorkshire has got some of the best shooting in the UK, so there’s a lot of game on the menu in the winter. The specials board in the colder months will be littered with pheasant and partridge and things that you just don’t find in other areas of the country done that well. This is a very unique food experience. I think the great thing about game is it’s a nice treat when it comes around but I will say that, as a chef who’s had to prep many, many game birds, I’m not sad see the back of the season. It’s horrible but, at the same time, you’re quite excited when the season comes around again.”
Robinsons Cafe, York
“Robinsons is a very relaxed café but it’s excellent and very good value. It has no bookings and it’s always super queued up. If you go on a Saturday morning, you can easily wait for an hour and a half for a table, which says all you need to know about it. What I love most, though, is that it’s extremely consistent. The food is always, always on point and the service is amazing.”
Who comes here
“This is absolutely where the North Yorkshire chefs eat. It’s definitely a local place where you can eat like royalty without spending a lot of money.”
Best table in the restaurant
“You just take what you can get. They don’t take bookings, and when you’ve stood in line for a table, you don’t mind where you are.”
Best time to come
“Robinsons is great every day for brunch, but I happen to go on a Monday when I have a day off. If I go on a Monday there’s still a queue, but it moves quickly.”
Dish to order
“I always have the same thing, which is steak and eggs. I want to get my protein fix, and it’s a really healthy breakfast. Have it with a couple of strong coffees, and you feel like you’re set up for the day; it’s a powerplay. You feel great and it’s always super friendly in there.”