TJ Trev's Food & Drink column

Scrantilising!

By DJ Trev

I love food - probably why I got asked to write this article; it works for me. Now I can justify the amount I spend on food and also meet up with friends or - less fun - work colleagues, over tasty comestibles.

For work I eat through the meetings, drowning out terms like networking, globalisation and targets with chewing, chomping and lashings and lashings of mastication. Equally, socially my mates can pretend they’re so engrossed in their food they can’t respond with the enthusiasm I’d expect over 17 minute anecdotes about £300 Star Wars figurines.

Finding a place that is good not just for a friendly chat but also for relaxed work meetings is a bonus - pro tip, I arrange for my mates to turn up after an hour so I can move things on from talking about some project we’ve been talking about for three years which is never going to fly (how hard can it be to accept no one would go to a bar that only plays the music of 2 Unlimited… Actually, pretty hard. What’s wrong with people?)

Scran on John Street is the new venture from several of the faces in Harrogate’s food & drink scene, principally with Dean Sowden creating the menus. His eponymous Deano’s Restaurant burst onto the scene offering an imaginative and different style of eating. Deano’s was ideal for a quick lunch or longer evenings, with grazing boards, sharing deals and bigger dishes. Dean has now moved on to platters new - his signature style being something I’d describe as Yorkshire Tapas – although I admit I may have just lifted that straight off the menu.

Sourcing local food but presenting it in unique ways, his dishes seem familiar yet exciting. New ventures are always a bold move when whatever you are already doing is working but, for me, Dean has taken what was a great idea for a restaurant and updated it so it works in a bar as well. Scran now operates as The Yorkshire Hotel Restaurant, with two separate areas offering different vibes depending on the time of day and what you’re looking for.

I opened up proceedings with a smoked haddock cheese fondue affair which was as indulgent as it sounds. This would be great to share with someone but if I’m honest I’m glad my mate didn’t want to share this because, you know… This is mine.

After such a starter it would have been easy for the main to seem a bit bland, so I was chuffed when both my mains were great. I realise this sounds like I am taking my job as “food critic” too seriously, ordering two mains, but that’s essentially the idea of the menu. For lunch, sure, one of the Scran plates would be fine with a side, but where’s the fun in that? I was having a rare meat week so went for even more indulgence. Lamb koftas are served with halloumi fries which I paired with sicilian meatballs.

I really don’t eat much red meat so, when I do, I want it perfect, which they were. Ok, it would be nice if there were a couple of healthier options on the menu, but once in a while it is good to have hand made kebabs, garlic bread, repeated cheese and oh god just writing that makes me think eating healthy the rest of the time can’t be worth it.

Ok, next month I’m going to go back to the diet, but honestly, after reliving the meal I had at Scran I just want to go back there… I’ll either see you at the bar, or I’ll see you at the gym, paying for it…

Dj Trev is starting Saturdays at The Foundry Project in Harrogate on 21 July, and is also bringing back the legendary (if he does say so himself) Bottom Of The Bottle for an afternoon Family Beach Party at Henshaw’s Arts & Crafts Centre, on Sunday 12 August, this being an opportunity to hear Trev play a slightly heavier set than he usually does these days, but the swearing edited out and replaced with fart noises. For the kids.