Andrew's tour of Yorkshire and the Humber Fois gras at The Star

Date Published:

29/08/2008

Map user Jason Atherton added The Star at Harome to the map saying; "a very peaceful and beautiful retreat which I love going back to regularly, especially because I am from that area"

North Star

Andrew Pern and his wife Jacquie took over The Star in 1996. Since then they've enlarged the operation and consolidated the experience. As well as the restaurant, there's the pub, a cooking school, home delivery service, private dining and accommodation. They've also added a small corner shop over the road, and on the day I'm there, there's a marquee being prepared for a wedding reception. What's more they've got four kids! "My commute's short," says Andrew with a smile, living, as he does, in the house next to the shop.

I'm here to film him cooking his signature dish - black pudding and fois gras, which is also the name of his self published cookery book, the only book, to my knowledge, that's bound in velvet. I ask Andrew to talk me through his thinking behind the dish. "It's very much a rich man, poor man dish. Black pudding is a North Country staple and then there's the fois gras, which is the luxury ingredient. In a way it sums up The Star as well, with everyone from the cricket lads to royalty coming in." This 'everyone' attitude is also reflected in the staff - having a Michelin star attracts the best, but Andrew's also keen to develop local talent and skills.

Watch me cooking the dish.

Wellies as well as whites

After filming, Andrew takes me on a tour of the kitchen garden at the back of the pub. There's some stunning looking fruit and vegetables being grown. "It's inspirational to have this, to see what we've got a glut of and use it in the kitchen," says Andrew. It's also obvious what's in season, I suspect. As I look around there's an abundance of wild strawberries - tiny things packed full of flavour. There's also a huge array of herbs, some artichokes, mushrooms, borlotti beans and some magnificent looking cavolo nero as well as curly kale. It's all beautifully laid out, in fact it's like a living supermarket, allowing Andrew to just stroll down the aisle and collect what he needs that day. What's more, he says it doesn't take much work; "I have a lady come to tend it one day a week," he says. There's also a waitress snipping some flowers into a basket; "we use those for the rooms and tables". It's a nice touch.

Coming up lovely

Jason Atherton, and everyone else who lives near The Star, are very lucky indeed. I ask Andrew about his catchment area, he answers with, "anyone and everyone really, we had a couple come up from London just for lunch today". Such is the gravitational pull of The Star.

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