A new fine dining restaurant has opened in Malton - and its owner already has his sights set on it getting a Michelin star.
The Cross Keys, Dinner by Uovo, is the latest addition to the town’s food scene and can be found in Wheelgate.
It's the creation of chef and owner David Tait, who has been working in fine dining for the past 16 years.
He arrived in the UK six years ago from Melbourne, in Australia. Since then, the 31-year-old, who lives near Beverley, has been making a name for himself. He has worked at top restaurants across Yorkshire, including Michelin star accredited Pipe and Glass in Beverley and the Box Tree in Ilkley.
The chef set up his own private fine dining business in Beverley (Uovo Foods) and held pop-ups across the area but felt the time was right to start a restaurant of his own.
David opened The Cross Keys, Dinner by Uovo, on Saturday, August 26.
It’s still early days for the restaurant, but the chef is determined to get his first Michelin star.
“I realised there was a gap in the market in Malton for fine dining/Michelin star level food," he said.
“I thought if I could get in here and push for a star then it would cement myself as ‘the’ restaurant in Yorkshire’s food capital.”
He recruited Matt Stanley as restaurant manager. Matt is no stranger to Malton. The 25-year-old, who lives in Harewood, previously managed the town’s Stew and Oyster and FortySix.
David described his food as modern British fine dining inspired by locality and seasonality.
“We’re trying to focus on locality and quality rather than trying to make a quick buck off people,” he said.
“If you’re a tourist coming to Malton, we’re trying to represent what’s in Malton. You get a good idea of the great people that produce great stuff here.”
Matt added that the restaurant aims to work closely with local businesses and help attract people to Malton.
“We want to bring the town up alongside us,” he said.
The restaurant’s menu changes monthly to reflect what’s in season.
“It just keeps it interesting and exciting,” said David.
While fine dining is at the heart of the restaurant, guests are also welcome to call in for a drink. Quality wines, local beers and ciders are all available.
The bar is equipped with a Coravin (a wine preservation system) so high-end wines are available by the glass to sample.
David said the restaurant hopes to expand the wine selection in the future.
The Cross Keys, Dinner by Uovo, is located at 47 Wheelgate, Malton, and is open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm-10pm and Sundays 10am-4pm.
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