Callum Houston's Forage restaurant has announced closure

The Staff Canteen

Editor

Citing rising costs, Callum Houston's Forage restaurant in York has ceased operations after two years of service.

The restaurant announced it's closure on Facebook, explaining that the challenging economic climate and escalating costs had regrettably forced the restuarants closure.

Despite the circumstances, the restaurant expressed gratitude for the incredible experience and hoped that patrons enjoyed being a part of it.

Forage was the brainchild of Callum Houston who also founded and directed the events company Yorkshire Bartender and the distillery The Yorkshire Explorer.

With Forage, Callum aimed to elevate this concept by incorporating freshly foraged ingredients to bring forth a diverse range of flavors while actively combating food waste.

Chef Kieran Duffy, previously associated with esteemed restaurants like Le Cochon Aveugle and Roots, was at the helm of Forage's culinary direction.

Kieran drew inspiration from Middle Eastern cuisine, the restaurant primarily focused on grilled and barbecued dishes.

An essential part of Forage's ethos was its commitment to sustainability, evident through its use of locally-sourced foods and foraged elements.

Formerly a part of the Gusto restaurant chain, the venue, which had a seating capacity of just over 100, went through a transformation to become Forage.

The closure came following the introduction of a new menu in June along with a 20 percent discount offer.

The restaurant had garnered significant praise from diners, as evidenced by its top rating among fusion restaurants in York on TripAdvisor.

With a ranking of 58th out of 585 York restaurants, Forage had received 359 reviews, the majority of which (294) were excellent. Additionally, 23 reviews were very good, 22 were average, 12 were poor, and only 8 were categorized as terrible, resulting in an impressive average rating of 4.5 stars.

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