Chef Tommy Banks and family want the 50-cover city site to echo the same ‘farm to fork’ ethos as the Black Swan, which was named the best restaurant in the world by TripAdvisor in 2017.
The team will alternate between the two restaurants, and the Oldstead gardens have been expanded so produce can be brought to York daily.
Menus at Roots will be defined by three growing seasons, with a focus on preservation when it opens in September. Dishes will include lamb and fermented turnip; cured trout, fennel kimchi and meridian apple; raw beef with chilli ferment; and smoked eel doughnuts.
Cocktails such as the marigold martini and woodruff old fashioned will use produce grown or foraged in Oldstead, while James Banks’ 50-bin wine menu will emphasise small producers.
“We are all incredibly excited about our second restaurant Roots, opening in the heart of York,” says Tommy Banks.
“Work is well underway in all areas and I am enjoying getting stuck into creating a new and unique menu for the city.”
The Banks family took over The Black Swan at Oldstead in 2006 when it was their local pub. Tommy heads up the kitchen and his brother James runs front of house, while their parents are involved in the business on a daily basis.
Roots will be located on Marygate, a five minute walk from York train station.The newly-renovated space has been designed by the Banks family, with the dining tables made in the workshops at Oldstead.