Shop In York

I've been meaning to write a guide to shopping in York for ages. As part of my internship in my hometown, I've been writing a lot of guides to Cambridge, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds and although I will be using these to inspire some future local posts, I wanted to switch to a different part of the country to write something entirely new. York is sometimes overlooked as a shopping destination, as it is so close to the much larger and more commercial Leeds, but it really has some fantastic gems:

I love the Zatchels store on The Shambles and was lucky enough to attend its opening last year. It's a lovely little store, full of their gorgeous satchels and well worth a visit. They often have some brilliant instore promotions as well as lots of limited edition satchels and backpacks. The Shambles is always worth a visit as it is packed full of fascinating and unique shops - and it looks like Diagon Alley!

York Does Vintage regularly visits the city, bringing a huge array of vintage clothing, accessories and homeware. It's always a great event, offering new and exciting items each season and the next fair is on the 29th November - check out all the future dates here. I always find something at these fairs and I love rifling through the racks to find that perfect vintage gem. Bowler Vintage (formerly known as Purple Haze, if you're an oldie like me) is one of the permanent vintage shops in York and full of both vintage and replica clothing. You can browse their replica clothing online but you need to head into store on Fossgate to browse their vintage goodies.

If you want brands, Monks Cross is the place to go. It's full of loads of high street brands, from New Look to River Island, as well as lots of places to stop for coffee.There is a huge M&S Simply Food hall as well as Rodgers of York for all your furniture dreams. There's even a Thomas Holiday Superstore with thousands of holidays under one roof, if you want to get out of York for a weekend!

The Imaginarium is worth visiting just for the experience. The shop is full of all kinds of curiosities and is full of Victorian style treasures. It's full of Pinterest-worthy decorations, props and prints; for example, I absolutely love the glass potion bottles. It's part of the Yorkshire Soap Company, so it also smells gorgeous! Unfortunately, you can't take any photos inside so you'll have to go take a look for yourself... Opposite, you will find one of my favourite discoveries in York. For me, a day out shopping is as much about the food as the clothes and I can never spend the day in York without a trip to Mannion and Co. The deli board is a wonder and it's the first place I recommend to anyone visiting the city. If you want to read more, check out my review of the sausage roll and deli board.

I love finishing a day of shopping with something to drink from Evil Eye Lounge. The famous bar is known for its strong and unusual cocktails, as well as its interior including double beds on the second floor. Traditionally rumoured as 'Johnny Depp's favourite bar in England,' it's trendy enough for this statement to hold the ring of truth. Certainly, if Depp has ever tried any of these cocktails, he would be a fan - the huge list is sure to have something for everyone. Evil Eye are also less well known for their excellent hot chocolates, so if you don't fancy a cocktail, I love finishing off a day of shopping with a Candy Swamp, a hot chocolate full of actual Malteasers and Minstrels as well as marshmallows and cream - perfect for these Wintry days!

York is a brilliant shopping destination which, as I've mentioned, I feel is often overlooked. The independent shops are simply fantastic, there are always interesting pop-up fairs and markets and the city is full of hidden foodie gems. Where would you recommend in York?

*This post was written in collaboration with Rodgers of York*

Jess

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Day Trippin'

As I'm sure you know if you are following me on Twitter and Instagram, I am currently in New York! However today I want to talk about the UK original, York, which is one of my favourite places after living there for three years whilst at university. I recently received a box of goodies from CityConnect and was challenged to test out their new free WiFi in the city. Obviously, I couldn't resist a chance to revisit one of my favourites cities so I headed back to my beloved Yorkshire:

CityConnect WiFi is a great new service for free WiFi throughout the city centre. When I visit York, I normally use The Cloud where I can but it doesn't provide great coverage everywhere. To use CityConnect, you have to set up an account linked to a social media page - I used my Twitter - and then provide some basic information, including your date of birth, postcode and an email. Once this is set up, which only takes a few moments, you have an account. The WiFi wasn't infallible and I did have to sign back in a few times, after it dropped out, but free WiFi is nothing to be sniffed at! I also thought it was great that after signing in, you were taken straight to the Visit York website - a huge positive for any tourists visiting the city.

I spent the day visiting some of my favourite places and showing off the city to my friend who had never visited York before. We wandered around the streets, browsed the local shops and couldn't resist nosying at the Easter themed window at Bettys! However, I knew where I wanted to go for lunch - my absolute favourite place in York, Mannion and Co. They offer the most delicious, gigantic deli board you have ever seen, full of great quality local produce. Their staff are so friendly, the cakes are unbelievably tasty and they also offer a huge selection of quality teas served in cast iron teapots. We then took a trip down the Shambles and circled back round to gaze at the impressive York Minster. Finally, we ended our day trip with a couple of cocktails in Evil Eye Lounge - another must-visit for any tourists in York. It's allegedly Johnny Depp's favourite English pub and offers an extensive range of tasty cocktails; one of my favourites being the Evil Spring Punch. 

Where are your 'must-sees' in York? Have you tried CityConnect WiFi?

Jess

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Get Connected in York

After graduating from York last summer, this lovely city and its neighbouring Leeds seem to be going from strength to strength, with fantastic new bars and restaurants opening which I am very sad to be missing out on! York has now gone one step further and CityConnect have introduced free WiFi to the city, and although I was jealous to discover this, I was excited to receive an amazing Christmas box of local goodies from CityConnect and an invitation to try out the new scheme.

I will be heading to York for a day out in a couple of weeks but I have certainly enjoyed my treats in the meantime. The first exciting thing I spotted was a tin of Bettys' shortbread. It's become a bit of a tradition to visit a Bettys for a fat rascal or pastry whenever I am near one, but I have never tried the shortbread before. It was delicious - buttery, moreish and perfect with a cup of tea, just how good shortbread should be. I now want to steal Simone's idea to use the empty tin to store my makeup brushes - genius!

The other food delights included some delicious clotted cream fudge, one of my favourite sweet snacks, from the Yorkshire Museum and a chocolate bar from York's Chocolate Story. I haven't visited York's Chocolate Story yet but I have eaten at the cafe and the chocolate fondue is amazing! I also enjoyed a couple of Benefit samples from Browns, which offers lots of great beauty brands - as well as a mean full English breakfast.

Finally, I have also been enjoying the coffee from Vincent's Coffee. I was excited to discover that the owner of Vincent's Coffee is a fellow York graduate and also a blogger. I love a cafetiere of 'proper coffee' and this ground coffee is rich, deep and excellent quality - great with the shortbread!

I'm excited to make use of the tickets which were also included in the box. I somehow never managed to visited the York Dungeons or the Jorvik Viking Centre during my time at York, so I am excited to return to York as a tourist and tick off these attractions. Students and tourists alike will love the new free WiFi and I'm looking forward to giving it a proper test run soon, once I head back up North.

Have you tried York CityConnect yet? Where are your 'must-visits' in York?

Jess

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Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea, Cedar Court Grand

A few weekends ago, a group of Yorkshire bloggers and myself travelled to York for a very special afternoon tea. The Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Cedar Court Grand has a waiting list of currently three months and we were so excited to have managed to successfully reserve a table for 9 at this 'ultimate afternoon tea,' costing us each a whopping £33.

The hotel itself is beautiful and luxurious, and I would personally love to stay there. As we entered the room, we were astounded by the extravagant centerpiece, full of cakes, chocolates and crazy teapots. We obviously photographed every last inch (I had a hard time cutting down these photos for the post!) and eventually took our seats, ready to be served.

However, apart from a round of scones and tea, we weren't served. Unexpectedly, we were informed that the centerpiece was our meal for the day, and it was to be a buffet. The website includes a sample menu which does not mention a buffet and we were frankly shocked that the meal was served in this way. For £33, I expect a certain level of service which was lacking throughout the entire day, as the staff really weren't very attentive. In fact, one of our party had a nut allergy and was only told that she couldn't eat two of the cakes after she had sat down with them on her plate. With regards to the buffet, I felt like I was at a children's party and felt pressured into piling my plate high with a little bit of everything before it ran out.

A little bit bewildered, we all sat down to enjoy our food. It looked fantastic but unfortunately this was another disappointment. The sandwiches were stodgy and lacked flavour, nor were we told what they actually contained. The only way I can describe everything else was sweet; in fact it was overwhelmingly so. It was simply too much. I am a huge cake lover and it was far too much even for me, so the more savoury lovers of the group really struggled. It was definitely a case of style over substance, which left me struggling to enjoy any part of the meal except the scones.

Finally, I was handed a torn paper box as a 'doggy bag' but there wasn't a crumb left on the centre table by the time we had been informed we could also take away. By this point, we really didn't want any more of the disappointing food but we were determined to try and get as much for our money as we could thanks to the extortionate price for the day! We all left in a sugar daze, disappointed that such a lovely opportunity to see each other hadn't been quite as enjoyable as we had hoped.

This post is now a little out of date and the Cedar Court Grand did get back in contact with us after some negative posts were published by Simone, Kel and Sammie. As a result, they have offered us a complimentary afternoon tea - of course, I can't afford to travel up to York and attend, but the gesture was nice and the other bloggers are looking forward to it. Perhaps a refund would have been preferable though! However, I didn't want to not publish this post as a result of Ceder Court Grand's response, as I still believe that this review needs to be read before anyone else parts with £33 and regrets it. In my opinion, this afternoon tea needs a complete overhaul regarding both the ingredients and flavours of the food and the way in which they are served. It's a good idea and a theme which I love, but presentation isn't everything and the content needs to reflect the price tag.

Have you tried any themed afternoon teas? What did you think of the experience? I'd love to try somewhere in London next - where would you recommend?

Zatchels, York

A few weeks ago I was excited to discover that one of my favourite accessory brands Zatchels had opened a store right in York. I headed down to the press day to check out all their gorgeous bags, including some rather special York exclusives:

The rose prints you see above were launched exclusively for the York store, but some are now available on the Zatchels website - they seem to have gone missing for the time being but I assume they will be back after their current flash sale ends! The prints were inspired by the Yorkshire rose and they are just so pretty. They are striking and original yet a print that seems to coordinate with any outfit. For me personally, they are a wonderful reminder of the Yorkshire county and the release is particularly well timed with Le Grand Depart starting next week, meaning that Yorkshire is feeling particularly proud of its heritage at the moment!

Another bonus of the York store is the various in store offers - when I popped back in a week after the press day, the store was holding a sale offering 30% off across much of the range. I couldn't resist this beautiful mint backpack at such a reduction. However, let's not mention the fact that Zatchels are currently running a 50% off sale so I could have got it cheaper! Instead, I'm reminding myself of the second selling point regarding the York store - you get your bag immediately. I've already worn my backpack so much I'm feeling slightly less upset over the money I could have saved!

If you want to visit Zatchel's new wonderful York store, head over to The Shambles and try and resist their beautifully designed shop. 

OOTD: Exploring York

I can't believe that I only have two weeks left in my beloved York! In my three years at university, I have come to love Yorkshire and I am so sad to leave such a versatile and endlessly explorable part of the country. I've been trying to make the most of my last few weeks, so I took a trip down the river to shoot some outfit snaps and enjoy the surrounding area:

Skirt: Primark. Crop top: H&M. Necklace: New Look. Earrings: Culture Vulture. Sunglasses: Primark. Sandals: Topshop.

I picked up this skirt in Primark in Trinity Leeds and I love it. I'm often dwarfed by Primark's midi skirts, but this one hits my legs just right and I love the long split along the skirt to show a little more leg. My favourite summer looks always involve a vintage vibe, including floaty skirts, geeky sandals and quirky accessories. This pineapple print appeals to both the quirky and vintage sides to my fashion personality - I can't believe it's from good old Primark!

Today I teamed it with a lace black crop top from H&M, which when paired with the high waisted skirt only shows a slither of stomach. I added my favourite Topshop sandals, which are sadly wearing rather thin so I'm currently on a hunt for a new pair. I wish I'd bought two pairs when they were in store! 

However, this post isn't just about what I'm wearing, I wanted to share some more pictures of York before I leave the area in a few weeks. The River Ouse threads throughout York and is lovely to sit along the banks in the sunshine:

Isn't it beautiful? Yorkshire Water are currently working towards keeping areas like this in the best condition thanks to their Blueprint for Yorkshire*. It's worth checking out, especially if you are one of their customers like I am to find out how it will benefit you. They've even set up a series of walks around the entire Yorkshire county in order to promote the beautiful Yorkshire landscape and I'm looking forward to using it to try and explore Yorkshire a little more. How will you discover Yorkshire? Let me know where you visit!

Express Lunch; Pizza Express

Last week, I was kindly invited to test out Pizza Express' newly launched Express Lunch Menu. This menu is trialing in selected restaurants across the UK, and luckily York is one of them:

The aim of the new Express Lunch is to deliver light, quick and affordable dishes. I decided to order the Italian Meat Piadona, a filled dough of cured meats, mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, pesto and rocket. Albeit slightly cold, it was a tasty pitta-style sandwich packed full of tasty Italian ingredients. It was the perfect portion size, leaving me pleasantly full but not stuffed.

My friend chose the Pollo Salad, a salad of chicken, goat's cheese, mixed leaves, peppers, olives, croutons and tomatoes accompanied with warm dough sticks. She assured me that it was also lovely and we decided to accompany our mains with two sides - dough balls and polenta chips. I'm sure most people will have tried Pizza Express' famous dough balls, so there isn't much to add, but we enjoyed the polenta chips. They were light and fluffy, with a crispy coating and I thought they were tasted delicious.

Overall, the menu is fantastic value for money - my Piadona was just £4.95 and the Pollo Salad was £5.25. I thought the portion sizes were excellent for a filling lunch, which still didn't ruin my appetite for dinner! However, the service was a little slow - it took an hour for our lunch and we didn't have starters or desserts. We personally didn't mind, as we were having a lovely catch-up, but I wouldn't describe it as 'express.' Nonetheless, I was generally impressed with Pizza Express' new Express Lunch Menu for a light and filling lunch, at an excellent price.

Have you tried the Express Lunch Menu yet?

Jess

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A Deliciously Evil Roast: Evil Eye, York

York is one of those cities which never gets boring. It is overflowing with amazing things to see and do, and I have accumulated quite a bucket list during my three years here. Evil Eye Lounge is known as allegedly Johnny Depp's favourite English pub, which he discovered whilst filming for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.Whether this is true or not, Evil Eye is known as the place to go for an excellent cocktail, huge portions of Thai food and finally, their 'Evil Roast.' Last Sunday, I got the chance to tick this off my list with my housemates and couldn't wait to share some photos with you all:

It's making me hungry just looking at it! It may not be the prettiest plate in the world, but for me that's not what a great Sunday Roast is all about; it should be honest, simple and, most importantly, massive! Evil Eye's offering certainly lives up to these expectations - and this is the 'normal' size, if you really want a challenge, you can opt for the 'Monster' portion.
Evil Eye offer a variety of meat options, including beef, chicken, pork, lamb and nut roast for the vegetarians. I chose the pork and thoroughly enjoyed the extremely crispy crackling which came with it. I loved the creamy mash and red cabbage, along with the massive Yorkshire pudding which was covered in plenty of gravy. The meat was moist and tasty, and a particular highlight was the stuffing, which was a far more interesting Thai-inspired version than your standard sage and onion. The portion was just right for me (and I love my food, especially my roasts) so I would recommend the normal sized portion for almost everyone. Overall, it was an extremely tasty plate of food, especially washed down with a couple of cocktails:

Since Evil Eye is after all predominantly a bar, we couldn't resist a few cheeky drinks to wash down our meal. My housemate chose the Evil Smoothie, which added a kick of vodka and baileys to a chocolate and banana ice cream smoothie. I opted for the Evil Spring Punch; a light and refreshing combination of vodka, chambord and prosecco, topped with raspberries. Both were the perfect balance of 'naughty but nice' and show just how varied the cocktails are.

The roast is available from midday until 4pm on Sundays, but I'd recommend getting there early as once it's gone, it's gone - and you don't want to miss out!

I've still got plenty of meals to try before I graduate, including Evil Eye's non-roast Thai menu. Other restaurants on my 'must-eat list' include Ambiente Tapas and York Cocoa House. Where is your favourite place to eat in York? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Jess

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Deli Delights: Lunch at Mannion & Co, York

Today I am going to reveal to you a very special secret of mine - the best place for lunch in the whole of York. I stumbled across it with a friend, hungover and hungry, on a day out shopping and we were instantly enticed by the huge meringues filling the window. We ventured in and were greeted by a delightful deli and cafe, where we tried some tea and pork belly sandwiches and never looked back. The cafe is quaint and lovingly decorated with kitsch and vintage items - it's exactly my style and I love the small, intimate feel of the place. Now, I always take visitors to York to Mannion & Co and last week I took my parents for lunch there:

We started off with tea - great quality; my Dad even had real blackcurrants in his loose-leaf tea, and served in cast iron teapots which keep your tea piping hot for the whole meal. We then ordered the Deli Sharing Platter and a sausage roll. The Deli Sharing Platter is, in my opinion, the best thing on the menu, as you get to try a little bit of everything and I love 'picky' food to share as a fun, communal meal. Plus, if you pick your friends right to compliment your likes and dislikes, nothing is left uneaten! The platter arrived on a massive plank of wood and attracted stares from every corner of the tiny cafe, prompting orders for "what they've got" from nearby tables. 

The best sausage roll I have ever tried! And now for the platter...

It makes me hungry just looking at it! We stuffed ourselves with a variety of cheese, salami, home-made bread, balsamic vinegar, capers, olives, salad, sundried tomatoes, pork belly and thick-cut ham. Each time you go to Mannion's the platter changes slightly, depending on what they have in the Deli, and you are guaranteed to be satisfied. The platter is just £14, and we shared it between three people and we were still (unfortunately) too full to try some of their tempting cakes.

However, if you still have room, you must try one of their giant meringues. Served with not only clotted cream but double cream too, alongside fresh berries and almonds, it is a giant of a pudding and simply delicious. Yummy!

<3
xx