The Times
Giles Coren humble-bragged that he was not the first but was possibly the last reviewer to visit this pocket-sized venue in a shipping container – “the only restaurant in Britain that you enter through the loos” – that after eight years is finally about to move to appropriately swanky new premises at Oughtibridge Mill, on the edge of the Peak District.
“The vibe is faintly reminiscent of Gareth Ward’s revered Ynyshir in Ceredigion,” Giles reckoned, and he was fulsome in his praise of both the cooking and the “soft-drink pairing menu, which was revelatory” – “I left Sheffield stuffed and sober, delirious with the thrill of such good food for so little money and very excited about coming back to try the new place in the summer.”
Clearly going through what Doctor Johnson would diagnose as a “tired of life” phase, Giles concluded: “I have no use for London at the moment. Next week I’m in Oxford, the week after in Weymouth.
Giles Coren - 2024-03-03The Times
Giles Coren made a return visit to a restaurant he raved about 18 months ago, when it occupied a “wheelie bin off the A61 that you entered through the bogs”. It has now graduated to a converted Victorian paper mill with high ceilings, views over the Peak District and a spacious open kitchen – a fitting showcase for chef Luke French’s inspired cooking.
“There is a Nordic/Japanese serenity to proceedings, which is of a piece with the Nordic/Japanese edge to the cooking. By which I mean the embrace of rawness, charcoal, fermented things, foraging, leanness and a deep awareness of produce and terroir.”
Giles was bowled over by an experience that clearly merited a much less jokey review than is his norm. “This was a great and serious meal from a chef in his pomp and a brilliant back-up team. It’s a vibrant, game-changing space in a rare and unusual location. To be honest, the Michelin star it so obviously merits would dignify Joro much less than it would the silly red book itself.”
Giles Coren - 2025-10-19
