The Terry Trail

Goddards (Where the Terry family lived until Noel and Kathleen's death in 1980)

I had the Terry Trail leaflet, produced by the Dringhouses Local History Group, in my diary for a year and FINALLY I recently had the opportunity to do it!

I got off the bus on the outskirts of York.  I forgo the Dringhouses Cemetery as I was pushed for time and check out the sites on my way into the city centre.   The first stop was Aldersyde, originally the home of Ernest Leetham, whose daughter married Noel Terry.  Today it's now private flats.

Aldersyde (left), Church of St Edward the Confessor (Centre), War Memorial (Right)

Next was Church of St Edward the Confessor, where Noel Terry (1889-1980) and Kathleen (1892-1980) were married, and also the war memorial commemorating those who fallen in both World Wars.  Goddards was the next stop, home of the Terry family until their deaths in 1980.  Today it is a National Trust property and the staff there kindly let me take photographs front and rear of the building.

 

 Fine houses around Tadcaster Road and St George's Place had a Terry's connection

Walking in very hot weather, photos stops were made at Curzon Lodge Hotel (formerly The Beeches), fine houses on Tadcaster Road and St George's Place.  A comfort stop was finally made outside Elm Bank Hotel and opposite Trentholme.

 Elm Bank Hotel and Trentholme

Arriving in York's Micklegate

It was an interesting trail and learning about Noel Terry and the connections from the featured properties.  Next stop will be visiting former Terry's factory (1926-2005) on Bishopthorpe Road and the Terry's sweet shop in the Castle Museum.

The Clandestine Cake Club Cake Bake Stall at the York Food and Drink Festival's Chocolate Fair

Sunday 26th September 2015

Chocolate Fair, York Food and Drink Festival (18th - 27th September)

I volunteered at the Clandestine Cake Club's Charity Bake Sale Stall at the chocolate fair, part of York's Food and Drink Festival.  The Clandestine Cake Club was selling slices of cakes and cupcakes to raise money for good causes, York Rescue Boats and Free Cakes For Kids York.  Before I helped out on the afternoon shift I had a wander round the stalls.

 Rebecca D'Agostino, York Central Clandestine Cake Club's Volunteer Organiser

Smartie Pants Chocolate Cake, part of Clandestine Cake Club: A Year of Cake

It was great seeing a number of independent chocolatiers and confectioners represented including York Cocoa House, a fascinating chocolate cafe in the city, and known for its infamous 'Afternoon Chocolate' and its masterclass programmes.  I had an opportunity to sample some of their chocolate.  It was interesting to see The Rowntree Society represented and learnt about their York Remembers Rowntree project.  This is an oral history project that ran from September 2013 to March 2015.

It's good to see the chocolate fair, held in the beautiful city's Guildhall, well supported by the public.  Clandestine Cake Club raised an incredible amount for the said charities.  To learn more about Clandestine Cake Club please check out their website. A good Sunday afternoon!

A feature about the Clandestine Cake Club's Charity Bake Sale here!



Next Chocolate Plans!
I yet need to do the Terry's Trail and I plan to do this as soon as I'm able to!

Receiving my Chocolate Education!

York Cocoa House is a place where one can learn about chocolate as well as consumption!  There is a small library in the cafe dedicated on chocolate; ranging from its origins to eating anything chocolate!

York Cocoa House

On my numerous visits to York Cocoa House I can now distinguish the differences between cacao, cocoa and chocolate! Each have a different definition - only to confuse one! I learnt the Obroma cacao is known as the food of the Gods.  York ins known as The Chocolate City with chocolate genius legends; Joseph Rowntree and Noel Terry and still their legacy lives on with their chocolate products (though swallowed up by big impersonal and imperial commercial food producers!) and the sociology of the era with which shaped and shapes York yesterday and today.

Exploring York's chocolate history has given me a new perspective of the city.  I have had the opportunity to go off the beaten track to appreciate the chocolatiers and their legacies that reign since then.  So far I've done the general city's chocolate trail and one on Joseph Rowntree's life.  I plan to do the Noel Terry's trail soon as I can.

You can't beat smelling the whiff of chocolate that greets me whenever I arrive at York's railway station!

Having a Chocolate Masterclass at York Cocoa House!

I won tickets for a Chocolate Masterclass for two at York Cocoa House.  York Cocoa House's Chocolate Masterclass programme is a 15 week course that covers the chocolate making techniques.  The classes in the series can be taken individually. I won for one class.

I booked our class for Rebecca and I in June for Gorgeous Ganache Making.  We had the privelge of having Sophie, founder of York Cocoa House, taking our class.  Her insightful demonstrations gave us the confidence to make the ganache for the chocolates we plan to make.  Rebecca chose Yorkshire stout and I decided on peppermint for our fillings.  We had fun making the chocolates from utilising the ingredients to using the chocolate moulds.  We were given the sociology of chocolate and the value of fresh ingredients used.

We returned home with two bags of dark chocolates with stout and peppermint flavours and milk chocolate truffles.  They went down a treat with ourselves and our families! It was a great masterclass and a big thanks to Sophie for the demonstrating and sharing chocolate making techniques.

More than Vikings and Romans!

People associate York with the rich history of the Vikings and Romans however another story has been told! York's proud history of chocolate and its chocolatiers! I did The Rowntree Society's Rowntree Walk recently;and one will think of Rowntree for its Smarties, Fruit Gums, Polos and so on.  Joseph Rowntree was certainly more than confectionery - a forward thinking philanthropist, a reputed employer, a radical thinker and a social innovator! Rowntree was born in 1831 in York and died in 1925.  His spirit and legacy continues to live on till this very day!

I began the route at Lendal Bridge passing Tanners Moat where Rowntree and his brother began their confectionery business and occupied the premises until 1908.  I continued via the Museum Gardens and Marygate until I reached Penn House, known as Top House, where Rowntree and his family lived for forty years or so.

I turned right at Boothams where the school was founded in 1822 and the former Quakers boys school is where Rowntree spent his schooling.  Passing the York Theatre Royal, on St Leonard's, I turned right, along Museum Street, to York's Central Library.  To library began as a factory library for Rowntree's employees and Rowntree and his son, Seebohm, established the city's first public library, opening in 1927.

I stopped for refreshments at the York Cocoa House and embraced the wonders of cacao,cocoa and chocolate.  Their darkest hot chocolate (and their chocolate menu) is certainly recommended!  Afterwards I continued to Lady Peckitt's Yard, adjacent to 28 Pavement where Rowntree's father had his grocery business.  There the Quakers ran its first adult school where Rowntree's family taught men to read and write.  The classes were eventually attended by women.

Walmgate and Fossgate is next accessed.  This area once belonged to the many Irish refugees who fled from the potato famine.  There is where Rowntree's father set up a soup kitchen.   Nearby is Rowntree Wharf; this building was originally a mill but it then became Rowntree and Co's Navigation Warehouse in 1935.  Retracing steps back to Fossgate and Castlegate I took a detour to the Friends' Meeting House where Rowntree, a Quaker, worshipped.

An interesting walk which offers and insight into Joseph Rowntree and his life as well as chocolate!

Being a guest at York Central Clandestine Cake Club, York Cocoa House - 8th April 2015

I recently attended York Central's Clandestine Cake Club event as a guest at York Cocoa House.  Their event coincided with Yorkshire's Chocolate Festival which took place over the Easter weekend.

York Cocoa House, a chocolate heaven!

York Central Clandestine Cake Club - Cakes galore!!!

The members and guests brought a variety of chocolate cakes for everyone to sample.  All of them looked amazing! As my friend says "choc-tastic"!  I was able to try some of them though unfortunately not all of them as I didn't have room as I've got full rather quickly!  The cakes I did try were delicious especially the After Eight Mints cake (by Libby). I admire how the cakes tied with York's proud chocolate history; I paid homage to Noel Goddard Terry by baking a Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange cake using Rachel Allen's recipe.  I was pleased how my cake turned out and how well it was received.

My cake! Terry's Chocolate Orange Cake

One could not think of a better place than hosting it at York Cocoa House.  Sophie Jewett and her colleagues made everyone welcome and we were treated to a chocolate demonstration and we had the privilege of having Lynn Hill, founder of the Clandestine Cake Club, join our company that evening. York Cocoa House is one chocolate heaven where they offer a wide range of chocolatey drinks.  Their dark chocolate shakes are to live for!!!

Lynn Hill, founder of Clandestine Cake Club, opening the event

A great evening in all where members and guests left for home taking slices of their favourite cakes. As well as chocolate I've been inspired by cake! So I have joined as a Clandestine Cake Club member and hope to support at least some of the forthcoming cake events here in Leeds and beyond!  Further information about the cake club can be found here.

Sophie Jewett, founder of York Cocoa House, giving us a chocolate demonstration

You can read more about the event, written by the York Central CCC Organiser, Rebecca D'Agostino, here.  

Some more chocolatey discoveries will be posted here in this blog soon!