Picturehouse Blog

Picture this: after being bowled over by the big screen and all its wonders, you've emerged from the cosy darkness of your local Picturehouse into the light of day.

We're pretty sure that even if you've been picking at your popcorn for the last two hours, you're hungry. There's nothing quite as enjoyable as sitting down to discuss what you've just watched with something delicious to eat or drink in front of you, and we want to make sure you're comfortable and well fed before and after you've been swept up in cinema. Key to this are our restaurants, cafés and bars, and if you've visited Picturehouse since we reopened in May, you might have noticed a few changes. Things are more vibrant, more aromatic and somehow even more delicious than before: a brand new menu has arrived.

Jake Kwan is our food and beverage operations manager, and he's one of the central figures behind the new menu. "We're continuously developing the menu at Picturehouse to stay up to date with trends, make the most of new technology and make improvements as our skills develop," he tells us, and although lockdown was a tough time to be working, plenty of inspiration was found. "I had samples upon samples delivered to my kitchen at home! I worked with Steve (pictured), the very talented head chef at York's City Screen Picturehouse, cooking up and testing potential new ideas for three days straight until we had our menu."

The new menu is also a personal pursuit for Jake. "Being of Asian and British descent, I grew up with a mix of Asian food and British food. I then became very interested in French cooking, leading towards fusing techniques and ingredients from all around the world." This much is clear in the result – an occasionally bold but always delicious combination of dishes, from kimchi bāo buns to pork belly bites, with delectable desserts like berry and honeycomb-filled croissants to finish.

There's even more big work being done behind the scenes, which Jake is equally passionate about. "I'm really proud of our work consolidating our supply chain, reducing the amount of vehicles on the road and minimising our waste impact on the environment. Despite the disruption of the pandemic, there's been great innovation."

So, how would a food connoisseur spend a night at Picturehouse? "I went to see Cruella at Picturehouse Central," Jake tells us. "We ordered a pre-show meal from the restaurant. I had the steak – an amazing salt-cured sirloin, awash with butter, packed full of flavour – and we also ordered the smashed falafel burger so I could show off our chermoula mayonnaise and chips. It might sound small, but my favourite item on the new menu has to be our hand-cut chips, sourced from a great Maris Piper potato, carefully washed, cut and triple fried to crispy, fluffy perfection by our talented team."

So, prepare to have your cinema-going experience changed. Our new menu is here to stay, and we're so excited for you to explore it. "The way I see it, the Picturehouse experience is more than just seeing an excellent film – it's a complete community experience," Jake believes. "What's more communal than breaking bread with your friends and family?" We're inclined to agree.  

Discover the new menu at any of our restaurants, cafés and bars. Check out the Picturehouse website for more information.