Black Swan at Oldstead: History of Yorkshire restaurant run by Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks

The Black Swan is a restaurant with rooms at Oldstead which offers a variety of food, drink and accommodation.

It was rated the best restaurant in the world in 2017 by Tripadvisor and the chef Tommy Banks has been awarded a Michelin Star and four AA Rosettes.

The business meets old with new as it preserves its history while introducing modern, gastronomic creativity to its dining experience.

History of Black Swan at Oldstead

The pub building dates back to the 1500s in the southwest corner of the North York Moors National Park.

The inn had been used for many years by travellers visiting attractions nearby such as Byland Abbey, the Kilburn White Horse and Shandy Hall.

The Banks family have lived and farmed around Oldstead for many generations and when Tom and Anne Banks bought the inn in 2006, they nurtured it with care and passion.

Mr and Mrs Banks’ sons Tommy and James got involved with the business and Tommy worked in the kitchen while James ran the front of the house.

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The Black Swan won two AA Rosettes and was voted AA Pub of the Year in England in 2010. Two years later, the restaurant won a Michelin Star with Adam Jackson as head chef and when Mr Jackson left to set up his own restaurant in June 2013, Tommy Banks took over as head chef.

He retained the restaurant’s Michelin status and Tommy, at the age of 24, became the youngest chef to hold a Michelin Star.

In 2016, the restaurant was awarded four AA Rosettes and a year later, Tripadvisor named it The Best Restaurant in the World based on customers’ reviews, the first British restaurant to top their list since it began in 2012.