The story
Hearth occupies two floors in Hull’s historic Trinity Square. On the ground floor, the bakery welcomes guests Thursday to Sunday with freshly baked breads, pastries and a relaxed brunch menu. Upstairs, diners pass through a bar for cocktails and bar snacks before entering the dining room, where small and large plates are cooked on a custom-made hearth. The menu focuses on local and seasonal ingredients, with bread and desserts supplied by the bakery below. The restaurant is featured in both The Good Food Guide and The Michelin Guide.
Hearth is owned by Ryan Telford and Caitlin Ogden. Ryan Telford, head chef, brings years of experience from Michelin-starred kitchens including Chez Bruce in London and the two-star Henne in Denmark. He also worked as a sous chef for Phil Howard, helping to open a new restaurant. His fine-dining background pairs with a love of cooking over fire, creating a relaxed yet refined setting.
Caitlin Ogden, head baker and co-owner, trained in classical French cuisine and spent eight years as a pastry chef, including at The Ritz in London, where she worked on its world-famous afternoon tea and desserts in its one-Michelin-star restaurant. She later worked at Phil Howard’s one-star Elystan Street before becoming pastry chef at his new opening in 2019. Together, the team brings a blend of Modern British dining and classic French pastry skills to Hull’s city centre.
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An enterprising local resource par excellence , this ‘really cool’ spot spreads itself like proved dough over two floors of a Grade II-listed building on thriving Trinity Square. The adjoining Hearth Bakery (open Thu-Sun) is great for daytime sustenance (as well as bread), while the first-floor restaurant is in the hands of Ryan Telford, who has stints with big-name chefs including Bruce Poole and Phil Howard under his belt. Each area of the place has its own allurements: perhaps partake of an orange espresso Martini before beginning your ascent. The format of small plates preceding larger ones may be par for the course, although the smaller items are quite substantial in themselves. Roasted bone marrow with sourdough, parsley and shallot salad has a familiar nose-to-tail ring about it, while Szechuan honey-fried chicken with roasted sesame seeds and smacked cucumber takes its cue from the global larder. If you've paced yourself sufficiently, move on to BBQ salmon with dashi, sea herbs and pickled apple, grilled pork pluma with fennel, choucroute, chanterelles and mustard velouté or a mixed grill for two (open-fire cooking is high on the agenda here). On Sundays, there are roasts to beat the band (including fish and veggie options), prior to seasonal fruit crumbles, chocolate fudge cake or sticky toffee pudding with bourbon-laced toffee sauce and custard. The good-hearted friendliness of the impressively knowledgeable staff is commended by one and all (‘some of the waitresses are pure sunshine,’ noted one regular). Slates of tangy whites and savoury reds by the glass lead off a wine list that inspires confidence, and bespoke pairings also receive a big thumbs-up.
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