Friday, 17 Jul
19:30
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Times
7:30pm
Running Time 0 hours
Venue Main House, York Theatre Royal
Age 12+
An evening with Michelin star chef Tommy Banks
Written and told by Michelin star chef Tommy Banks. Bringing his extraordinary story to stage for the first and only time.
Told across three intersecting timelines – the last 25 years, the defining 12 months, and the one day of opening night for his latest pub — each moment teeters on a knife-edge.
For one night only, Tommy shares an intimate lifetime of ambition, vulnerability, risk and pressure revealing the highs and lows of a life in hospitality.
Set against a turbulent backdrop, where soaring business rates and crushing VAT force three pubs to close every week, Tommy exposes the brutal reality of keeping the doors open.
Discover the incredible community of talent Tommy has built in the once-sleepy village of Oldstead – firmly rooted in camaraderie, resilience, and true Yorkshire grit.
Through live storytelling and immersive cinema, he lifts the lid on hospitality service at its most intense, revealing the pressures of leadership and what it really takes to pursue excellence.
Because when everything is on the line, you never stop spinning plates.
Stick around for an exclusive book signing after the show.
Don’t forget to claim your 10% audience member discount. Available to use within the Tommy Banks Group restaurants and on all products on the Made in Oldstead website.
Become a friend of Oldstead and be the first to hear from Tommy and the team by signing up to their newsletter here.
Tommy Banks is one of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs and the driving force behind Tommy Banks Group – a family of restaurants, hospitality ventures, and sustainable farming projects in North Yorkshire.
Born and raised in the small village of Oldstead alongside his brother James, Tommy grew up steeped in the family’s five-generation farming heritage – a foundation that has shaped every aspect of his culinary philosophy.
By 2013, Tommy was the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Britain at the age of just 24. Under his leadership, The Black Swan at Oldstead has continued to thrive and in August 2026, it will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Tommy’s farm to fork philosophy carries through to his second restaurant, Roots in York, which opened in 2018 and received its own Michelin Star in 2021, making it the first and only restaurant in York to hold the accolade!
Tommy has received national recognition for his multiple victories and veteranship on BBC Two’s The Great British Menu and the publication of his award-winning cookbook, Roots (2018).
In 2023, the Banks family expanded with the opening of The Abbey Inn, a sustainably focused pub and rooms just a mile down the road from The Black Swan, overlooking the striking ruins of Byland Abbey and continuing the ethos of hyper-local produce and regenerative farming.
Alongside his restaurants, Tommy Banks has become a leading figure in large-scale and stadia hospitality. In 2019, he took on the role of resident chef at Lord’s Cricket Ground, followed by a chef partnership with Twickenham Stadium in 2022, bringing his ingredient-led approach to some of the world’s most iconic sporting venues. In 2020, he launched Made in Oldstead, a nationwide at-home dining and retail brand delivering restaurant-quality food across the UK. Building on this success, in 2024 he introduced Tommy’s Pie Shop, celebrating British comfort food with luxury handmade pies.
In 2025, Tommy consolidated these ventures under Tommy Banks Hospitality, a new umbrella brand for large-scale events, stadia catering and bespoke hospitality experiences nationwide.
Through all his ventures, Tommy Banks combines technical excellence, storytelling, and a profound respect for the land, creating food and experiences that reflect his family’s rich heritage, creativity, and commitment to sustainability.
Writer and Presenter
Tommy Banks
Director
Scott Elliot
Co-Producer & Videographer
Emma Sharp
Lighting and Sound
Mark Jackson