FOR Malton to continue its reputation as Yorkshire’s food capital, its restaurant scene needs to improve year on year.

For the last month, taking over from James Martin at the Talbot Hotel has been the challenge of the new head chef Daniel "Dan" Graham.

This is no mean feat. To continue the work of TV star James is tough, but then the extremely likeable Dan, who grew up in Northumberland, is no stranger to TV himself. Dan comes to Malton with a wealth of experience from cooking day in day out in some of the most prestigious restaurants and hotels in the UK.

He was classically French trained having spent time in France and has even worked in the kitchen of Michel Roux Jnr at the world famous two-star Michelin restaurant Le Gavroche in London. You might also recognise him as the runner-up of Masterchef the Professionals in 2009.

Even with this training following on from James Martin was always going to require a chef with imagination and a big heart and so I do think Malton is very lucky to have found this Northumberland culinary powerhouse. What is so impressive to see is his calmness in the kitchen and the way he has already brought the kitchen team around him to create new menus at the Wentworth Restaurant.

Operations in the kitchen have also been streamlined so that dishes get to diners really quickly. As well as excellent food, the challenge is also to have very slick service. Dan’s food is creative and beautiful and yet he has striven to make sure that the taste of it is always the most crucial element. How ever pretty it is on the plate, if it doesn’t knock yer socks off then it’s scrubbed from the new Wentworth menu.

Some of Dan’s newest dishes have proved instant classics, his lobster raviolo in Shellfish Bisque being the most popular. This wonderful parcel of freshly made pasta with the pink and white meat inside is perfectly complimented with rich bisque and has flown off the menu. Another popular starter is his twice-baked soufflé.

Creamy but light, it is hard to say no to. The main courses are robust and tasty; Dan’s dry aged beef is naturally popular and made interesting with fillet, as well as cheek and tongue. I also love his roasted gnocchi, a vegetarian dish with fantastic Cotherstone cheese and bright garden veg. I always think it’s a sign of a great chef when the vegetarian dishes are just as moreish as the meaty ones and this one certainly stands out for me.

There have been many comments about Dan’s desserts and no doubt he is making his mark as a bit of a pudding genius. His chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream is an instant smash, but I also already loved is his amazing passion fruit cream with white chocolate and tonka bean, basically a bowl of sweet deliciousness. But the desert that he is famous for is the inspired sweet Yorkshire Pudding with boozy cherries and Amaretto ice cream. Just fab and lovely to see a Yorkshire pudding as a pudding.

Dan has completed the Wentworth Restaurant menu and his simpler Malton Brasserie menu is on its way next month. Watch this space.