THE chef at a Thurnscoe cafe served up traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding to celebrate St George’s Day and has been promoting English food all week.

James O’Mara’s customers at The Platform in The Embankment SureStart centre have been voting for their favourite dish. The Top 10 will form next week’s menu and number one will be served every day.

But one customer is sure to be disappointed after voting Thai curry her favourite.

“Everything is home-made and everything comes from Barnsley suppliers,” said James.

“I want to promote English food and this has been the best Monday we’ve had since we opened, in fact it was heaving. It’s also proved how diverse food is these days when you look at what we’re not serving this week.”

He kicked off on Monday with the full English breakfast including free English tea and toast. For those who didn’t want a full meal they could choose a Ploughman’s lunch and finish off the day with a Cornish cream tea of home-made scone and clotted cream.

The Platform opened a year ago, so it was a double celebration. The kitchen also prepares food for the children in the day nursery.

“It takes time to build up trade, but I think our reputation for fresh, good and cheap food is growing,” said James.

There has been a roast on the menu every day, as well as Whitby scampi, toad in the hole, cheese flan using English cheeses and traditional fish and chips. Puddings have included apple crumble, spotted Dick and chocolate sponge.