Our Story

Chef David Tait has been cooking professionally since 2009, beginning his career in Melbourne, Australia. He spent a formative period working under Shaun Quade at the two-hatted restaurant Lûmé, where he developed a deep appreciation for fine dining, technique, and thoughtful creativity.

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After working in a range of kitchens across Melbourne, David relocated to the UK in 2018. Since then, he has worked in several respected British restaurants, including The Box Tree in Ilkley and The Pipe and Glass Inn in South Dalton, further refining a style rooted in seasonality, restraint, and flavour-led cooking.

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David’s first independent projects began in 2017 with a series of pop-up events under the name Dinner by Uovo. These experiences ultimately led to the opening of his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Malton, North Yorkshire, in 2023. Although the restaurant closed in 2024, it provided invaluable experience that shaped the next stage of his work.

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That evolution became Oxalis by David Tait — the fine-dining tasting menu concept where David explores ingredient-driven cooking, preservation, and considered drink pairings, including original non-alcoholic accompaniments.

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Plates by Oxalis is the more relaxed expression of that philosophy. Here, the focus shifts to sharing dishes, seasonal produce, and accessible cooking, while retaining the care and attention developed through Oxalis.

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Plates represents the next chapter: a permanent restaurant rooted in the same values, offering thoughtful food in a welcoming and informal setting.