Home chefs to launch set of concepts at Leeds market

Liz Cottam and Mark Owens, the chefs behind Leeds’ Home restaurant, are set to open four new food concepts at the city’s Kirkgate Market, starting with a gastropub.

The Owl gastropub will be the first concept to open on the market’s Fish & Game Row, named after the remnants of stone owls on the arches above. It will focus on beer in collaboration with local brewery Northern Monk as well as offering wines on tap and serving whole roasts, particularly fish and game.

Three more market venues are on the cards, including two units in the market hall and another on Fish & Game Row, one of which will be a chef’s table-style, high-end, intimate dining experience solely headed by Cottam.

Cottam said: “I’ve wanted to do something in this amazing building for a long time. I was originally going to do one thing. But then I thought, if we want to actually push for some serious change, more is needed. So it seemed like a good idea to do as many things as possible - so there are lots of new reasons for people to go to the market. It would demonstrate a significant change.”

The concepts will join existing market businesses Istanbul bakery, Casa Mexica and Colombian-inspired street food concept Kanassa Kitchen.

Cllr Jonathan Pryor, executive member for learning, skills and employment for Leeds City Council said he was “thrilled” Cottam chose the market for her new ventures, which he said will be “a fantastic new addition” to the market.

MasterChef 2016 semi-finalist and local Cottam partnered with Owens, former head chef at the Michelin-starred the Box Tree in Ilkley, to open fine dining restaurant Home last year.