Tom Wardle joins the Box Tree from Psycho Sandbar

Tom Wardle has joined the Box Tree in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, as restaurant manager after the closure of Michael O’Hare’s Psycho Sandbar.

Wardle had spent seven years at the Leeds restaurant, which rebranded this year as Psycho Sandbar having been run by O’Hare as the Man Behind the Curtain since 2014. The restaurant closed in October.

He has now joined the Box Tree to work alongside head chef Brayden Davies, general manager Chris Stapleton and head sommelier Didier Da Costa.

Davis joined the Box Tree in March, when he said he would bring subtle influences from his native Australia to the menu as well as a focus on locally foraged ingredients.

He added: “The new menu has a more modern twist, and I’m excited to combine my different cooking style with the rich and traditional heritage the restaurant is renowned for.

“Longstanding diners, as well as new customers, will receive the attention to detail that they should expect from a premium restaurant. I pride myself on knowing all of our suppliers to ensure that the ingredients we use are of the finest quality.”