Liz Cottam & Mark Owens' HOME promises fine dining "with a welcome difference"

A new restaurant combining the talents of a Masterchef semi-finalist and Michelin-starred chef has found a permanent home in the city centre, and looks set to open this August.

You might be familiar with HOME - the collaboration between Liz Cottam and Mark Owens, former head chef at The Box Tree in Ilkley - from temporary stints at The New Ellington. You might have even read our glowing review. Ironically though, since the last pop-up in February, HOME has been in search of permanent digs - until now.

With their approach to food described as “fine dining, reimagined” it’s only appropriate that the venue will be something of a reimagining, too. 16-17 Kirkgate has previously served as a dancehall, billiards club, and cinema, before more recently being home of Darbar Indian restaurant.

The 3669 sq ft lot has been secured, and is currently being transformed into a 65-cover dining room with a bar area, and an exclusive chef’s table where guests can spectate Liz and Mark in the kitchen, as well as being served by them throughout the night.

“I’m really pleased to have found a place with such a rich heritage” says Liz, “it’s a part of the city that has been given a new lease of life. We are very excited to have secured this venue and that major work has now started to create something unique and really special for Leeds.”

Offering a 10-course tasting menu (and a shorter 5-course, as well as a 3-course lunch) will feature a strong sense of heritage and provenance, with an atmosphere unlike that provided by current fine dining restaurants - the name comes from guests at the pop-up mentioning that they felt like they’d been invited to a friend’s home for dinner, because of the warm welcome and passion that they’d been served with.

In true seasonal style, the menu for HOME’s launch in August hasn’t been released - many of the ingredients probably haven’t been grown yet

In true seasonal style, the menu for HOME’s launch in August hasn’t been released - many of the ingredients probably haven’t been grown yet -  and will change every month, with a focus on the best locally, regionally, and nationally-sourced ingredients.

“We’re coming at this with a ‘HOME by name, home by nature’ approach and our monthly-changing menus will be a true celebration of everything Great British produce has to offer.” says Mark. “We’ve spent a lot of time working together on our first menus and I know that we’ve found the very best that the country has to offer.”

HOME is due to open in August 2017. Subscribe to the Leeds Confidential newsletter for all the latest food & drink news as it happens.