TWO LONG-TIME friends and veterans of hospitality are joining forces to open a new £2m restaurant in Leeds.

I’m delighted to be back in the city I love and delivering the most exciting restaurant Leeds will have seen in many years

 marks the return to Leeds for Martin Pickles - formerly the owner of Roundhay’s Flying Pizza for over ten years from the late 1990s, and he sounds very confident:

“I’m delighted to be back in the city I love and delivering the most exciting restaurant Leeds will have seen in many years”

The restaurant will feature a retractable roof, an alfresco dining area, and Mediterranean dishes with many ingredients sourced from local Yorkshire farms.

“This is really exciting news for Leeds” added Pickles. “A high-end Mediterranean is what Leeds has been crying out for” - “The ambience will focus on a fine balance between social dining with friends or family and the alfresco dining option and fresh Mediterranean dishes”

Westwood Hall HotelWestwood Hall Hotel

Also on board is Martin Hicks, managing director of Weetwood Hall, reuniting an old friendship between the two Martins. As Pickles puts it "Working with Martin Hicks and the team behind the success at Weetwood Hall coupled with my 30 years in the business mainly spent in London, is a fantastic opportunity for me personally and I’m looking forward to it immensely."

As a part of the Weetwood Hall estate, owned by University of Leeds, Convive will retain its own identity, but contribute gift aid donations to the Uni

“The increased gift aid to the University of Leeds is a unique and very positive gesture that benefits the University, its students and the city as a whole, I’m not aware of any other commercial restaurant that operates in this way."

Convive is due to open February 2017. Weetwood Hall Hotel, Otley Road, Leeds LS16 5PS