Kino Leeds: Masterchef semi-finalist announces new menu with foraged ingredients and Yorkshire produce

Josh, who reached the semi-finals of MasterChef: The Professionals, was appointed head chef of Kino in May. The New Briggate restaurant, by Opera North, will launch the new menu of seasonally-designed dishes on Wednesday.

Regularly-changing starters, mains and desserts will be on offer, with two courses for £26 and three for £29. Making the most of Yorkshire produce, both reared and foraged, the dishes include Josh’s trademark pâté en croûte, with his latest version inspired by the classic flavours of coronation chicken.

With an emphasis on nose-to-tail cooking, collar of Yorkshire pork is served with a sauce made from scratch by Josh using the pigs’ trotters and bones, alongside a tangy burnt apple mustard. Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy Popcorn, Sweetcorn and Courgette, a grilled terrine of polenta and sweetcorn with a creamy sauce made from roasted popcorn, in a light-hearted reference to Kino’s previous incarnation as a cinema.

The menu also includes a trio of sustainable desserts, inspired by Opera North’s upcoming Green Season. Josh hand-picks wild woodruff near his home in Leeds to create an innovative take on the retro favourite, the Arctic Roll. Panna Cotta and Strawberries features a lightly set cream flavoured with toasted, locally-sourced hay, while spent coffee grounds collected from Kino and Opera North’s Howard Opera Centre get a new lease of life in Josh’s popular Coffee and Chocolate Trifle, following its original appearance on the Test Kitchen menu.

Josh said: “With its strong farming heritage and abundance of wild plants for foraging, Yorkshire is a fantastic place for sourcing the finest ingredients. For me, it’s all about making the most of what’s around me and keeping everything as local as possible to minimise food miles, while also looking at innovative ways to use the whole animal or plant.

"I love working sustainably as I think it makes you more creative, adventurous and thoughtful in your cooking, and I’m looking forward to continuing to design new menus for Kino which will make the most of local and foraged produce through the changing seasons.”

Local suppliers have also been integral to the development of the menu. The fish and seafood has been sourced from Tarbetts Fishmongers who can be found in Leeds Market and in Chapel Allerton, the meat is from R&J Butchers who are based at Kirkby Malzeard in Ripon, the fruit and vegetables are being supplied by Delifresh in Bradford, while Kirkstall Brewery, Northern Monk Brewery, Masons Gin and North Star Coffee are just some of the local drink providers within a stone’s throw away from the venue.

Kino is part of arts organisation Opera North and sits adjacent to Leeds Grand Theatre and below the Company’s Howard Assembly Room, with its year-round programme of gigs, classical recitals, talks and film screenings. The new menu will be served from 4.30pm-7.30pm from Tuesday to Friday and from 12pm-2.30pm and 4.30pm-7.30pm on Saturdays, with bookings now live on the Kino website.