Matt Healy: ‘When I cook without ego I enjoy it more’ - Masterchef star introduces affordable fine dining menu to his Yorkshire restaurants
Masterchef star Matt Healy has introduced an affordable fine dining experience to his restaurants as he enjoys ‘cooking without ego’.
Matt Healy, originally from Sowerby Bridge, appeared as a contestant and finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals in 2016.
His experience on the show inspired him to open his first restaurant The Foundry two years later.
Due to Covid the restaurant closed its doors in November 2020 and a year later he opened Forde restaurant in Horsforth followed by a second branch in Ilkley which opened in 2024.
His change of direction came from his desire to cook food that is accessible to everyone and at an affordable price.
The new tasting menu will be introduced at the two Forde restaurants - priced at £40 for a six-course meal and an additional £35 for a wine flight or a cocktail flight.
Mr Healy said the menu had been inspired by his previous offering at The Forge.
“The whole business model for Forde was completely different to the one for The Foundry,” Mr Healy said.
“I opened The Foundry in 2018 coming off the back of Masterchef: The Professionals. There was a lot of ego with that cookery; it was super fancy, technical stuff.
“What I’ve found is that when I cook without ego I enjoy it more, the team enjoys it more and the guests enjoy it more.
“Forde is cookery without ego; we’re cooking for the guests, we’re cooking for what people want to eat and keeping it at a sensible price point.
“The most expensive dish on the new menu is £30 and that’s for a 10 ounce of fillet beef, I don’t think you can get that anywhere.”
Matt has introduced a piece of The Foundry in the form of fine dining but at an affordable price.
“At the moment Forde is elevated comfort food and sharing plates, tapas style,” he said.
“The restaurants are full every night - both Ilkley and Horsforth - and I wanted to dip my toe back into the fine dining [industry].
“I think we’re busy because our price point is right for the current climate. The menu that launches [this week], we are incorporating some of The Foundry favourites, some of the best selling dishes.”
Matt will be collaborating with a local wine supplier for the drinks part of the menu.
“Once a month we are teaming up with our wine supplier, House of White based in Farsley,” he said.
“We are going to offer a tasting menu at Ilkley to start with as it is a much bigger restaurant.
“With a wine flight or a cocktail flight, we’re still keeping it really affordable so the food for six courses is going to be £40 and then there’s going to be a wine flight or a cocktail flight for £35, so £75 per person for six courses and the drinks.
“The style of the food is going to be a totally lifted, super fancy, Michelin-style tasting menu.”
He will be bringing back his most popular dishes from The Foundry including the highly acclaimed beef tartare.
“Some of the favourite dishes [at The Foundry] was the beef tartare, quite a classic French dish but me being me, I served it with a cheese and onion toastie, so I put a bit of a Yorkshire spin on it,” Mr Healy said.
“Jay Rayner wrote about it and said it was the best beef tartare he’s ever had. We have a rack of lamb with ratatouille but it’s not the ratatouille you know, it’s deconstructed and there’s loads of different flavours going on, it’s quite a playful dish.
“Chicken Kiev [is] not [your usual] Chicken Kiev, it’s a whole roasted baby chicken with a wild garlic butter and an aioli.”
This fine dining addition will positively impact his business, according to Mr Healy.
“We’re elevating our day-to-day menu but still keeping a really affordable price point. I think that’s only a good thing,” he said.
“When we first opened Forde in Horsforth, we were open from 9am until 11pm; we were doing breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and it was difficult with long days.
“We’ve funnelled that into doing what we’re good at, which is a really good lunch and dinner menu.
“Adding the monthly taster nights gives a different demographic and gives our usual demographic an opportunity to see that we are more than what we already are.
“We are a comfortable pair of shoes at the moment, once a month we can slip on our Louboutins and be a bit fancy.
“The reason this came about is because there was an article posted by [Yorkshire Evening Post] last year about forgotten restaurants or restaurants that are closed that people would love to see brought back and The Foundry was in there.
“It sent the juices flowing. There’s a gap for affordable fine dining; there are loads of restaurants that are very expensive to eat at, so there’s definitely a market for it and that’s why I want to use my skillset to bring that back.”