Top Leeds chef announces departure from award-winning restaurant Kino to launch own pie company

Josh Whitehead was appointed the head chef of Opera North’s new restaurant Kino in New Briggate in July 2023. 

After an incredible year at the business, which saw Kino scoop Best Sustainability at the Oliver Awards 2024 and the launch Leeds' first monthly Pastry Club, the chef said he is ready for the next stage of his career. 

Named Finer Pleasures after a line from Grey Poupon's 1981 advert for its Dijon mustard, Josh told the Yorkshire Evening Post that the business will be bringing back “old school pie making”. 

While the concept is due to be refined over the next few months, Josh said the goal is to have a bricks-and-mortar pie shop one day. 

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The chef explained: “I thought it was time to move on to the next stage of my career, try and make one anyway. I left a couple of weeks ago to just try and have a stab at working for myself. 

“I’m just taking as many steps as I can to get towards a bricks-and-mortar shop. So I’ll be doing markets, pop ups, events, private hire, pre-orders for Christmas, takeaways and things like that. 

“But the premise of it is just all handmade pies, terrines, paté en croute, just using as many sustainable, local, high quality ingredients as I can and just respecting old school pie making.”

The MasterChef: The Professionals 2016 semi-finalist has headed up a number of kitchens across the city prior to this post, including the Harewood Food and Drinks Project, Ox Club in the Headrow and Olive and Rye in Queen’s Arcade. But his recent post at Kino gave him the platform to make what he loves: pies.

“I've always been into pies, and then got really into it three or four years ago and it's just been a constant since,” Josh said. 

“I didn't really know what I wanted to do or where I wanted to end up with it, but I knew I wanted to be making pies. 

“A friend and I were looking at opening something together serving sandwiches and stuff like that but my interest in it wasn't as strong as it was for pies and such. 

“Then he was moving on and it literally just clicked, as if I'd banged my head or something, I was like, ‘I should open a pie shop - that’s what I should do’.”

The chef, who recently took home second place and best overall flavour at a prestigious pie competition, has been frank about his struggles with imposter syndrome and said he is often not the best at “backing [himself]”.

“But for me, as long as I can be stable and pay my mortgage through giving people really tasty pastries and pies, then I'm winning,” Josh added.

His carefully-curated Pastry Club will be coming with him, with the first one under Finer Pleasures set to take place on December 9 with top pastry chef Calum Franklin.

While Josh will be at a number of different events in the upcoming weeks including Belgrave Festive Feast on November 23 and The Melbourne in Oakwood on November 29 and 30, Josh considers the upcoming Pastry Club to be the official launch of Finer Pleasures. 

“I first learned how to make pate en croute from Calum about eight years ago,” Josh explained. “We've been in touch for years. I actually got my wedding cake from him a few weeks ago as well.”

Booking for custom Christmas pie orders, whole Vacherin cheese en croute, Victorian style mince pies are now open with private bookings and catering also available. Find out more information about Finer Pleasures and Pastry Club with Calum Franklin via the official social media channels.