What made Olive and Feta the people's choice for Farsley as food and drink scene thrives?

When Hakan Ulke decided to open a Mediterranean restaurant in the west Leeds suburb of Farsley six years ago he knew it would be successful but now, he says, his local customers are like friends.

As the Yorkshire Evening Post launches the People’s Choice category for the Oliver Awards 2020, we re-visit last year’s winner of the award which had been introduced for the first time.

Mr Ulke, the owner of Olive and Feta on Town Street, says he was proud and shocked to win last year.

“I received an email to say we had been nominated and put a post on Facebook asking our followers to support us if they liked us, as a joke, but they must have seen it and voted for us.

“I was not expecting us to win as there was Salvo’s in there and some other big names.

“I was even planning to go to Turkey that week on holiday but the organisers rang and asked if I was going to the awards. I wondered if we had a chance but when they said we had won I was proud and shocked.”

The majority of Olive and Feta’s customers are from Farsley, Rodley and Pudsey, with some from further afield, but he says one of the factors of their success is his relationship with customers.

He added: “I have been doing this for a long time and know what people want. If you give good service and nice food you will always be busy.

“I always talk to customers and have a lot of friends now. When I go to the pub, they try to buy me a drink or we sit down at the end of the night in the restaurant and chat until closing time.

“Farsley village is really connected, not only for me but everybody.”

Mr Ulke refers to the new food and drink businesses that have opened in the village over the last couple of years such as Grumpy’s, Mill Kitchen, Sabroso and Bar 33.

He added: “When I opened there were none of these places, just Deeva. People saw we were really busy and I think it pulled the trigger for others to open. It has made Farsley a lot nicer. Compared to the city centre, in the suburbs, you can have a nicer restaurant on a lot less budget.”

Background

Hakan Ulke, of Pudsey, was working at Rodley’s Ephesus restaurant when the Olive and Feta site came available. Knowing how busy Ephesus was and that customers were mainly local – he knew it would be a success.

He said: “When I was going home I would pass this and when it became available I thought ‘that is some place’.

“Every year we get a good write up in The Olivers.”

In December he opened a second restaurant in Adel, which is named Tuana after his daughter.