Green Room Leeds: Meet the chef behind the Leeds bar that's being transformed into a winter haven

Revellers basked in its sunny outdoor terrace over the summer - and now the Leeds bar is being transformed into a winter garden with cosy blankets, fire pits and full cover.

Executive chef Natalie Firth has been busy crafting a winter menu to match Green Room’s new look, as meat is introduced for the first time since it opened in Wellington Street in May.

The menu will still be “at least 50 per cent vegan”, Natalie said, but diners can soon enjoy Bratwurst, currywurst and burgers along with nutritious plant-based offerings.

“We’ve got some really nice, warm salad bowls and new wraps,” the 32-year-old told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

“And there’s a fish butty coming on the menu which I’m really excited for.”

Natalie quit a teaching job in her early twenties and retrained as a chef, enjoying a successful career including as executive chef at Grön Kafé.

The Morley-born chef launched own business, Just The Fox Kitchen, during the pandemic - delivering nutritious dishes and meal plans across Yorkshire.

When Green Room’s founders asked her to head up the kitchen earlier this year, pitching the ethos of nutritious food inspired by the cultures of New Zealand and California, she couldn’t turn it down.

Natalie said: “It was something that really resonated with me, especially because they were going for nutritious food, brunch, really vibrant dishes - getting the same inspiration ideas from everything I already loved.“It seemed like an exciting and different project for Leeds, something we’ve not seen before. I knew I had to get involved.”

It’s been a change in pace for Natalie - the amount of orders can be “ridiculous” - but she says she’s loved every minute of it.

Her menus include brunch and tapas-inspired small plates and dishes designed to be shared, tapping into the after-work crowd popping in for a drink, as well as weekend gatherings.

Natalie shares Green Room’s ethos of being as sustainable as possible and the bar has partnered with a zero waste company, to make sure none of its waste ends up in landfills.

“We use as many local suppliers and ingredients as possible,” Natalie added.

“And the whole Green Room ethos is social dining and a social space.

“You can come down for food and have it as a restaurant vibe, or come down for cocktails or a pint and share a few nibbles.

“We’re a really big space, but it’s cosy at the same time. We’re not pretentious, you can come in and dress up or come in your gym gear for some healthy food.”

One of Green Room’s most popular dishes is the sweet potato and halloumi hash - sautéed sweet potatoes in smoked paprika with avocado and halloumi, topped with spiralized cucumber, salsa, pea shoots, chillies, radishes and drizzled with chilli oil.

Natalie said: “It’s warming, with healthy fresh ingredients, it’s local, it’s simple and it’s not really messed with.

“We’re not going for a Michelin star here, but it’s about using the ingredients well, making sure the seasoning is right and that everything tastes as it should.”