Meet the head chef behind Patty Smith's at Belgrave serving juicy burgers and fries to hungry Leeds revellers

The food joint, located inside Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen, offers a selection of juicy burgers, increasingly popular vegan alternatives and sharing 'session fries' to feed a crowd.

Running the kitchen is Andrew Glendennan, Patty Smith's new head chef and a student at the University of Leeds.

Andrew had a baptism by fire when he started his culinary career while travelling in Australia seven years ago.

“I was an awful cook until I was 18," Andrew, who grew up in Oxfordshire, told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

"While I was travelling, I was a dish washer at a Middle Eastern-style restaurant and I got curious about what was going on in the kitchen.

“One day all the chefs left and the owner asked me to give them a hand. I spent the next six months figuring out how to be a chef. From there I was hooked.”

Andrew settled in Leeds after moving back to the UK, working at Friends of Ham and the former Ham and Friends, before joining contemporary British kitchen Black Market in Chapel Allerton.

This summer saw him land his first permanent head chef role at Patty Smith's - where he gets as creative with burgers as he did with fine-dining tasting menus.

“With any job there’s ups and downs, but I’m glad I’m doing it now," the 25-year-old said.

"When I managed a kitchen at a young age, I made lots of mistakes and that meant I could come into this job more relaxed. It doesn’t feel like I’ve gone into the deep end.”

It's no secret that being a chef is a demanding profession - and Andrew juggles it all with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies.

It was his first job and the Turkish chefs he worked with that inspired him to pick his degree.

"It’s a nice loop around to where it all started," Andrew said.

“I've just got to be super organised, having good communication with the people around me.

"There are times where I have to go away for two days and get my head in some books.

“It’s like having a dual personality - every morning I think, ‘who am I? Is it Andrew the chef or Andrew the uni student?”

Patty Smith's caters for the vibrant Belgrave crowd until 10pm, while neighbouring Dough Boys serves pizza into the early hours.

On the menu is Andrew's new 'Mr. Zeus' spiced lamb burger is filled with tzatziki, rocket, tomato jam, pickled carrot, cucumber and feta, while the vegan salt and pepper session fries are infused with Chinese five spice and topped with garlic mayo.

Andrew added: “Everyday is different and that’s what keeps you going. If you don’t like sitting around in an office all day, then I’d recommend being a chef.

“There’s always problems, but if you look at it with the attitude that they are problems to fix, then you can make it very fun.

“And you can be so creative. It’s an art form, whether you’re making burgers and chips or a twelve-course tasting menu.”

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