The Owl Leeds: Chef Mark Owens on journey from Kirkgate Market to one of city's top fine dining restaurants

Mark Owens launched The Owl as a gastropub in Kirkgate Market with business partner Liz Cottam nearly half a decade ago.

Now based at the trendy Mustard Wharf development, he spoke to the YEP about his career and the restaurant’s evolution over the last five years.

The 41-year-old, from Maidstone, became fascinated with cooking as a child. His grandmother, a classic home cook, taught him the basics before he picked up a Saturday job at a restaurant in Kent, where he spent time washing pots and leafing through cookbooks that had been lent to him by the boss.

“It really piqued my interest,” explained Mark. He remembered researching his favourite chefs in order to follow a similar path, later attending the same college as the late culinary legend Gary Rhodes.

Hard work and dedication took him to restaurants across Kent recognised by Michelin and the AA Rosette, before a stint at famed London restaurant Le Gavroche.

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In Yorkshire, Mark worked as sous chef at The Star Inn at Harome, the Michelin-starred thatched 14th-century restaurant, alongside the likes of Andrew Pern and Stephen Smith.

Not before long, he was poached to head up the award-winning Ilkley institution The Box Tree. His term in the prestigious Leeds kitchen saw the fine dining restaurant secure and hold onto a Michelin star.

“Like all restaurants, there were challenges,” said Mark, “but on the whole, it was a really good place to work. It had the heritage of having been open for 40 years, so there were a lot of constraints - it was very creative, but you had to do things in a certain way. It taught me a lot.”

While he was working at The Box Tree, he was approached by Masterchef semi-finalist turned successful restaurateur Liz Cottam, who told him she wanted to open a new venue in the city. Together, they launched The Owl, which won acclaim as a gastropub in Kirkgate Market at the end of 2019.

The name was taken from the avian shapes carved into pillars at the Grade I listed building and, as well as owls being the symbol of Leeds, the birds were often found in the market’s rafters.

Three months after opening, the national lockdown meant the pub had to cease operations. When restrictions finally lifted, Mark and Liz found a new space along the canal at the serene and modern Mustard Wharf development.

“It’s a very relaxed space,” said Mark. “You don't feel like you're in the centre of Leeds, but it's right next to the train station, so it offers great links for commuters.”

With the move came a new mission. “We wanted to to be an all-day, all-night restaurant,” said Mark. “You can come in and order a dish, or snacks, or the whole menu. Everything we do is about hospitality - which means quality food and quality service. It’s always the best we can possibly offer.

“There’s an A La Carte menu, so you can choose whatever you want, but we’ve also got the set menu, which is like a taster menu. On the terrace outside, you can have snacks and beers, whereas inside there’s more of a restaurant feel.”

The tight-knit team at The Owl designed a menu to showcase the best of British ingredients at the peak of their season. Often, dishes are inspired by comfort food and memories. That lends itself to plates that might sound simple on paper, like sausage and mash. But the team make their own sausages, use beef fat mash and serve the dish with a red wine gravy.

“It’s all the highest quality ingredients,” said Mark. “So, even if something is quite simple, it’s always the best it can be.”

His current favourite dish on the menu is the Jersey Royal potatoes, which are served with Berkswell cheese and caviar. They are cooked in a seaweed butter and paired with cod’s roe puree, pickled seaweed and a mousse made from the roasted potato skins.

The menu is updated every eight weeks to fit with the changing seasons. Mark said: “We like to take nostalgic dishes that people love, like prawn cocktail, and give them a little twist. They’re close enough to remind people what they are, but they also have a fun and interesting side.

“In May last year, we made a smoked duck ham, which we paired with asparagus and egg yolks. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to create a dish like that, because those things are basically friends. They just go together.”

Working in Leeds presents its own challenges, as the market has become increasingly unpredictable, Mark explained.

“The summer in Leeds is always a bit quiet, but there are more people coming to work in the city and new restaurants opening. There seems to be a real buzz on the scene. There have been challenges. I mean, to be honest, it’s the same with all restaurants. Some weeks, we are really busy. Some weeks, we’re not. You just have to just keep flying along to get to where you want to be.”

The Owl is transitioning from its late summer menu into autumn, with ingredients like Yorkshire strawberries front and centre. There’s also a unique venison dish that features dark chocolate, celeriac and raspberries.

Reflecting on his career, Mark said: “I like working with food. It’s creative and inspiring. I like the fact that each day is a new day, and you’re constantly testing yourself, making sure that things are of a high standard, trying to exceed people’s expectations, as well as your own.”

He added: “It’s a lot more fun than staring at a screen in a nine to five job!”