Tetley Bar & Kitchen hits refresh: A brand new menu, a fresh look and a pioneering Head Chef

The Tetley has relaunched its Bar & Kitchen after sixteen difficult months. A fresh look and a brand new menu reinvigorate the historic brewery, now a pioneering contemporary art space and restaurant. The venue is now headed up by exciting new Head Chef, Connaire Moran.  

Connaire brings a wealth of experience and ideas to The Tetley. He has just come from super-successful fine dining pub The Owl, in Kirkgate Market – the first ever pub in Europe’s biggest indoor market – which immediately garnered rave reviews. Prior to this he began his culinary career with Anthony Flinn, before a spell with ever-popular Leeds institution The Reliance. After travelling in Asia, he then returned and worked at The Owl since it opened in 2019.

The new menu combines the high-end British classics The Tetley has long been known for with more international offerings. A Turkish eggs dish sits alongside their hearty fry up, and a traditional ox cheek is served alongside cornbread and a sriracha hollandaise. This is cooking from an international palette, using many well-known and local ingredients and dishes, but also injecting a dash of vibrance, spice and piquancy to make for a menu of exciting, mouth-watering dishes. The menu is available through the daytime, brunch and lunch with a new Sunday Roast menu also launching. 

Connaire Moran, Head Chef: 

“It’s such an honour to take over at The Tetley and to try some new ideas out. My passion is all about using hyper-local ingredients and sustainability, and I love the fact that this is echoed at The Tetley. It was the main factor in joining the amazing team here. We have a few exciting projects coming up, including growing our own produce, launching our own regular supper club and using the best ingredients.” 

Sam Fish, Head of Visitor Experience:

“The last 16 months have been challenging, but we can see light at the end of the tunnel. We have had time to reconfigure the inside of the Bar & Kitchen space, we have a brilliant new cafe commission art piece, and a brand new shop inside. Connaire’s first menu is an adaptation on the previous one, adding some fresh twists and seasonal food.

Friday social was launched as the roadmap was originally set out, and has been super-popular with attracting new customers. It echoes the Tetley’s sentiment of focussing on working with fresh new and local talent, both on street food and DJs. At this time we are surrounded by lots of building work – but we remain very much open!”

The Tetley’s new Café Commission presents the first new wall-based artwork especially commissioned for the bar and restaurant. Working with Leeds-based artist Herfa Thompson, this vibrant, colourful and engaging artwork combines a love of food, contemporary art and Yorkshire. The Tetley’s Bar & Kitchen prioritises using local suppliers, reducing food waste and their carbon footprint

The mural, named Synapses Under A Vast Sky, is inspired by local fruit and vegetables, such as rhubarb, the local brewing culture in South Leeds, and specific varieties of Yorkshire apples such as the Ribston Pippin which dates back to 1707.

Bar & Kitchen Opening Hours: 

Open Wednesday – Sunday, 9am–6pm, until 10pm on Fridays