Masterchef contestant Matt Healey has opened a new Leeds restaurant, bringing 'Michelin-star' service to diners in Horsforth.
"Or come with friends for a selection of supreme small plates, Yorkshire meats, cheeses and an outstanding selection of fine wines from around the world."
It opened its doors at The Forde on Town Street this week on Tuesday 7 December 2021 - however, there is currently no menu available on the website.
Still, by reputation alone, we expect it is worth a visit. Healey, after all, has made quite a mark on the Leeds food scene with his ‘food to swear by’ brand.
inside The Forde ahead of its opening this Tuesday / Image: The Forde
His previous restaurant, Matt Healy X The Foundry, earned itself a place in the Good Food Guide and a 2020 Michelin Plate.
Praised by The Guardian food critic Jay Rayner with the utterance of "Bloody hell, that’s good” over the steak tartare, (only he didn't say "bloody" or "hell"), you can't get a much higher endorsement than that.
Of course, that was during a visit to the Foundry in 2019 - but, by the looks of things, there are a number of dish similarities over in Horsforth to keep existing fans happy.
Image: The Forde
A message on The Forde's website says: "Matt has had the pleasure of working alongside some of the hospitality industry’s finest, some of whom will form part of the Forde team; bringing Michelin star service to Horsforth.
"Come alone and bring your laptop, where you can work alongside us using our free WiFi. We will make sure you're kept topped up with outstanding breakfast and superb coffee.
"Come with family for a spot of lunch and some afternoon cocktails.
The new eatery, housed in the same north Leeds suburb where the chef grew up, is bringing top-tier dishes and high-end service to guests with a menu offering everything from breakfast and brunch to Yorkshire Charcuterie, small plates, local cheese and fine wines.
Opening hours are 8am to 4pm daily. Find out more by visiting the website here.
One of the rarest cattle breeds in the UK has had calves at Temple Newsam’s farm.
We think this might be the cutest story we've written about all year.
Categorised as ‘priority’ by the Rare Breed Survival Trust (RBST), Vaynol cows originate from North Wales and were first established in the late 19th Century.
The herd over at Temple Newsam stems directly from that first herd, having lived there since the 1980’s.
Images: Leeds City Council
And now, they've welcomed five new calves - and the beautiful new arrivals are just five of 150 animals in the UK.
Vaynols can now be found in five locations in the UK, with Temple Newsam’s Home Farm currently home to one bull, 14 breeding cows, five heifers these amazing new calves.
Richard Aldis, farm manager at Temple Newsam, said: “We’re so thrilled to have welcomed these little ones to the farm.
“The team here works hard to protect these rare breeds that the farm is home to and it’s always wonderful when we can successfully grow the herd. The calves are settling in well and we’re just thinking about names for them.”
Councillor James Gibson, Leeds City Council’s executive member for environment, said: “It’s wonderful to hear the news about these rare little calves being born, it is truly a testament to the important work that is done by the team at Temple Newsam’s Home Farm in preserving these breeds for future generations.
“There is so much for visitors to enjoy at the estate. Alongside the farm and its wonderful animals, people can explore the magnificent Temple Newsam House, enjoy the new bike park, and visit the recently opened play barn. It really is a fantastic day out for the whole family.”
Government announces all national museums across the UK will remain FREE for everyone to visit
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of national museums across the UK are set to remain free for everyone to visit, it has been confirmed.
Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the 14 national museums of the UK are all located in England – including the Royal Armouries in Leeds – and free entry to was first introduced all the way back in 2001, with millions of visitors having benefitted since.
National museums are said to add more than £1 billion a year to the economy, and bring in visitors from all over the world.
In fact, seven of the UK’s 10 most visited museums are national museums, and 7.1 million people visited the Natural History Museum and 6.4 million visited the British Museum in 2025 alone.
Earlier this year though, the Government committed to working with local leaders and the museum and tourism sectors to explore whether charging overseas visitors could help museums’ finances.
But following this, it’s now believed that charging could deter visitors, and that the impacts and benefits would ‘not be felt equally’ across the sector.
The Government has announced that all national museums in the UK will remain free for everyone to visit / Credit: Science Museum Group
Instead, the free entry will be funded by the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund – which is providing £760 million for museums – while £600 million of infrastructure funding is supporting national museums and DCMS-sponsored cultural organisations.
The latter funding will be used to address critical maintenance and works to estates, and enable institutions to deliver on their commitments to share collections with visitors from around the world.
A further £160 million is coming from The Museum Estates and Development Fund to help museums tackle maintenance backlogs.
On top of that, the Government will work with Arts Council to develop a long-term strategic plan for the future of museums.
Georgina Pellant -
8th December 2021 
