Over in Boston Spa there's a new contemporary bakehouse putting its own special twist on breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Serving up a host of bakery and patisserie-based creations, since opening in spring this year CORA has quickly made a name for itself amongst locals in the area - elevating the usually casual meals of afternoon tea and brunch into fine dining territory.
In-house patisserie chef Rosie has been creating some weird and wonderful concoctions, ranging from burnt butter and cardamom swirls to "dark and mysterious looking" confit duck leg with pistachio and cherry pastries - and she's received some rave reviews.
A sneak peek at one of the evening taster menu dishes to come in August / Image: CORA
According to a recent post on the CORA Instagram, yesterday a man popped in for a coffee and decided on trying one of those swirls. Five minutes later, he ran back in and bought four more. We think that really speaks for itself.
Her bread, so we hear, is also incredible. Truffled ciabatta and fennel, goats cheese and lemon bread? We're already drooling just at the thought of it.
And CORA is not done yet - rather, it's expanding its offering into evening tasting experiences, offering a series of mysterious menus that are sure to delight and challenge diners in equal measure.
From August, the bakehouse come restaurant, headed up by chef Elizabeth Cottam (head chef and founder of lauded Leeds restaurants HOME and The Owl), is going to be introducing a new tasting menu of eight small plates on Friday and Saturday evenings.
CORA's 'Blooming Rosie' nods to the Yorkshire white rose / Image: CORA
Priced at £65 per person, the menus are not published - rather the whole experience is a surprise. Even when you get to the restaurant you won't know what you are eating until your plate hits the table.
Reservations for tasting experiences will require a deposit and can be enjoyed on the evening alongside a carefully selected drinks pairing.
The full team at CORA / Image: CORA
The fully female senior team has already seen high praise, and CORA’s new and diverse offering has been celebrated in Boston Spa for enriching the town’s culinary scene. We can't wait to see what these new tasting menus hold.
Find out more about contemporary bakehouse, dining room and wine cellar CORA on their website here.
Find them at 162 High St, Boston Spa, Wetherby LS23 6BW.
News
A boutique house and disco music festival is coming to the grounds of Harewood House this summer
After welcoming around 4,500 attendees in its first year, the intimate house and disco festival is coming back.
Goodlife, held in the beautiful grounds of Harewood House, has fast established itself as one of the region’s most exciting new music events.
After its huge success last year, Goodlife will be back this year even bigger and better than before with a capacity ready to welcome 12,000 festival-goers.
The festival will take place on Saturday 6 June, and the lineup is already stacked.
The Main Stage will host an incredible line up of house music heavyweights including Armand Van Helden, Groove Armada, Alison Limerick, Roger Sanchez and Inner City (Live).
The Downtown Disco Stage will once again bring its signature blend of soulful house to the fields of Harewood House with artists announced including The Shapeshifters, Craig Charles, Michael Gray and Ian Ossia.
This year sees a brand-new stage being thrown into the mix called The Goodlife Tavern that will celebrate Yorkshire’s thriving DJ scene, showcasing local artists and shining a spotlight on regional talent.
Artists performing at The Goodlife Tavern will include Darren Cross, Smudged Soul, Alex Malam, Emiiyuu, Kavita, PJ Gardner and Lee Wright.
Liam Hardy, co-founder of New Vision Events, said: "The response to Goodlife’s first year was incredible and we’ve been stunned by the extremely high demand for tickets for this years’ event so far. We always believed there was room for a dedicated house and disco festival in the region, but the atmosphere and support from the crowd last year completely exceeded our expectations.
“For 2026 we wanted to take things up a notch and create something even better. Introducing a third stage allows us to bring more artists to the festival and showcase some amazing local talent, while the increased capacity means even more people can enjoy the Goodlife experience."
Goodlife Festival takes place on Saturday 6 June and you can buy your tickets here.
Plans for Leeds Kirkgate Market ‘container village’, STACK, take huge step forward
Clementine Hall
A planning application has been submitted for a ‘container village’ attraction at Leeds Kirkgate Market.
It was submitted today, Friday 27 March, by STACK Leisure - a company that already runs popular food, drink and entertainment hubs in Lincoln, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland.
The proposed STACK Leeds venue would be a two-storey structure made up of repurposed shipping containers, located in Leeds Kirkgate Market’s outdoor trading area.
It would feature six bars, eight street food outlets, a coffee shop, a large stage for live entertainment and giant digital screens.
The development is expected to increase footfall and broaden the customer base across the market and would also benefit the wider city centre and its existing hospitality businesses.
Neill Winch, chief executive of STACK Leisure, said: “We know from our previous experience that once STACK opens it brings huge economic benefits to the wider area.
“It will turn a spotlight on the Leeds Kirkgate Market area and bring in greatly increased footfall, not just to STACK Leeds but to both the indoor and outdoor market. One of the many reasons we are successful is because we offer something for everyone – we are family friendly, pet friendly and our entertainment programme is designed to have widespread appeal.
“It is important for us to become part of the local community and celebrate it, while supporting independent businesses at the same time. We firmly believe that STACK Leeds will be a huge asset to the city and we look forward to moving on with the scheme.”
Kikgate Market’s outdoor trading area currently has room for a total of 185 stalls, with around 85 of those being filled.
Should STACK Leeds secure planning approval, the number of pitches would be reduced and the freed-up space used as the location for the scheme.
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2021 
