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
Horsforth Brewery to takeover and save beloved Ilkley tap house
A renowned brewery have announced that they will be taking over the reigns of a popular craft beer bottle shop in Ilkley.
Fuggle & Golding opened in 2015 on Leeds road in Ilkley and quickly grew a loyal following with locals and visitors alike.
Sadly they announced last month that their last day of trading would be Saturday 28 February, news which was met with huge disappointment.
However this is no longer the case, as Horsforth Brewery is set to reopen the venue on Wednesday. Hooray!
Announcing the welcomed news to Instagram, Horsforth Brewery wrote: "When we saw they were going to close we were determined to not lose another great venue from the local beer scene.
"We owe a massive thank you to George and the landlord for getting a deal across the line in quick order.
"We’re going to take a few days to put our stamp on the place and then we will be open on Wednesday!"
"Obviously we will be stocking our beers here but as anyone who knows will know, we love the beer scene so we will continue to have a good amount of guest beer on as well. We’ll even been joining in with the biggest beer launches from around the country.
"Want to know the best news? We’re doing this solo. No outside interests, no investors, no debt. In the current climate being able to organically grow like this is so so hard and it’s thanks to all our team that we’ve been able to do this.
"We’ve always been determined to grow our business in a healthy and sustainable way; it may have (absolutely has) been tough over the years but we’ve got ourselves in a position to take us to the next level in a sustainable way."
Beloved late night Leeds cocktail bar The Maven announces permanent closure
Clementine Hall
"After years of late nights, strong cocktails, and incredible stories; The Maven will close its doors"
It's a sad day for the Leeds night life scene, as a beloved speakeasy bar has today announced that it will be closing its doors for good.
The Maven has been a firm favourite for many years with those looking to enjoy some experimental and expertly made cocktails.
Hidden behind an unassuming door at the top of Call Lane, it was a great spot to visit if you were looking for something that little bit special.
Announcing the news to their social media, The Maven said: "From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for being our guests over the years and promise that until then, we'll do our best to give you the best nights out on Call Lane."
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2021 
