OWT started life back in 2018 at Leeds Kirkgate Market, the dream and passion of James and Esther, where they used the produce from the market to rustle up ‘simple but tasty meals‘. I love that philosophy of keeping it local.

They outgrew that space and moved to their current location in the nearby Leeds Corn Exchange where they have continued to source their produce from the market and bring ‘fresh local ingredients‘ to their dishes

This place was on my list of cafe that I just had to eat at while I was up here in Leeds and so I was really delighted when we stumbled upon them while on the Wild in Art Bear Hunt passing through the Corn Exchange and found that they had a table available.

MENU BOARD

I usually keep my dining options simple and don’t often stray too far away from my comfort zone. Those that know me will probably tell you that I stick to breakfasts, burgers, and noodles which perhaps is a little harsh but actually fairly accurate.

My partner in dine was ordering the OWT Fried chicken and Triple Cooked chips and honestly I was close to ordering the same

Today however I was being more adventurous picking the House Shaksuka as my meal of choice. I have had it before and quite fancied a change and anyway they didn’t have a burger on the menu and I had a cooked breakfast earleir 😎

HOUSE SHAKSUKA

SHAKSUKA is a dish that I have trouble both pronouncing and spelling, I don’t have any problem eating it though.

Here at OWT the menu described it as ‘eggs baked in house tomato, pepper & courgette ragu, topped with feta & fresh herbs, served with toasted bread‘ priced up at £9.50

Without any spoiler alerts I have to start by saying that it was truly a quite joyous plate or rather bowl of food to eat.

There was so much flavour packed into that ragu, the tomato, pepper and courgette all melding into one harmonious sauce that enveloped the two baked eggs that I was devouring with much glee.

The feta topping the dish brought a gentle saltiness and a little bit of a tang to each mouthful when spooned up with a chunk of toast.

The mixed herbs on top included fronds of dill that added a little bitterness alongside the sweetness of the tomato in the sauce sending all sorts of signals to the parts of my brain that deal with taste sensations.

Message recieved from celebral city, “flavour bomb incoming, dial turned up to the max, please sit back and enjoy your lunch”

I thoroughly enjoyed eating this dish, it was everything that I had hoped for and more

DEEP FRIED CHICKEN

The fried chicken and chips ‘sounded’ like a throwaway option, perhaps far too simple a choice for lunch, maybe an unadventurous selection

That is of course until you start to eat it and find that this is perhaps the best fried chicken and bowl of fries that you have been served for many a day.

Firstly the chicken, which sounded expensive at first priced up at £9.50, but when it arrived at the table it was found to be quite generous portion.

The crisp and crunchy coating was simple, lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked, no excess oil and no sogginess to be had here.

Inside the chicken was moist and juicy, and once dipped into the pot of accompanying vegan mayo was truly a delightful bite.

I could have eaten a whole bowl of these chicken bites alongside my Shaksuka and if I was on my own and out of sight tucked away in a corner I may well have done so with no shame at all 🤣

TRIPLE COOKED CHIPS

The triple cooked fries (or chips) were honestly the best I have been served that I can recall!

A great big bowl of Hand cut thin skin on fries, perfectly fried in a proper pan of oil until golden on the outside and soft on the inside.

These chips reminded me of the chips cooked in the old chip pan at home in the days before oven chips and deep fat fryers. They were proper old school chips and delicious!

It is so easy to get triple cooked fries wrong and so when they are perfect it is a very happy moment. This wasn’t even my meal but I was sharing or rather oversharing as I plucked one or many from the bowl in the ‘middle’ of the table (so fair game) to dip into my Shaksuka.

LOCAL BEERS

I selected a glass of the local Kirstall brewery pilsner to wash my lunch down with and it was a perfect choice, light tasting and very refreshing. While we were in Leeds I found myself drawn to the beers from this particular brewery as you may read in upcoming posts.

INSIDE THE CORN MILL EXCHANGE

OWT is a fabulous place to dine at in Leeds, lovely food, warm welcome, excellent service and a great dining experience

If you so chose you can sit on one of the tables outside in on the floor of the Corn Mill where you can soak up the fantastic vista of this historic building and enjoy people watching.

I chose to sit inside where it was a bit quieter, perched on a table near the kitchen I was able to see the chefs hustling away behind the counter as I sipped my beer. For the record there was a lot of fried chicken and chips coming out of the pass that day!

If I come back to Leeds then I say without any doubt that OWT will be on my list of places to dine at, I have had a little taste of what they have to offer and now I want more!

OWT are located at Unit C12A& B in Leeds Corn Exchange, Call Ln, Leeds LS1 7BR (just to the right as you walk in through the main entrance)

You can check them out and their everchanging menus on their Twitter Feed, and Instagram profile as well as on their website

MENUS THE DAY WE DINED