March 28, 2024

Leeds neighbourhood restaurant Hern announces line-up of collaboration events for autumn and winter

Hern, the neighbourhood restaurant in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, from chef Rab Adams, has announced a series of events for autumn/winter showcasing some of the talent in the nearby area.

Rab has called on his chef friends to pull out all the stops for the series, which run through to the beginning of December.

Details of the events are as follows:

#1 OWT Sunday 26th September

To kick the series off in style, James Simpson of popular Leeds bistro Owt will be taking Rab on in a head-to-head battle involving one of the nation’s best loved dishes: fried chicken. James will be accompanied by his partner at Owt, Esther Miglio, who will be pouring biodynamic wines made by her father in Provence. 


#2 ELM Sunday 10th October

For the second instalment, Rab will make the short trip to Sheffield armed only with a mandolin and an induction hob to cook a stripped back four-course menu at Elm, the much loved coffee shop. A vegetable-heavy menu capitalising on the beautiful produce available during the autumn months is to be expected. Owner Sam Binstead will have lots of delicious and unusual natural wines open by the glass as Elm takes flight again as a fully fledged wine bar.


#3 LE COCHON AVEUGLE Sunday 14th November

Acclaimed chef Josh Overington will be heading to Hern for a one-off Sunday lunch with Rab that will celebrate everything to do with game season. The usual set menu format will see both chefs working together on each dish to showcase game, but with a non-traditional twist. As ever, some brilliant wines will be available by the glass. This event will be just one sitting and therefore has limited availability.


#4 WAYWARD WINES Sunday 5th December 

In the final event of the series, Hern and Wayward Wines will serve up four courses of wholesome Italian trattoria food accompanied by bold Italian wines selected and poured by Steve Nuttall of Wayward Wines. Dishes such as Oxtail ragu, polenta, bagna cauda, pizza fritta and tiramisu will feature alongside a laid-back Italo soundtrack. 


Hern

Hern was opened by chef Rab Adams three years ago and has a reputation as a local hidden gem. Rab spent years on the London circuit working at the likes of Hedone in Chiswick and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay before leaving the city for a job at Le Cochon Aveugle, which he moved on from to open his own sourdough bakery in Leeds. Using the funds from this venture, Rab found the ideal location for his debut restaurant Hern. 

The restaurant is known for its low key approach to dishes that are sourced locally wherever possible. The small kitchen takes in whole animals from local Gam Farm at Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales, with Rab butchering on site, using parts fresh and preserving others. The menu is largely European, French leaning owing to Rab’s previous cheffing experience and always product-led without too much manipulation. 

The menu is structured as a four course set menu in the evenings for £32 and an a la carte offering for lunch. The dinner menu opens with snacks and light plates like Courgettes, pearl barley and parmesan or Onion squash, roscoff onion sauce and egg yolk. Dishes such as Duck breast, confit leg, radishes, beans and redcurrants and Hogget leg and confit rib with green beans make up the main course. Ending the meal with Fig leaf panna cotta, Buckwheat ice cream with rhubarb and a beautiful selection of British and French cheeses.

For the drinks, Rab has utilised his connections with local suppliers at Wright’s Wines, Wayward Wines, Tutto Wines, Beattie and Roberts, Eden Fine Wines to offer an interesting selection of wines by the glass, as well as craft beers from Newbarns Brewery in Edinburgh. Bookings can be made at the 16-cover restaurant via email. 

Hern will run bookings for the first two events with Owt and Elm via their respective websites, the last two with Le Cochon Aveugle and Wayward Wines will be available on Eventbrite, sales will be announced via Hern’s instagram page. Prices will range from £25 to £45 per event.