Elizabeth Cottam to open all female run bakery and dining room Cora in May
Called Cora, it will serve a menu of bakery and patisserie-based breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea items, alongside a changing selection of speciality cakes, pastries and wines.
Cottam says she will be using less usual ingredients to modernise the patisserie format, with dishes paired an optional glass of wine or cocktail.
Items will include Bloody Mary sourdough with rare breed bacon and tarragon tomato jam; foie gras and plum Danish swirls; mushroom and black garlic parfait on truffle ciabatta with Pedro Ximenez sherry butter; black sesame and tangerine eclairs; and little pear drop pies. It will also offer tasting experiences that will include both savoury and sweet dishes selected by the chefs.
The chef and restaurateur behind Leeds establishments Home and The Owl says the launch will add to the mix of independent businesses located in the village, which is situated on the banks of the rushing River Wharfe.
“We’re offering elegant, yet fun and playful pastry and bread creations that are very different from what you typically find in your traditional tearoom or old-fashioned French patisserie,” she says.
“I love making a real event out of eating so I decided to create a place where the ceremony of afternoon tea could be embraced and rolled out to other dining times of the day too. I’ve included a wide variety of expected and unexpected ingredients and flavours in the menu to update the patisserie format.”
The business will be run by a full female senior team. “My general manager, head pastry chef and head baker, alongside me make up an incredibly creative and formidable partnership,” says Cottam.
“The development process has been so inspiring and enjoyable. I’m very much looking forward to showcasing what these amazing women can do.”
Cora will open initially for collection only and will bake a small selection of products to take away each week, alongside two tasting menu boxes for brunch and lunch, each containing items that will change weekly. It is intended that it will offer its full, dine-in experience by June.
