Award-winning chef Liz Cottam has launched a compact new dining venue on the site of a former dairy farm in the Bolton Abbey area.
Byre occupies a converted stone barn and focuses on considered, earthbound cuisine.
The establishment operates three days each week, maintaining limited capacity with seasonal produce placed at the forefront of the offering.
Diners receive the same menu regardless of their arrival time, with dishes brought out sequentially as they are prepared.
Some are carefully composed, while others emerge directly from the flames and are presented with minimal embellishment at the table.
The venue describes itself as distinct from conventional restaurants, offering guests multiple ways to engage with food.
These include close-proximity dining experiences where meals are prepared near the table, flame-based midday and evening meals, and immersive cooking workshops for small groups.
Visitors have the opportunity to interact with Cottam during cooking or simply observe the relaxed atmosphere.
The experience aims to replicate the feel of a private dinner gathering rather than a formal dining establishment.
The menu draws heavily from the immediate surroundings.
Ingredients include limestone-filtered water from the fells, honey harvested from hives kept on the premises, dairy produce and eggs sourced from adjacent farms, locally shot game, and fish supplied by regional providers.
The rural location marks a significant contrast to the urban environment of Leeds, where Cottam has previously operated.
The chef explained that much of her culinary approach has been shaped by the Yorkshire dales and moorlands.
Relocating to this countryside setting allows her to work directly in the landscape that has influenced her cooking rather than attempting to import those elements into a city environment.
Central to the operation is a collection of ESSE cookstoves.
The technical constraints of the rural site prompted an exploration of wood-fired cooking methods, which the chef found produced compelling results.
According to the chef, these appliances have transformed her approach to cooking, requiring constant attention to temperature, sounds and aromas.
The technique is described as fostering dialogue with the ingredients rather than mechanical timing.
Cottam’s methodology has always prioritised intuition over strict recipe adherence, with an emphasis on helping people comprehend the principles of cooking rather than merely following procedural steps.
The most effective cooking reportedly develops through heightened awareness of sensory cues and building competence through practice and feel.
Byre is situated at Back O’ Th Hill Farm in Storiths, Bolton Abbey.