A FAMILY duo are creating a buzz in the Bradford district with their restaurant's take on classic Yorkshire food, with The Times' Giles Coren bowled over after a review.
Ian Johnson, 64, is the co-owner of the Waterside Bistro in Shipley alongside his son-in-law Paul Huddleston, 39. The latter is head chef too, and he prides himself on using ingredients from the region.
Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus, Mr Johnson explained: "We're real advocates of Yorkshire produce.
"We get our meat from R & J Farms in Kirkby Malzeard, cheese from Castleford, herbs from York and our fish from Hartlepool, which we say must have swum along the Yorkshire coast at some point.
"We also get some other ingredients from a farm in Pudsey and we have a selection of Yorkshire gins."
Speaking about how they came to choose Shipley, Mr Johnson said: "Leeds is just too expensive and crowded to set up a restaurant like ours and we didn't feel there was a market for this restaurant in central Bradford itself.
"With the location by the canal, and clientele who are more likely to afford our prices, Shipley was the perfect location.
"Paul has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in the UK and France so he's been able to bring some of that expertise to our bistro."
Laughing about the review in The Times, Mr Johnson said: "Giles Coren booked it under an assumed name but Paul is always wary of any individual bookings, so he thought it might be a reviewer.
"As soon as he saw Giles come in to the restaurant he recognised who it was, but we remembered the advice that critic Jay Rayner gave us at a food exhibition last year.
"He told us to remember that you're cooking for customers not critics, so when we served Giles, we just served him as we would anyone else and it seemed to pay off."
It continues a good run for the restaurant, which won a "Best Restaurant in Bradford" award in 2018 and a Good Food 2019 gong. Starters and desserts are priced at around £6-£7 with mains costing between £15-£25.
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