City bistro named Best Local Restaurant 2024

Clement Cousin and Sandy Jarvis, owners of Bavette in Leeds

A neighbourhood bistro in north-west Leeds that only opened four months ago has been named the UK's Best Local Restaurant 2024.

Bavette in Horsforth, owned by Sandy Jarvis and Clement Cousin, was awarded the honour by The Good Food Guide, which confirmed it was the "youngest" restaurant to ever win the accolade.

Mr Jarvis told the BBC: "I'm really proud to do this back in my home city."

A Good Food Guide spokesperson said: "Opening a restaurant in an outer suburb of Leeds looked great on paper - but the way they’ve brought it to life make it irresistible."

Mr Jarvis and his husband Mr Cousin opened Bavette in February after more than 15 years on the London hospitality scene, and chose Yorkshire because they were "ready for a change".

Bavette serves "relaxed" traditional French bistro cuisine and its specialities are the charcuterie board and crème brulée, Mr Jarvis said.

Originally from Wetherby, he is a classically trained chef, and said winning the award "feels a bit surreal".

Bavette in Horsforth only opened in February, so the owners said winning so soon was "surreal"

"Leeds has a really exciting independent restaurant scene... and as a city it needs to be more vocal about that ," he said.

"I think it's a Yorkshire thing to just get on with things and not show off."

The pair said launching a restaurant during a cost-of-living crisis did have "some risks" but they found there was a "real local desire" for more eating options.

They also manage staff costs by working full-time at the restaurant themselves, so there was no need to hire a head chef or general manager.

As well as affordable, seasonally driven and locally sourced food, Mr Cousin, from the Loire Valley, is also keen for Bavette to be known for its organic wines.

The 32-year-old comes from a family of wine-makers and said: "Being able to sell my family wine here is very special for me.

"To promote more traditional wine making, with less chemicals, is one of my aims."

He said the local community in Horsforth had been very welcoming and wanted them to succeed, especially as so many of their customers are Francophiles.

Bavette now has six chefs, two kitchen porters and seven floor staff.

Bavette chefs (L-R) Harrison Smith, Joseph Thorp, Ryan Hill and Sandy Jarvis

The Best Local Restaurant is selected after anonymous inspection visits and a public vote.

This year, 60,000 members of the public voted for the top 100 local restaurants in the UK - and Bavette came out on top.

Mr Cousin said: "Our vision was somewhere with a relaxed atmosphere, great hospitality and affordable food at a really high standard."

Chloe Hamilton, co-editor of The Good Food Guide, said the secret to winning was hands-on owners, contented customers, personal service and creating "the place to be".

She added: "Bavette has lit up the community."

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