Award-winning chef Craig Rogan brings bold new flavours to The Banksia restaurant in Leeds' Hotel Indigo
An award-winning chef has returned to the Leeds food scene with a bold Eastern Mediterranean restaurant inside one of the city’s newest hotels.
Craig Rogan, renowned for his inventive style of cooking, is now heading up The Banksia - a stylish and contemporary small plates restaurant at the recently opened Hotel Indigo on Lower Briggate.
On a warm Tuesday morning, the clatter of pans and the low murmur of lunchtime service could be heard from the open kitchen as the celebrated chef, 36, moved around with unhurried precision.
His team were busy preparing their jewel-bright dishes dressed with herbs and glistening pomegranate molasses that would soon be whisked to tables. The Banksia may have only opened last month, but it’s already settling into its own rhythm.
“There was a certain style that we wanted,” Craig told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “I’ve always loved Eastern Mediterranean food. My mum was obsessed with Turkey when I was growing up, so we went on holiday there quite a lot.
“It’s exciting to be doing a different type of cuisine because, even though I’ve always focused on seasonal ingredients and local suppliers, I’ve never really ventured away from the European style of cooking.”
The restaurant’s identity is steeped in the sun-soaked flavours of countries like Turkey with a menu built for sharing - or for the indecisive diner who wants a taste of everything.
“Our signature dish is a hummus kavurma, which gives you a choice of either spiced chicken or lamb with hummus, sumac onions, pickled turnip, garlic, za’atar and pomegranate molasses,” said Craig. “We’ve also got a dessert called a lokma, which is a spiced doughnut soaked in honey and topped with pistachios.”
True to his philosophy, the ingredients are strictly seasonal. He explained: “At the very least, the menu will change each season. If there’s an ingredients that’s not at its best at a certain time, I’d rather wait until it is.”
That attention to detail is no surprise given Craig’s pedigree. The son of three-star Michelin chef Simon Rogan, he cut his teeth in some of the UK’s most exacting kitchens, including Manchester House, Fera at Claridge’s and the Grand Hotel in York, where he helped reclaim its three AA Rosettes.
In Leeds, he’s been a leading figure for years, including as executive head chef at Dakota Leeds, winning Chef of the Year at the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Oliver Awards in 2023.
His most recent project, Craig Rogan at The Collective, earned a place in the Michelin Guide before closing last November due to the difficult economic climate. That experience, and life as a father-of-two, has shifted his priorities.
“The work life balance is a big thing for me now,” he said. “I wanted to find a role that I could properly dive into, but also enjoy my own time a bit more.
“After The Collective closed, I had a bit of break. I’ve been a chef for 20 years and not had much of a break in all that time.”
He continued: “This year, I found myself wanted to return to a big operation like this. I thrive in this sort of environment because it feels quite exciting. The great thing about this is that, while it’s a hotel, The Banksia has its own identity.”
Having been open for just a matter of weeks, the early signs are promising. Craig added: “It’s going really well. Our first couple of weeks were crazy while we were finding our feet. But we’ve brought in a great team - and I’m ready for people to try it.”