A RESTAURANT run by a top York chef and his partner have made it into a major food guide.

Tuesday, 8 April 2025 17:55

By Haydn Lewis

Tom Heywood and his partner, Laurissa Cook, met at the former Rattle Owl restaurant in Micklegate in York - where Laurissa was restaurant manager and Tom head chef.

They left to pursue their dream and opened Pignut, a restaurant reimagining fine dining in the heart of Helmsley back in 2023.

has now been announced as a new entry in the 2025 UK edition of the internationally recognised 360°Eat Guide, receiving two sustainability circles and scoring 81–85 points for gastronomy.

The pair said: “We are absolutely over the moon to be included in this guide which we've been following for a while.

"To achieve the two circles for our sustainability is great recognition for us. It also makes us very happy to see so many new additions in the guide from the UK - especially from Yorkshire - which shows we are making a step in the right direction in regards to sustainability.”

Praised for its "innovative, playful cooking entirely based on locally sourced, top-quality ingredients," the guide described the experience at Pignut as one where "food becomes a narrative".

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