Yorkshire chef returns home after cooking for Queen and country

He has cooked for Royal Family and A-list celebrities but now Mark Sweeney has returned to Yorkshire to head up his dream restaurant.

Mark is the award wining head chef at newly-opened Cosmo Luxe on Boar Lane, Leeds.

With ‘Luxe’, as Mark likes to call this new venture, the former RAF chef is drawing from his culinary journey across the globe; from Cyprus to the Falkland Islands.

“It is confusing a few people who come in expecting noodles like in Cosmo restaurants. We are much more West meets East and I have drawn on my inspiration from travelling the world,” says Mark, who is originally from Sowerby.

With an international career spanning over 30 years; including highlights as the Personal Chef to the Commander of the British Forces, as well as head chef at The Glasshouse and Hotel 41, Mark has cooked for the Queen and numerous royal dignitaries, while Prime Ministers and A-list celebrities have also sampled his signature dishes.

He is also no stranger to taking risks. “I remember converting a decommisioned plane into a dining room for an event attended by the Princess Royal that was quite a challenge but I do like to push the boundaries.”

Growing up in a big Yorkshire family – he has five brothers and five sisters – Mark’s culinary inspiration was his dinner lady mum.

“She’d come home after cooking for a thousand children, give us a meat pie and we’d all dig in,” recalls Mark. “Today my style of food is well rooted in my past with the upmost respect to all ingredients used well and with total respect. My love of pies will never go away.”

After working in hotels in London Mark decided to join the RAF where he was one of a handful of elite chefs who got to cook for some of the world’s most influential people, and gained many plaudits for his work.

Now he says he has come full circle and returned to Yorkshire to create a luxury dining experience at Luxe.

“It is buffet style dining with a difference,” explains Mark. “The central buffet has dishes from across the globe from sushi to tapas, Italian charcuterie as well as many dishes inspired by my travels.”

For instance, the signature dish of Blackened Seafood with Pineapple Cucumber Slaw was inspired by the cuisine of St Helena, while the dish of Braised Pork Cheeks is a testament to the flavours of Cyprus.

At the same time, Cosmo Luxe is keen to embrace home comforts, inspired by Mark’s mum. Slow cooked lamb shank pie, a family recipe, is a key addition to a menu that places Yorkshire’s culinary heritage at the heart of global cuisine.

“As a Yorkshireman, I love our proud heritage of eating well, with tradition,” says Mark who is in the process of buying a property in Leeds.

“I’m thrilled to be serving the flavours and dishes that I love 
most, from all over the world, in 
an environment that celebrates the joy of food.”

COSMO Luxe opened on Boar Lane Leeds on September 5.

The restaurant will be hosting an open evening celebratory launch event on Wednesday, September 27, from 6.30pm to 8pm.

Anyone who would like to attend should email [email protected].
For more information visit www.CosmoLuxe.co.uk or call 01132 186 200.