Chef of the Week: Executive Chef Callum Leslie, The Black Swan at Oldstead
From starting out as a kitchen porter to working in some of Britain’s most celebrated kitchens, Callum Leslie has built a career grounded in respect for ingredients, seasonality, and a strong sense of place. After honing his craft at restaurants including Midsummer House and Restaurant Sat Bains, he returned to Yorkshire and joined The Black Swan at Oldstead in 2019, where he has since risen to Executive Chef, overseeing both the Michelin-starred restaurant and its more relaxed sister property, The Abbey Inn.
Working closely with Tommy Banks and the wider Oldstead team, Leslie has developed a cooking style deeply connected to the North Yorkshire landscape. Produce grown on the estate, wild ingredients gathered nearby, and techniques such as fermentation, drying, and preserving all help shape menus that change with the seasons.
In this week’s Chef of the Week feature, he talks about the lessons that shaped his career, creating dishes from the land around Oldstead, the importance of storytelling and sustainability, mentoring young chefs, and why even home cooks can benefit from thinking a little more like professionals.
1. You started your career as a kitchen porter before honing your craft in several of the UK’s finest kitchens, including Midsummer House and Restaurant Sat Bains, before returning to your Yorkshire roots. Looking back, what was the most pivotal lesson you learned during those formative years that continues to shape how you lead today?
I had the privilege of working alongside exceptional chefs and cooking with some of the finest produce in the world. The most valuable lesson I took away from that experience was the importance of treating every ingredient with the utmost respect.
It’s easy to see ingredients simply as products that arrive with the morning delivery, but behind each one lies months—and often years—of dedication from our suppliers. Their commitment to refining their craft deserves the same level of respect and appreciation as the work that happens in the kitchen. Recognising the effort, skill, and passion that go into producing exceptional ingredients has fundamentally shaped the way I approach cooking.
2. You joined The Black Swan as a Junior Sous Chef in 2019 and have since become Executive Chef, overseeing both The Black Swan and The Abbey Inn. Having spent more than five years at Oldstead, how has the restaurant shaped your own culinary identity, and what have you brought to its evolution in return?
I joined the Black Swan with the ambition of exploring just how far we could take authentic Yorkshire cuisine. Over the past seven years, I have immersed myself in the landscape, seasons, and producers of North Yorkshire, allowing the region to shape both my cooking and my philosophy.
Today, the food we serve at the Black Swan and the Abbey Inn is a genuine reflection of this extraordinary landscape—celebrating its produce, its people, and the unique sense of place that defines it.
3. You work closely with Tommy Banks and Head Chef Alice Power. What does the collaborative process of creating a new dish typically look like, and how do ideas evolve from concept to the finished plate?
It is a privilege to work so closely with both of these chefs. More than anything, our farm and garden shape the way our menus evolve, with the seasons and the ingredients available guiding every decision we make.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented and creative team, and the menus we produce are truly a collaborative effort. Special recognition must also go to our Head of Fermentation, Chris Maslin, and our Head of Foraging and Preserving, Richard Jack. Their expertise, innovation, and dedication play an integral role in defining the identity and character of our food.
4. The restaurant works with an extraordinary range of ingredients grown, foraged, and produced on the estate. How does that close relationship with the land influence the way you develop new dishes?
The produce we grow, forage, and preserve has a profound influence on how I shape the menus at the Black Swan. Working closely with our growing and foraging teams is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role, and I find it incredibly exciting to collaborate on developing new techniques and discovering innovative ways to transform even the simplest ingredients into something truly exceptional.
5. The Black Swan is known for pushing ingredients in unexpected directions. Have you ever developed a dish that looked unlikely to work on paper but became a permanent fixture on the menu? What made it succeed?
One dish that consistently surprises our guests is a mushroom ice cream dessert that appears on the menu each autumn. During the season, we forage a variety of wild mushrooms from the woodland surrounding the restaurant before carefully drying them to preserve them for the winter months ahead.
The drying process intensifies the mushrooms’ natural sweetness, revealing a depth of flavour that lends itself beautifully to desserts. It’s a dish that challenges expectations while celebrating the remarkable versatility of the ingredients found in our local landscape.
6. Seasonality often means saying goodbye to dishes that guests love. Is there one dish you’ve been particularly reluctant to remove from the menu?
One of my favourite dishes that we create each year is centred around Mallard, a wild duck that I believe offers some of the finest flavours you can experience. The depth, richness, and character of these birds make them truly exceptional to cook with.
Their season is naturally limited, running from September through to January, which makes working with them even more special. If there were one ingredient I could have available all year round, it would undoubtedly be these remarkable wild ducks.
7. As Executive Chef, you oversee both the Michelin-starred Black Swan and the more relaxed Abbey Inn. How do you approach creating two very different dining experiences while maintaining the same commitment to quality?
I genuinely believe I have one of the best jobs in the world. I have the privilege of expressing my passion for highly refined, hyper-local cuisine at the Black Swan, where the carefully controlled environment allows us to explore the very highest levels of creativity and precision. With every guest experiencing a set tasting menu, we are able to push the refinement of our food and create a truly immersive dining experience.
I have a deep appreciation for the tradition and character of a great British pub, and I love creating dishes that celebrate that sense of familiarity, generosity, and enjoyment.
At the Abbey Inn, I have the opportunity to take a more relaxed approach, focusing on exceptional, flavour-driven food in a welcoming gastro pub setting. Having grown up around pubs, I have a deep appreciation for the tradition and character of a great British pub, and I love creating dishes that celebrate that sense of familiarity, generosity, and enjoyment.
8. Sustainability has become a major focus across fine dining. Beyond sourcing local ingredients, what does sustainability mean in your kitchen on a day-to-day basis?
On a day-to-day basis, sustainability means ensuring that every ingredient is valued and utilised to its fullest potential. We embrace traditional preservation techniques such as fermentation, pickling, drying, and freezing to extend the life of seasonal produce, reduce waste, and continue celebrating the character and flavour of our ingredients long after their peak harvest.
9. You’ve worked alongside Tommy Banks for several years. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from him—not just about cooking, but about building and leading a restaurant?
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned from him is the importance of remaining calm and composed, even in the most challenging situations. The way Tommy conducts himself is truly admirable, and his professionalism, leadership, and ability to maintain high standards under pressure are qualities I greatly respect.
10. Your Great British Menu dish “Priestley’s Carbon Cycle” showed how science and storytelling can become part of a dining experience. How important is storytelling in you’re cooking today, and how do you ensure it enhances rather than overshadows the food itself?
Storytelling is a fundamental part of what we do at the Black Swan. Taking part in Great British Menu gave me the opportunity to further develop the narrative and philosophy that now underpin the restaurant’s identity.
I believe that great storytelling must always be supported by genuine substance. The story behind a dish should be rooted in the ingredients, the landscape, the producers, and the people who bring it to life. This authenticity is something we take great pride in at the Black Swan, ensuring that every dish has both meaning and purpose behind it.
11. As Executive Chef, mentoring the next generation is an important part of your role. What qualities do you value most in young chefs joining your kitchen?
We have been running an apprenticeship programme here in Oldstead for the past five years, and I have had the privilege of working closely with many talented young individuals as they begin their careers in hospitality.
The most important quality we look for is attitude.
The most important quality we look for is attitude. Technical skills and knowledge can be developed over time, but passion, commitment, and a genuine desire to learn are invaluable. Cooking can be taught, but care, dedication, and pride in what you do have to come from within.
12. Many home cooks admire the precision of restaurant cooking but assume it’s impossible to replicate. What’s one technique or habit that anyone can adopt to immediately improve their cooking at home?
I believe the most important aspect of home cooking is allowing yourself enough time and taking the opportunity to plan. Thinking carefully about what you want to cook, preparing a list of ingredients, and organising your approach can make a significant difference to the overall experience.
As professional chefs, we rely on detailed prep lists every day to help structure our work, improve efficiency, and ensure everything comes together at the right time. Bringing that same level of organisation into home cooking can make the process more enjoyable and help you achieve the best possible results.
13. Finally, what’s next for you and The Black Swan? Are there any new projects, ideas, or culinary directions you’re particularly excited about?
Things are constantly evolving, and we are always exploring new ideas and exciting opportunities. There are several projects currently in development that we are incredibly passionate about, although unfortunately there is nothing I can share publicly at this stage.
We are looking forward to revealing more in due course as these ideas continue to take shape.
Chef Callum Leslie | Instagram
The Black Swan at Oldstead
Oldstead, York YO61 4BL, United Kingdom
