The Westwood is marking 20 years around the table in East Yorkshire.
The Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, which holds two AA Rosettes, was founded by twin brother and sister Matt and Michele Barker.
The milestone marks two decades since the siblings returned from leading food and beverage operations across the globe to open the much-loved Beverley restaurant.
The Westwood opened in 2007 in the former East Yorkshire courthouse.
The restaurant was born from Matt and Michele’s lifelong love of exceptional food and world-class hospitality, shaped by experiences in cities including Sydney, New York and London.
During the early 2000s, the siblings worked across some of the world’s most influential dining scenes.
Matt developed a cooking style that is distinctly his own, shaped by a sharp intuition for flavour and composition rather than a single school of cooking.
His career has included kitchens at high-end restaurants and world-renowned travel and hospitality providers, creating dishes served on both land and sea.
He also spent time developing dishes to be served at 40,000 feet.
At the same time, Michele worked as a General Manager, leading and overseeing restaurant openings in New York, Sydney and London.
Her experience ranged from Michelin-starred restaurants and super-brasseries to neighbourhood restaurants that helped define the dining scene of the decade and attracted high-profile guests.
During their time working around the world, Matt and Michele would meet for lunch or dinner whenever they were passing through the same city.
It was during those shared meals that they began discussing the idea of one day opening a restaurant of their own.
They set their sights on bringing their hometown a dining experience inspired by leading international restaurants, with a focus on food, service and atmosphere.
For 20 years, The Westwood has drawn on flavours and techniques inspired by those global experiences.
In that time, the restaurant has welcomed more than 500,000 guests.
The interiors, curated by Michele, are timeless and understated, with details that reflect different chapters of the siblings’ careers.
Tom Dixon lights sit alongside a wine wall centrepiece in the private dining area, while the restaurant’s rich colour palette reflects The Westwood’s connection to the international culinary world.
Today, the menu brings Matt and Michele’s story full circle.
The Westwood celebrates the best of the county while drawing inspiration from the flavours of New York’s brasseries.
North Yorkshire beef takes centre stage, alongside East Coast fish and shellfish, showstopping sides and dishes designed to suit every taste.
The result is a restaurant shaped by international experience, local pride and the belief that great hospitality is built around bringing people together.
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