David Parkin makes a meal of Anthony’s and gets some stock tips

IT was disappointing to see the demise of Anthony’s, the eponymous restaurant that chef Anthony Flinn started in Leeds in 2004.

From its initial premises on Boar Lane, despite being surrounded by bars and pie shops, the restaurant – with Anthony Flinn in the kitchen, and his Liverpudlian father, also called Anthony, and other members of the family front of house – built itself quite a reputation, with London-based food critics venturing north to heap praise on the establishment.

Then last year the Flinns moved the restaurant into the bottom floor of the beautiful Corn Exchange building just down the road, to join their other eateries including a rib restaurant and more relaxed dining experience called Piazza.

I’m yet to see any public comment from the team behind Anthony’s on the reasons for the collapse of the business. But I’m told that privately they have blamed the opening of the nearby Trinity Leeds shopping scheme and the plethora of eating places that have sprung up in there.

But that only opened in March – three months is not enough time to cause terminal decline in trading – and all of the restaurants and cafes in Trinity look like chains to me, hardly providing a natural alternative to the fine dining experience of Anthony’s.

Along with the Town Hall, the Corn Exchange is one Leeds’ best known and most impressive buildings. But the landlords now face an uphill struggle to fill in following the departure of Anthony’s.

They have done the hard work – which includes clearing the great unwashed ranks of goths and emos that used to congregate on the doorstep trading tales of woe.

I once suggested the best way of improving the Corn Exchange would be to turn water cannon on these tatty teenagers, but I think the council opted for a softer social approach.

Anyway, the Corn Exchange, for all its grandeur, now represents a huge challenge. With Trinity down the road and no shortage of average eating places in Leeds, where does it go from here?

Perhaps stepping up its current approach to providing a home to high quality independent traders will prove fruitful. I hope so, because a building of that quality and history does not deserve to languish unloved and half empty.

:::

MY memories of Anthony’s are limited but crystal clear.

I only visited the restaurant on Boar Lane a handful of times, but they were memorable. And even though the food was highly impressive, that isn’t what I remember most.

My first visit had been preceded by a warning from a couple who had said the portions were so small that when they left the restaurant after sampling the tasting menu they immediately walked straight across the road to McDonald’s for a Big Mac meal.

Heathens.

When I went, I was then going out with a rather attractive girl who worked in events and looked the part but wasn’t, shall we say, sparkling company.

I think the proper term, according to my Dad who said one used to work behind the bar at his golf club, is Dolly Bird.

Having booked the restaurant and invited another couple, I decided that I wasn’t sure that the food would be enough to retain my interest so I invited a rugby reporter from the Yorkshire Post who had a plethora of good stories and was always good value on a night out.

True to form, my then girlfriend caused havoc at the meal, moaning about everything and even asking the waitress how many calories were in the tiny portion of whatever had just been placed in front of her.

I ignored her nonsense and listened to some fantastic tales about the on and off field antics of former British Lions winger John Bentley.

I still remember those, but I don’t recall much about the food.

And the girlfriend didn’t last long either. I think she became an air stewardess.

:::

I HOPE we achieved our goal with TheBusinessDesk.com’s Yorkshire Business Masters awards yesterday.

The simple aim is to highlight Yorkshire business success stories. And the important thing for me is that the companies on the shortlist that don’t triumph should all feel winners.

Hence the fact that I interview all of the shortlisted firms and individuals and give them a chance to tell their success stories in their own words.

Of course I would say this, but I think it works and nobody that left the Masters at Aspire yesterday could be in any doubt that Yorkshire business is in great shape.

The final award was for Yorkshire Ambassador and veteran stockbroker Keith Loudon just edged out Etta Cohen from Forward Ladies and Jim Dick from Hull Bondholders.

When I interviewed Keith I asked him for any stock tips he may have. I think his answer saw me agreeing to meet one of his colleagues at 9am today to discuss an investment strategy.

He’s a wily old bird that Keith.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’m skint.

Have a lovely weekend.