The Ilkley Cow owner, Robert Sypniewski, says he is delighted to have opened a sister restaurant in the heart of the town called The Yorkie Cow.
The Yorkie Cow opened on Brook Street in Ilkley in December 2024 and was born from Rob’s love of classic Yorkshire fare, offering high quality meat and vegetable filled Yorkshire Puddings and Yorkshire Burritos to be enjoyed either in the relaxed surroundings of the restaurant, or as a takeaway for home or work.
His latest venture coincides with the sixth year anniversary of The Ilkley Cow, which opened in Ilkley in January 2019.
Previously The Moody Cow, part of a chain of restaurants across the UK, Rob and his family seized the opportunity to buy the restaurant with an aim to transform it into an independent pure steakhouse in the UK offering all varieties and sizes of exceptional steak.
With excellent credentials after having worked for many years at the premium steak restaurant, Gaucho’s in Leeds, he learned all about the cuts, grades and cooking of the meat which he in turn taught to all his staff when he opened The Ilkley Cow.
COVID forced the closure of the restaurant in 2020, but the team adapted swiftly and it is believed that The Ilkley Cow was one of the first steakhouse in the UK to offer a delivery service with the same quality and variety of meat as would have been available as a table service in the restaurant itself.
The introduction of their renowned “Steak Challenges” has brought in people from all over the country to take part in the steak eating contests, including legendary competitive eater, BeardMeetsFood, who introduced The Ilkley Cow to his millions of YouTube subscribers, and significantly raised the profile of the restaurant and the town as a culinary destination venue.
As Rob says:
“I’m thrilled to have opened a second restaurant in Ilkley. The inspiration came from some US visitors at The Ilkley Cow who were keen to experience a traditional Yorkshire speciality so I presented them with a giant Yorkshire Pudding filled with high quality cuts of meat and vegetables which they loved. After that I was joking with my friend about how much we enjoy a good Sunday roast and how wonderful it would be to have a roast every day, and because I’m always looking for something a bit different, I came up with The Yorkie Cow.
“We’ve reimagined what it means to indulge in comfort food, so we offer our Yorkshire Burrito – a Yorkshire pudding lovingly wrapped around mouth-watering fillings like lamb shank, beef brisket, or pulled pork, as well as hearty mains like Toad in the Hole with every dish celebrating Yorkshire’s culinary heritage with a playful twist.
“We are currently open for lunch and on Friday and Saturday evenings and people are invited to come and have a drink in our chilled environment and play cards as there’s a card set on every table. However our opening times are under revision so longer opening hours will come into place soon! My daughter, our General Manager Maya Dobrowolska, will also be holding events in the future, including an art exhibition in March, as we have a great space on Brook Street, situated over 3 floors.
“I’d really like to thank my loyal customers for all their support over the past six years, especially throughout the COVID years, and we look forward to welcoming them, and new guests, to The Yorkie Cow for some delicious Yorkshire food.”
The Yorkie Cow, 26 Brook Street, Ilkley, LS29 8DE www.theyorkiecow.co.uk