Theboxtree

What Theboxtree does

The Box Tree is a privately-held fine dining restaurant operating from a 1720 Yorkshire stone farmhouse at 35-37 Church Street, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, owned by The Box Tree Restaurant Limited. Founded in 1962 by Malcolm Reid and Colin Long, the restaurant has operated continuously for over 60 years, historically earning two Michelin stars and hosting notable chefs including Marco Pierre White. The core product is a multi-course tasting menu (£95–£110 per person at dinner, £60–£65 at lunch) rooted in classical French technique with contemporary refinement, led by Head Chef Brayden Davies since early 2024. Supplementary revenue streams include private dining for up to 50 guests (room hire £250–£400), gift vouchers and curated packages (Gourmand for 2 at £230, Sommelier's for 2 at £190, Chef for a Day at £375), and limited-series heritage events such as 'The Box Tree: Eras.'

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model targeting affluent diners and special-occasion customers in the North of England, with multi-channel booking via phone, email, website, and OpenTable, and a 12.5% discretionary service charge on final bills. The technology footprint is conventional: WordPress CMS website, OpenTable reservations integration, WorldPay payment processing, and Royal Mail for physical gift voucher dispatch. The restaurant maintains current recognition in the Michelin Guide, AA Three Rosettes, SquareMeal UK's Top 100 Restaurants (#88 in 2025), and the Oliver Awards 'Best Fine Dining Experience' 2025.

The company is undertaking a £500,000 refurbishment beginning 1 August 2026 with reopening planned for 9 September 2026. Operations are led by Head Chef Brayden Davies, Sous Chef Nick Dixon, and General Manager Chris Stapleton. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the business operates as a single-site independent with no parent company, subsidiaries, venture capital, or private equity backing indicated.

Name

Theboxtree

Legal name

The Box Tree Restaurant Limited

Website

https://theboxtree.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Box Tree is a privately-held fine dining restaurant in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, founded in 1962 and operating from a 1720 farmhouse. It serves affluent diners with a French-rooted tasting menu (£95–£110), supplemented by private dining, gift vouchers, and chef experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ilkley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dining Services: Primary revenue from cover charges for tasting menus, à la carte dining, and lunch services. Customers pay per person for dining experiences.
2. Gift Vouchers: Sale of monetary gift vouchers in £25, £50, £100 denominations plus curated packages (Gourmand for 2 at £230, Sommelier's for 2 at £190, Chef for a Day at £375).
3. Wine and Beverage Sales: Wine packages starting from £80 per person, corkage fees (£45 still wine, £55 champagne), and à la carte beverage sales.
4. Private Events: Revenue from private dining room hire (room charges of £250-£400) and full restaurant takeover for events up to 50 guests.
5. Chef Experiences: The Chef for a Day experience priced at £375 per person, including personalised chef's jacket, kitchen time, and à la carte dinner for two.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Box Tree is a fine dining restaurant offering multi-course tasting menus featuring refined, classical French base cooking with modern innovation. Menus change daily for seasonal availability and are priced at £95–110 per person for dinner and £60–65 for lunch, with a £50 per-person reservation deposit and a discretionary 12.5% service charge. Supplementary offerings include gift vouchers, private dining for 10–50 guests, the Chef for a Day experience, and limited-series celebratory events.

Product overview

The Box Tree is a fine dining restaurant offering an intimate, award-winning culinary experience. The core offering centres on multi-course tasting menus (priced at £95-110 per person for dinner, £60-65 for lunch) featuring refined, classical French cooking with modern innovation. Supplementary products include gift vouchers and packages (Gourmand for 2 at £230, Sommelier's for 2 at £190, Chef for a Day at £375), private dining rooms for 10-50 guests, and seasonal special events. The restaurant operates on a tasting-menu-only basis for dinner reservations, with à la carte not available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tasting Menu Dinner Seven-course tasting menu priced at £95–110 per person, changing daily based on seasonal availability, with the chosen menu taken by the whole table. Wine packages are available from £80 per person.
• Tasting Menu Lunch Reduced tasting menu priced at £60 per person for Friday and Saturday lunches, with vegetarian options available.
• Sunday Lunch Traditional Sunday roast lunch menu priced at £65 per person (menus and prices subject to change), available with vegetarian options.
• Vegetarian Menu Plant-based tasting menu option available for both dinner and lunch service, priced at £95 per person.
• Gift Vouchers Monetary gift vouchers available in denominations of £25, £50, and £100, valid for 12 months. Additional packages include Gourmand for 2 at £230, Sommelier's for 2 at £190, and Chef for a Day at £375. Single voucher cannot exceed £1000.
• Chef for a Day Experience Immersive culinary experience priced at £375 per person, including a personalised chef's jacket, kitchen time from 10am–3pm, and à la carte dinner for two. Available on Fridays only. Participants must be 18+.
• Private Dining Exclusive dining experiences for 10–50 guests in private rooms with a private lounge for pre/post dinner drinks, bespoke packages, and complete privacy. Room hire from £250 (up to 14 guests) to £400 (up to 22 guests); full restaurant takeover available for up to 50 guests.
• The Box Tree: Eras Events Limited series of special dining experiences celebrating the restaurant's 60+ year history, featuring a curated tasting menu inspired by iconic dishes from throughout the restaurant's evolution, priced at £115 per person across exclusive evenings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked Number 88 in SquareMeal UK's Top 100 Restaurants 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms: Multi-Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Machynlleth, Wales, operated by Gareth Ward. Comparable as a regional UK destination tasting menu venue at the premium end of the category, attracting destination diners from across the UK.
• Hambleton Hall: One Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in Rutland, East Midlands, offering tasting menus in a historic country house hotel. Comparable as a regional UK destination fine dining venue with heritage property and premium pricing targeting special occasion diners.
• Restaurant Sat Bains: Two Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Nottingham offering premium set-price dining. Directly comparable as a regional UK fine dining destination competing for the same special-occasion and gastronomy-tourist customer base.
• Northcote Manor: Michelin-starred restaurant in Lancashire offering tasting menus in a country house hotel setting. Directly comparable — Davies cooked here — operating at similar premium pricing in a similar heritage building context in Northern England.
• The Angel at Hetton: Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in North Yorkshire offering tasting menus in an intimate countryside setting. Directly comparable — Davies trained here and Sous Chef Nick Dixon also worked here — making it both a talent feeder and operational peer.
• The Latymer at Pennyhill Park: Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant within Pennyhill Park Hotel in Surrey, offering tasting menus with classical French technique. Comparable as a UK regional fine dining venue using classical French foundations with modern execution, similar to The Box Tree's stated culinary identity.
• The Raby Hunt: Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant in North England with tasting menu format at similar premium pricing. Directly comparable because The Box Tree's Head Chef Brayden Davies previously cooked here, indicating shared culinary lineage and category positioning.
• The Man Behind the Curtain: Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Highly relevant direct peer because it operates in the same Yorkshire catchment area, competing for the same local affluent dining market with a similar avant-garde tasting menu approach.

Broad incumbents

• Moor Hall: Two Michelin-starred restaurant in Aughton, Lancashire, with tasting menu format in a historic country house setting. Comparable premium regional destination dining with heritage building, similar to The Box Tree's proposition but at a higher Michelin tier.
• L'Enclume: Two Michelin-starred restaurant in Cartmel Fell, Lake District, operated by Simon Rogan. More established and at a higher Michelin tier, but directly comparable as a regional destination tasting-menu restaurant targeting the same affluent UK diners.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Boxtreerestaurant
• Instagraminstagram.com/boxtreerestaurant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theboxtree

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Theboxtree