"This wonderful team catered our wedding! Such fantastic food and truly lovely people!"
Sam
Meet the Baba Team
Matthew Hyde - Director
By the time he was 10 years old Matt knew he wanted to be a chef and got his first job four years later cleaning mussels on a Friday and Saturday night. After graduating from catering college he spent the next few years working his way up from Commis Chef to Head Chef in various restaurants across the North of England, working in some of the most highly recognised and acclaimed kitchens in the UK. Matt loves being in the kitchen, experimenting with flavour combinations and creating truly individual dishes for our customers.
Favourite Baba Dish: Spiced Lamb with Pomegranate Molasses Fresh Pomegranate & Prunes
Favourite Restaurant: Big George's, Oisten’s Fish Fry, Barbados
Ashley Hyde - Director
Ashley started her career in hotels at a young age, working for Best Western and Marriott International. From there she gained valuable experience managing weddings and large-scale events and soon found her passion for food, events and customer satisfaction. Creating Baba Ganoush was a dream come true for Ashley and working with customers and being a part of their journey to deliver the perfect event menu.
Favourite Baba Dish: Burrata, Ribboned Courgette with Homemade Pesto
Favourite Restaurant: Katz’s Deli, New York
Martin Gavin - Head Chef
Martin has been with us for nearly 4 years now, and with a wealth of culinary experience, he is a brilliant and talented chef who really shines in the kitchen and loves to work with Asian inspired flavours especially. Martin also has a fantastic sense of humour and the Baba family would not be the same without him!
Favourite Baba Dish: Chicken and Chorizo Cassoulet
Favourite Restaurant: Magpie, Whitby
Dave Horton - Head Chef
Dave has a real passion for food, is a true perfectionist and takes immense pride in his work. His cooking background has been dominated by Polish cuisine; before joining Baba he worked at the amazing Blue Barbakan in York and he is the go to Meat Man at Baba. No BBQ is safe!
Favourite Baba Dish: Duo of Lamb - Pressed Shoulder, Herb Crusted Cutlet, Dauphinoise & Organic Vegetables
Favourite Restaurant: Del Raj, Barnsley
Ashlea Smith - Office & Events Manager
Ashlea is full of energy and is always happy to help with any task across the Baba HQ and is our DIY queen! Her previous experience working within the events industry has been vital in her immediate success at Baba. Ashlea always surprises the office with her homemade sweet treats and is the captain at the helm making sure the Baba ship runs smoothly!
Favourite Baba Dish: Sticky Pork Ribs with Baba BBQ Glaze
Favourite Restaurant: Yuzu Street Food
Naomi Ball - Operations and Events Manager
Naomi's supreme flair for organisation and attention to detail makes her the perfect Operations and Events Coordinator! She has a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, so her customer service is second to none. Her professionalism has meant she has swiftly moved through the ranks here at Baba.
Favourite Baba Dish: Wensleydale & Leek Croquette with Creamed Leeks
Favourite Restaurant: Roost, Heaton Moor
Rebecca Claxton - Sales & Events Manager
One of our longest standing team members here at Baba, Bec is our resident foodie and loves creating bespoke menus and helping guide you to your perfect wedding feast! Drawing on her past experiences living in Madrid and also running her own food truck, she's the perfect sales and events manager for your special day, and is often found coordinating our styed magazine shoots here at Baba.
Favourite Baba Dish: Fillet of Yorkshire Pork with Chestnut Crumb, Ash Baked Celeriac & Truffle Pommes Anna
Favourite Restaurant: Padella, London
Bay Rawlinson - Sales & Events Manager
Bay has a wealth of experience in the hospitality and event management and spent most of her life living on the other side of the world, living in Australia and New Zealand. She is the Baba Office creative queen and marketing coordinator, and her design degree and talent for all things graphics and visuals has been brought to life in all of our wonderful menus and brochures! Her favourite weddings to run, are marquees, tipi's and the weird and wonderful.
Favourite Baba Dish: Wensleydale & Leek Croquette with Creamed Leeks
Favourite Restaurant: Chiltern Firehouse, London
Colleen Denise - Event Coordinator
Introducing the lovely Colleen. She is absolute Hostess with the Mostess and loves to cook at home for her friends and family, and sees coordinating events as an extension of this. With a background in high end restaurant front of house, she is the perfect person to lead your day and make sure it runs smoothly.
Favourite Baba Dish: Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch, Brandy Snap & Salted Caramel Cream
Favourite Restaurant: Ivy Asia, Leeds
Jessica Holland - Event Coordinator
With a background behind the scenes as a Lead Chef, Jess has now made the transition into a fully fledged Event Coordinator and has all the know how and wide range of skills to be an insightful coordinator. With a degree in design, social media and photography, she loves the creative element of events, and enjoys making sure someone's day is special.
Favourite Baba Dish: Sticky BBQ Pork Ribs
Favourite Restaurant: Tomahawk Steakhouse, Beverley
Hannah Smith - Sous & Head of Pastry
Hannah has studied the culinary arts for many years, joining the Baba team after obtaining her degree. Hannah is the driving force behind our dessert menus. She has a quiet and gentle nature, but a confident approach towards cooking and never fails to bring exciting ideas to the kitchen!
Favourite Baba Dish: Traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch, Brandy Snap and Salted Caramel Cream
Favourite Restaurant: Wilderness in Birmingham
Elisa Winstanley - Pastry & Event Chef
Elisa is organised, efficient and has impeccable presentation skills! Her methodical and calm approach to her work ensures that events are always smooth and successful! She always has a smile on her face and is a delight to work with.
Favourite Baba Dish: Roasted Duck Breast, Roast Sweet Potato, White Onion Sauce, Leg Spring Roll and Sautéed Greens
Favourite Restaurant: The Star Inn At Harome
Ian Newman - Event Chef
With an impressive 38 years of cooking experience and an impressive resume, Ian has a well-rounded knowledge of all things food! At Baba HQ, he always has a smile on his face and brings a warm, positive energy to the kitchen. He is always the first person to volunteer to help out, no matter the task, making him a valued member of the Baba team!
Favourite Baba Dish: North Sea Hake with Herb Crust, Crushed New Potatoes, Sautéed Greens and Madeira Sauce
Favourite Restaurant: Sweet Basil, York
Liam Johnstone - Event Chef
Liam is the perfect guy to have on your large scale events, as he is a great chef who thrives in the rush of service! He is the go-to guy for meats and grills, and with his fine dining background, he is happy to throw himself into any event menu.
Favourite Baba Dish: Fillet of Yorkshire Pork with Chestnut Crumb , Ash Baked Celeriac, Truffle Pommes Anna
Favourite Restaurant: Crab & Lobster, Thirsk
Danny Said - Commis Chef
After recently completing his apprenticeship in Hospitality and Catering, Danny is now a fully fledged member of our Kitchen Team and we are very excited to have him onboard! His previous experience in the industry means he has absolutely mastered our ‘street food’ style menus!
Favourite Baba Dish: Chicken, Leek & Pancetta Pie with Creamy Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and Baba Gravy
Favourite Restaurant: Dishoom, Covent Garden
Isaac Greenhill - Commis Chef
Our newest member of the kitchen team here at Baba! Isaac comes to us as commis chef from the prestigious Skosh Restaurant in York. After competing in BBC's Junior Bake Off as a young whippersnapper, he has predominantly worked in pastry but comes to us with a passion for both savoury and sweet in the kitchen and brings so much enthusiasm to his events.
Favourite Baba Dish: Duo of Chicken With Pan Fried Breast, Kiev Bonbon and Creamy Mash
Favourite Restaurant: The Black Swan, Oldstead
Cory Loft - Apprentice Chef
After working with us as part of our front of house serving staff, Cory discovered his love of food and took up an apprenticeship to further develop his knowledge of the industry! A little cheeky but always keen to learn new skills, he has the makings of a brilliant chef!
Favourite Baba Dish: Chicken Shawarma
Favourite Restaurant: San Carlo's, Manchester
TJ - Prep Chef and Kitchen Porter
TJ has been a part of the Baba family for several years now and without him our company just wouldn't be the same! TJ is always around to lend a hand and support the team with anything they need. At Baba we are of the opinion he is the very best KP in Yorkshire!
Favourite Baba Dish: Wolds Duo of Chicken – Pan-fried Breast & Kiev Bon Bon with Creamy Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and Baba Gravy
Favourite Restaurant: The King William, Yorkshire
Jade Mason - Facilities Coordinator
Jade is our go-to woman for all things organisation and is our resident queen of clean! As our Facilities Coordinator, she has a big task on her hands keeping the Baba HQ orderly and efficient, but this is something she makes look super easy on a daily basis!
Favourite Baba Dish: Yorkshire Beef & Ale Pie with Creamy Mash, Seasonal Vegetables and Baba Gravy
Favourite Restaurant: Manjaros, Leeds