The Box Tree

The Box Tree
Location of the restaurant within West Yorkshire
Restaurant information
Established	1962
Current owner(s)	Simon Gueller, Rena Gueller, [
Chef	Simon Gueller
Food type	Modern French
Rating	(Michelin Guide 2005)
Street address	35–37 Church Street
City	Ilkley, West Yorkshire
Country	England
Coordinates	53°55′34″N 1°49′32″W / 53.92611°N 1.82556°W / 53.92611; -1.82556
Website	Official website

The Box Tree is a restaurant located in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England. It has been operated by chef Simon Gueller and his wife, Rena, since 2005. Under their management the restaurant has been redecorated, although elements from the original owners of the restaurant remain. Reception by food critics has improved over the years; the restaurant has a single Michelin star and three AA rosettes. A sister company is also run by the chef, called Box Tree Events.

The restaurant opened originally as a tearoom in 1962, and went on to become one of the first four British restaurants to win two stars in 1977, under head chef Michael Lawson. After losing both stars, it regained a star between 1996 and 2001, whilst owned by Helen Avis. In 2010, former employee Marco Pierre White bought into the restaurant. It serves modern French cuisine, and has also been awarded three AA rosettes and listed in Harden's restaurant guide.

The Box Tree has been located at 35–37 Church Street in Ilkley since its original opening under Malcolm Reid and Colin Long in 1962. It has been operated by Simon and Rena Gueller since 2004, originally under lease from the previous operator. Gueller had previously been head chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Rascasse. The Guellers also run a sister company called Box Tree Events, which provides outside catering.

After being purchased by the Guellers in 2004, the restaurant was redecorated and modernised, the décor having become shabby under previous owners. The new decorations included recessed lighting and fabric-covered walls. There is a fireplace in the centre of the dining room, with an 18th-century settle (a type of bench) beside it. Elements from the Reid and Long era remain, with the bar and ceilings still being recognisable from their time at the restaurant.