Let's be honest, Yorkshire puddings are one of the most divine creations to ever grace the earth. Light, fluffy, soft, and comforting, not to mention the perfect vehicle for pooling gravy, we'll never get tired of eating them.
As the weather's taken a dip in recent days, we're craving proper comfort food - and that means some giant Yorkshires, obviously. Turns out, there's a pub in Malton just an hour's drive from Leeds that is pretty famous for its giant loaf tin puds. Perfect.
Image: The Black Bull Inn
Called The Black Bull Inn, the 17th-century pub and restaurant is well known and loved for its epic Yorkshire pudding creations.
Cooked in their own homemade loaf tins, these beauties come filled with all sorts of tasty fillings before being served up with chunky chips, mash or jacket potatoes, veggies and lashings of beefy gravy.
Enjoy yours with a choice of pork sausage, steak and ale, topside of beef or mince and onion - plus all the extra naughty bits.
Or have it as part of their Sunday lunch carvery and go all out with extras like stuffing, cauliflower cheese, mash, and roasties.
As well as their huge stuffed Yorkshire puddings, there's also some top-tier classic pub grub here. Think steak and ale pie, 12oz gammon steak, thick pork chops and Whitby scampi - plus seven different types of mash to choose from.
There's cheesy bacon mash, caramelised onion mash, whole grain mustard mash, or mashes with horseradish, spicy chilli, blue cheese, or sour cream and garlic. Basically, the whole menu looks amazing.
If you feel like making a trip out of it, you can also stay the night at the Black Bull for as little as £40.
To see the full menu and find out more, head over to their website.
A popular restaurant chain has closed permanently in Leeds city centre.
Popular pizzeria Franco Manca has closed its Leeds restaurant.
The chain was famed for its relaxed atmosphere, quick service and affordable sourdough Neapolitan pizzas that were on offer for as little as a fiver.
The chain occupied the site on the outskirts of Trinity Shopping Centre on Trinity Street, next door to Itsu and overlooking the back entrance of Marks and Spencer.
Hoardings have now gone up, signifying the site is now empty and Franco Manca has permanently closed.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
This can also be seen on Google when searching for the restaurant branch.
It was announced earlier this year that a number of Franco Manca's restaurants would be closing across the country.
This was down to a reconstructing plan approved by creditors for the chain. The brand said it had been knocked by “disproportionately high” UK taxes and a lack of business rates relief for hospitality.
Marcel Khan, chief executive of parent firm Fulham Shore, said at the time: “We are grateful for the support shown by our creditors today.
“Franco Manca is a fantastic brand with a strong heritage and loyal customer base. With this agreement in place, we will put the business back on a firm footing and press ahead with strengthening our customer offer and performance.”
The Leeds brand was not included in the initial list of restaurant closing, but it seems further closures were made.
Miami-inspired Leeds bodega to open second site in Horsforth following huge success of first
Clementine Hall
A sandwich shop in Leeds is expanding to the suburbs.
Famed for it’s toasted Cuban sandwiches, stacked subs and loaded breakfast bagels - Alfonsos Deli has made a name for itself for serving some of the best sandwiches around the city.
Such a good reputation in fact, that they’ve just announced a second location over in the leafy suburb of Horsforth. Get in.
Currently, you'll find Alfonso's in the Grand Arcade where their light-filled and airy space is slinging out sandwiches non-stop until sell-out.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's not just sandwiches, though. They're also serving up fantastic Cuban coffee, beer and even Cuban cigars.
Basically, it's everything you'd expect to find in a deli in Miami.
The team shared the news of the expansion on social media, confirming that a brand-new Horsforth site is on the way.
While an official opening date is yet to be revealed, the announcement has already sparked plenty of excitement among loyal customers, many of whom have been calling for a second location since the deli first opened.
Alfonso's has built a devoted following in Leeds, with its signature Cubano sandwich becoming a firm favourite, while its breakfast bagels draw queues of hungover punters through the doors.
The move to Horsforth marks the next chapter for the independent business, bringing its popular menu to a whole new neighbourhood. And they're in fantastic company too, in a suburb that is flourishing with independent local businesses.
If the success of the Grand Arcade site is anything to go by, the new deli is likely to be just as busy from day one. More details, including an opening date and the full menu, are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Good luck to the team, we can't wait to check it out.
Georgina Pellant -
6th July 2021 
