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This bar in Leeds has a menu dedicated to the Six Nations

There's six different dishes for the six nations.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 2nd February 2022

What better way to mark the Six Nations than with some good pub grub?

If there's one thing that we've missed over the last few years, it's getting to the pub, enjoying a bite to eat and catching up on the latest news whilst watching the Six Nations games.

Whether you’re secretly rooting for Wales to keep hold of the title or ready to cheer on England this year, there's bars aplenty to keep you busy over the five rounds- you could really get away with choosing a new bar for every game this year.

The one factor that's currently swinging our decision is there's very few sports bars offering the Six Nations on the television and on the menu. The Box in Leeds city centre and Headingley are offering a full Six Nations inspired menu that'll have you forgetting all about the fixtures in no time.

Burger De Paris. / Image: The Box

On the menu is a double beef burger, garlic mushrooms, crispy onions, deep fried Brie and peppercorn sauce. Inspired by the Parisian streets and the beautiful game everyone has come together to watch, the Burger De Paris is guaranteed to be a bestseller this month.

Wales is celebrated with some deliciously loaded fries. Expect triple-cooked chips, spiced lamb, cheesy creamed leeks, crispy onions and with a signature spicy sauce drizzled over the top.

Read More: All the best bars in Leeds to watch the Six Nations matches

Fish and Chips. / Image: The Box

Obviously us Brits got fish and chips and we're not complaining about getting our hands on those crispy cod bites, triple-cooked chips with tartare and curry sauce. The perfect food for a sports bar is small, picky food that can be chomped down at half time or grazed on as the match goes on and this dish is the epitome of both these options.

Italy got the pizza dish, surprisingly. This isn't your regular margarita though, expect a basil pesto base with fior di latte, roast cherry tomatoes, mascarpone and rocket on top. You've got the colours of the Italian flag, all using traditional ingredients: not a bad choice for a mid-match snack.

Pizza Tricolore. / Image: The Box

Naturally, Ireland's menu item was an alcoholic beverage with whiskey in. The Irish mule is a concoction of Slane Irish Whiskey, ginger ale and orange that'll transport you to the backstreets of Dublin in no time.

The Scottish option is also booze-based, but this one comes in the form of a refreshing spritz. Think Johnnie Walker Black label, Cocchi Americano, honey, apple and topped with ice and soda.

Scotsman's Spritz. / Image: The Box

The Box have locations in the city centre and Headingley, so you’re never far from a cold pint of Budweiser or a bottle of wine, even out of match time. You can grab 2-for-1 cocktails, a 20% student discount and a pornstar martinis, served by the stein here too.

Read More: All the best places to get chicken wings on Wings Wednesday in Leeds

For more information, including how to book your seat at the table, visit The Box website.

Feature Image- The Box Bar UK

For more stories on everything food and drink related in Leeds, follow us on Facebook at The Hoot Eats. 

News

End of an era as historic Leeds pub announces shock closure with ‘heavy heart’

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

One of Leeds' longest-running pub will be closing.

The Cross Keys in Holbeck is a lovely little boozer.

And it's got a fair bit of history too. Dating back to the early 1800s, the pub has stood on Water Lane for more than two centuries, with its story closely tied to Holbeck's industrial past.

Back when the area was one of Leeds' major manufacturing hubs, the Cross Keys was a local drinking spot for workers from the surrounding foundries and engineering works.

The pub itself fell into disrepair and was abandoned in 1980s, before being brought back to life during a major restoration in the 2000s.

But now, The Cross Keys is closing once again.

Images: The Cross Keys

Announcing the sad news to Instagram, the pub said: "It's with a heavy heart that we share the Cross Key's will be closing its doors on the 3rd of October.

"The whole team thank you for your support during our time in business."

In classic Leeds fashion, the comments were flooded with support from fans of the pub alongside fellow local businesses.

One comment reads: "Absolutely gutted about this. I held my fiance (now husband’s) 30th at The Cross Keys and it was excellent and the team were so helpful and hospitable. So sad to hear this."

Whilst another said: "Gutted, the home of some great memories and significant pints in my life."

So, if you've had a significant pint in The Cross Keys and wish to bid it a proper farewell, you've got until Saturday 3 October to do so.

Read more:

Featured image - The Cross Keys

News

We’re In Love (Actually) at Lawrence Batley Theatre – romance is actually around each and every one of us | Review

Declan Kelly Declan Kelly

Love is so much more than a rental Rom-Com movie.

Before heading off to Goole, we managed to catch We're In Love (Actually) stop off at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield on Thursday 24 September, giving audiences the chance to experience the latest work from Dark Horse as a northern-based theatre group. 

If you don’t know much about Dark Horse Theatre Company, then I guess it’s time to find out.

The company shines a light on brilliant creatives with learning disabilities, challenging perceptions while giving its actors the opportunity to showcase exactly what they can do. Dark Horse premieres original work created by an ensemble of nine actors and theatre makers, while also providing vocational training to help actors with learning disabilities develop their skills and prepare for the industry.

Image: Supplied

And what better way to showcase that creativity than with a hilarious, heartwarming and wonderfully nostalgic love letter to the rom-com?

Set inside a video store on its opening day, We’re In Love (Actually) sees the staff quickly realise that their customers only seem to want one thing: romance films. The problem? There aren't any.

So, naturally, they decide to make their own.

From the moment the lights go up, the production transports us back to the nostalgia of video stores, where choosing a film was once an event in itself. The set creates that familiar Blockbuster feeling, with a huge screen hanging above the stage that helps transform the video store into a live film set.

And this small-scale production has a surprisingly huge creative pull. The staff begin piecing together their own romance film, taking inspiration from Titanic and Romeo and Juliet to Notting Hill, Love Actually and Pride and Prejudice.

Image: Supplied

The multimedia is one of the production's biggest strengths. Mark Craven live films many of the romance scenes on stage, with the action projected onto the screen above in real time.

It’s such a simple technique, but it makes the production feel so much bigger than its scale. Watching the actors create these cinematic moments while simultaneously seeing them appear on screen gives the show a real theatrical edge. There’s even a touch of Katie Mitchell in the way live performance and filmmaking are brought together, and honestly, it feels like the sort of inventive technique that wouldn’t look out of place on the National Theatre stage.

But we aren't just watching it happen - we're part of it.

From singing along to Céline Dion to playing a game of finding a movie star from the audience, the production constantly breaks the fourth wall and brings everyone into the story.

Image: Supplied

And this only adds another layer of comedy.

The cast have a brilliant sense of comic timing, with the character dynamics creating plenty of laughs throughout. Juliet, played by Rebekah Hill, is a particular standout, leading the ensemble with plenty of personality and leading lady talent. One of the highlights for me was her singing, getting the audience involved to then suddenly declare, “Just me, now”, is something that had me belly laughing.

One of my favourite moments is actually one of the simplest. The cast begin naming off romance films, only for Eve, played by Meghan Denton, to shoot them all down because apparently nobody wants to watch romance films.

And it got me thinking: are these sorts of films becoming dated? Do they give us false representations of what love actually is? We see a love story within this production between Rebekah Hill's character Juliet and Joe Sproulle’s Leo, and honestly I ship every moment.

But the question sits underneath the comedy throughout the production around the idea of love.

Then comes the second act, which kicks off with a full The Full Monty number - and what a way to start.

The production continues its journey through Notting Hill, Love Actually and Pride and Prejudice, before giving us the obligatory love triangle, because what would a rom-com be without one?

Image: Supplied

Rob, played by Mark Craven, gets his own Love Actually-inspired moment with the iconic handwritten signs for Juliet, and it’s exactly the kind of cheesy romantic moment you want from a production like this.

But underneath all the jokes, film references and romance anthems, there’s a much bigger message.

Towards the end, Eve begins to question the idea of love we so often see portrayed on screen. Because, actually, those perfect cinematic romances aren't always what love looks like in real life.

Love can come in all different forms. It can be romantic, but it can also be platonic. It can be found in family, friendship, community and in the people around us.

Romance is actually around each and every one of us - and that feels like the perfect message for this production.

But with Dark Horse behind it, there’s another layer that makes the whole thing feel even more important. It gives a group of actors who you might not always see taking centre stage the opportunity to lead a production, showcase their talents and, quite simply, have a bloody good time doing it.

And you know what? It’s pure joy.

Every actor who graces that stage deserves their flowers, and this production genuinely left me wanting more.

I think this is a production everyone needs to see. It shines such a bright light on the incredible talent on that stage, and it’s exactly the sort of work regional theatres such as Leeds Playhouse should be looking at when programming their seasons.

Representation, and more importantly visible representation, is beyond important. Seeing actors with learning disabilities leading a production, making an audience laugh and completely owning the stage shouldn’t feel like a rarity, it should be something we see far more often.

We’re In Love (Actually) doesn’t just give these actors a platform; it gives them the space to completely own it.

Showing at Goole Junction on 30 September - 1 October, tickets are available here.

Read more: The Leeds Cinema Crawl is back with music-themed films across three different independent venues

Featured image - Supplied

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