If your Easter celebrations are all about the chocolate surprises, you're in for a treat.
There's not long now until Easter and the chocolate-covered eggs have been filling our shelves for months now.
If you've already done the rounds of Mini Eggs, Creme Eggs and tested out every Cadburys springtime treat, you might be on the look for a new sweet treat to satisfy your cravings as we enter the final weeks before the Easter weekend.
Image: 42nd East Bakehouse
What might just be the greatest Easter invention: Yorkshire bakery, 42nd East Bakehouse have created the ultimate chocolate scotch egg- and it even has a mini egg inside that's literally bursting with flavour.
There's three different options: Oreo, salted caramel millionaire or the classic creme egg wrapped inside a ball of brownie before being dunked in another layer of cookie dough on top and topped with biscuit crumbs to create that bread-like texture on top.
If these aren't enough to get you drooling, there's cookie dough pizzas topped with mini eggs available during spring, as well as an 'Easter Cheesecake Jar', which is made up of mini eggs and cheesecake in a jar with Biscoff crumb.
Image: 42nd East Bakehouse
The Yorkshire bakery sell all things cookies, and we’re obsessed. Cookie burritos, cookie cups, cookie pies, cookie slap: everything and anything you can think of with a cookie in, they’ve made it- but this might just top the lot.
The Yorkshire-based bakery has a spot in Leeds’ Queens Arcade, but their main store is based in Beverley, where you can grab a coffee, join a mental-health-based cooking class or taste some of their savoury dishes.
If you need any recommendations for your visit to the Leeds store, the cookie burritos stopped us in our tracks.
It’s a chocolate bar of your choice wrapped in a slab of our gooey chocolate brownie and then roll in our cookie dough and baked off, dipped in chocolate and drizzled & topped with chocolate swirls.
There’s fudge, Mars Bars, Ferrero Rocher and Bueno to choose from to form the base, each with their own toppings and flavours- so each burrito is unique.
For more information or to check out the delicious Easter treats for yourself, visit the 42nd East Bakehouse website to pre-order, or pop into the Queens Arcade store.
Feature Image- 42nd East Bakehouse
Eats
Big name restaurant closes Leeds city centre site after seven years
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.
Sophie Smith -
11th March 2022 
