If you haven't grabbed yourself a slice yet - this is your sign.
Located inside the beautifully renovated Meanwood Tavern, Well Oiled is truly bringing the speciality slices of Detroit to the suburbs of Leeds.
The menu has been wildly popular ever since opening in Meanwood in October, and the demand for slices isn't slowing down anytime soon.
Offering a carefully-selected menu of delicious Detroit-style pizzas, the popular pizza joint has everything you'd possibly want from a lunchtime snack or dinner time treat.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Detroit pizza is served as a rectangular shape, rather than your usual circular Neapolitan style - and rather than this just being an inventive way to change up the aesthetics, this actually allows the pizza to develop a deliciously crisp cheese crust around the edges.
The focaccia base itself remains light and airy thanks to an extensive proving period of 48 hours - and from there each individual pizza is built up with flavour-packed toppings and oven cooked to perfection.
These guys believe that pineapple belongs on pizza - but turn the age-old dividing fruit debate on its head by offering a moreish pickled version that's covered in a spicy and sweet pickling brine, developed in house, and served on a bed of Well Oiled cheese mix, rich tomato sauce and topped with smoked pancetta, Aleppo chilli flakes and fresh thyme.
Alternatively, plant-based foodies don't have to miss out on this one either - the chefs here replace the pancetta with a vegan fennel sausage handcrafted from plants by a local independent.
It's fair to say regardless of which version you choose, it quickly shuts up any pineapple naysayers with a single bite - the punchy flavours each have their own shining moment, and is just one example of how this pizza joint is putting a new spin on classic dishes- and is loved for it.
And it most certainly doesn't stop there.
There truly is a slice for everyone - choose from XXXL slices or sharer-style plates with everything from salami to chimichurri, roasted red peppers to burratas on the pizza menu to get stuck in to.
The Turbo Peppers is another firm favourite: grab yourself an XXXL slice with Well Oiled sauce and the house-made cheese mix topped with roasted red peppers and Roscoff onions before being drenched in turbo chimichurri and chipotle-spiced maple and pecorino for a sweet, savoury, slightly spiced slice that'll have you licking your lips to get to every last morsel.
The Well Oiled Full Spec is perhaps the perfect sharer. The four-slice special cooked inside the 10"x14" pans, and tuck into Detroit style goodness with Trealy Farm fennel salami, whipped ricotta, pickled mash, finished with hot honey drizzle and oregano.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The garlic bread here also deserves it's own talking point.
The tear-and-share style follows the same two-day-long fermenting process that creates that fluffy dough, before being treated with copious amounts of garlic butter (vegan-friendly) and sea salt, flat leaf parsley.
Grab as a standalone or the Burratini special, which comes with a Puglian burratini in the middle of the donut-style bread, perfect for dipping.
The popularity for the sellout pizzas speaks volumes for itself, but there's never been a better time to head down to Meanwood Tavern and give these slices a taste-test with the return of the Slice Safari - which gives you access to any of the pizzas as a XXXL slice for a fiver.
To find out more about Well Oiled, you can visit their website or head down to Meanwood Tavern, grab a pint and check out what the fuss is all about, slice in hand.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Eats
Kirkstall Brewery and Little Bao Boy unveil new Leeds taproom
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
Much-loved West Yorkshire cafe announces closure after heartbreaking health diagnosis
Daisy Jackson
A popular cafe and bake house in West Yorkshire has announced it will close at the end of the month, after its founder received a devastating diagnosis.
Lucy's Little Bake House in Halifax has shared the 'very difficult news' that it will be closing its doors in just a few weeks' time.
Founder Lucy Chapple told followers that she has sadly been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.
She now plans to step away from the business so that she can 'focus all of my time and energy on treatment and being with my beautiful family'.
Lucy's Little Bake House has been flooded with messages of support ever since sharing the news this week.
Lucy wrote that she will 'always be deeply grateful for every order, every visit, and every kind word' received since launching the cafe.
She was first diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer a little over a year ago, and ever since has been sharing symptoms and warning signs to raise awareness, encouraging people not to ignore any signs that don't feel right.
Announcing the imminent closure of Lucy's Little Bake House, she wrote: "Hi everyone, After a lot of thought, I need to share some very difficult news. News which I never wanted to share.
"Lucy's Little Bake House will be closing its doors at the end of April. This is because I've recently been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel c-ancer
"I need to step away from the business and focus all of my time and energy on treatment and being with my beautiful family.
"Our last day will be Thursday 30th April. Before then we are open as usual so please come and see us. I would love to see you!
"Running this business and serving our Gorgeous customers for the past 7 years has meant the world to me. Your support, kindness, and loyalty over the years have helped make Lucy's Little Bake House so special, and I will always be deeply grateful for every order, every visit, and ever kind word.
"Thank you for supporting my small business and for being part of this incredible journey. With so much love and gratitude, Lucy XXX
"P.S. Please please share this post so I can reach as many customers as possible"
We've got a few weeks left before Lucy's Little Bake House closes for good, so head over to Dean Clough and show them some support.
Sophie Smith -
9th February 2023 
