Leeds United have once again announced that they will be sponsoring this year's Leeds Pride celebration.
The Whites are in the midst of a tense playoff battle as they look to climb back into the Premier League next season, but they have still made the all-important time to help out the city's annual festival and parade.
Along with Leeds United's official LGBTQ+ supporters group, Marching Out Together, the Yorkshire club has confirmed they will be serving as infrastructure sponsor for the second year running, having previously backed the event in other capacities.
2024 marks the 19th year of Leeds Pride, which champions inclusivity, diversity and acceptance, as well as acting as a platform for education whilst highlighting the ongoing fight for quality and inclusion.
The promotion hopefuls first took their infrastructure role in 2023 - having previously become the first UK club to have a member of their first team, Luke Ayling, attend Pride - and will once again be helping the operate the day through funding.
Leeds Pride is one of the biggest one-day festivals in the city centre and continues to grow year-on-year, with more than 70,000 people choosing to visit the parade and various other associated events in 2023 alone.
As detailed in an official statement from United, "This is a testament to the progress and acceptance achieved over the years, but there is still work to be done, and the club will continue to support and help where possible to ensure members of the LGBTQ+ community feel empowered to be their true selves."
Leeds strong support for the LGBTQ+ community is exhibiting not only through their dedicated Marching Out Together fan group but in backing campaigns like Rainbow Laces and Football v Homophobia throughout the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xjEGCTpqUA
The team and supporters club support several other similar initiatives in local schools and organisations.
As well as acting as a key sponsor for the seventh year running, Pride 2024 is also set to see further representation on the day from staff, as well as both current and former Leeds United players.
A spokesperson from Marching Out Together said: "It’s fantastic to see once again Leeds United proudly announce their sponsorship of Leeds Pride this year. It sends out such a powerful message of support to the LGBTQ+ community.
"We are now working with the club to ensure we enjoy another successful day at the wonderful Leeds Pride, and our thanks go to all those players and staff at Leeds United who give such valuable support throughout the year to the work of Marching Out Together."
This years Leeds Pride Parade takes place on Sunday, 21 July and is set to be a truly wonderful celebration as always. You can find out more down below.
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Danny Jones -
16th May 2024 
