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A Caribbean street food restaurant famed for its jerk chicken is opening in Leeds this week

Clementine Hall - 11th May 2026

Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is coming to Leeds.

The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.

Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.

Gosh, we're suddenly feeling very hungry.

Image: The Manc Group

Jerk Junction will officially be opening to the public from 12pm on Tuesday 12 May 2026, and you can bet we'll be first in line to get our hands on a big tray of jerk chicken and rice.

Josie Towning, Food and Beverage Manager at Trinity Leeds, said: “There’s been a lot of interest in the upcoming arrival of Jerk Junction since it was announced. Bringing a taste of the Caribbean to Trinity Kitchen, it’ll be the place to be when it opens its doors next week.”

Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “We’re all about good vibes and creating dishes that help bring people together. We’re looking forward to bringing the Jerk Junction spirit to Trinity Kitchen. The brand already holds a special place within the communities in Manchester and Liverpool – and we’re sure the people of Leeds will embrace it in the same way.”

The latest announcement follows the recent launches of schuh and LEGO at Trinity Leeds, which will also welcome the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand, Lane7, and Footasylum later this year.

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Featured image - The Manc Group

Eats

Grade-II listed city centre bar to open East Asian-inspired street food kitchen

Clementine Hall

Howard Assembly Room to launch new bar with permanent kitchen from Yuzu Street Food.

HAR bar, the intimate Grade II-listed space beneath Leeds City Centre's multi-disciplinary venue, the Howard Assembly Room, will now open five days a week with a brand new permanent food partner.

If you're not familiar York’s Yuzu Street Food, then allow us to fill you in.

First established in York following an enlightening culinary trip to Asia in 2019, Yuzu Street Food is now recognised as one of the north’s finest street food vendors.

Image: Supplied

Serving up contemporary takes on bao buns, fried chicken, ramen, katsu curry and much more; Yuzu are set to be the perfect addition to the Howard Assembly Room and its new bar HAR.

First launched in February, a programme of improvements saw the space previously occupied by the restaurant Kino transformed into the HAR bar.

An intimate venue in the cultural heart of the city, HAR bar guests can now enjoy fresh coffee, quality cocktails and a rotation of beers from breweries including Leeds institution Kirkstall Brewery throughout the week.

Image: Supplied

Image: Supplied

Yuzu Street Food will open at HAR on Friday 15 May.

Michael Wilkinson, Director of Strategy and Commercial, said: “We are very excited to be welcoming Yuzu to HAR bar, with their Asian-inspired street food providing the perfect accompaniment to our range of drinks and firmly establishing HAR bar as one of Leeds’ leading spots to meet and eat.

"We want everyone in the city to feel that this is their space, where great music, a welcoming atmosphere and exceptional service combine to create a truly special place that embodies the city’s creativity while also supporting Opera North’s outreach work across the north.

Chris Hargroves, Yuzu Founder & CEO, said: “We’re delighted to be back in Leeds city centre! Leeds has always shown us incredible support and energy and returning really feels like coming home. We’re excited to reconnect with the community, welcome familiar faces and introduce our new menu items to the new ones. Working with such a prestigious venue as the Howard Assembly Room is something we’re absolutely buzzing about and we can’t wait to fire up the woks!”

Read more: Popular beer festival showcasing over 35 indie breweries is returning to Leeds this month

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Eats

Popular beer festival showcasing over 35 indie breweries is returning to Leeds this month

Clementine Hall

Hop City, the long-running beer festival from award-winning Leeds-based brewery Northern Monk, returns this month for its ninth year.

Beer lovers, this one's for you.

Bringing over 35 of the best independent breweries from the UK, Europe and North America together to The Old Flax Store, Hop City will have approximately 250 different world-class beers for guests to try across one weekend of festivities.

The best part? Every pour across the weekend is included in the price of the ticket alongside a Hop City branded glass to enjoy them in, so don't worry about having to continuously reach for your wallet.

Images: Supplied

Images: Supplied

Joining Northern Monk this year are UK breweries including Brighton’s Beak, Deya from Cheltenham, Manchester-based Track and Edinburgh’s Newbarns who will be pouring next to the likes of US breweries Trillium, Root + Branch, Finback and everywhere; Canadian’s Messorem and Third Moon, and a selection of Europe’s finest indie brewers.

Seriously, this is a beer lover's paradise.

And it's not just about the booze, as joining Hop City 2026 will be joined by Leeds’ own Bundobust who will be bringing their Indian street food alongside Bonehead Fried Chicken and Hermanos Caliente, courtesy of Niko’s Comfort Kitchen.

Images: Supplied

Images: Supplied

Not a beer fan? Don't fret as natural wine bar Rinse will be pouring all weekend whilst Below Stairs will be providing the cocktails.

Russell Bisset, Founder of Northern Monk, said: “What started out as an idea to host some of our favourite breweries in Leeds has grown into something bigger than we could have imagined. From the beginning, the ambition was clear - to champion the best hop-forward breweries in the world and to create the first beer festival in Europe dedicated to celebrating hoppy beers and IPAs.

"Today, it’s about bringing some of the greatest breweries from across the globe together under one roof, creating something genuinely special for people who love beer as much as we do. Heading into our ninth year with a line-up of this calibre is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s not just about the beer, but the community, collaboration, and spirit behind it.”

Hop City 2026 will take place from Friday 15 to Saturday 16 of May, and you can buy your tickets here.

Read more: A breathtaking giant sculpture of the sun is coming to Yorkshire for the summer

Featured image - Supplied