If you're looking to deck out your home with gorgeous ceramics, then this is the place for you.
It's not often we see queues down the street for new openings in Leeds, but it seems that everyone is going mad for Mondego - a Portuguese ceramic outlet where you pay by weight.
Inside you'll find walls of unique ceramics made in Portugal, from trendy striped jugs and dappled mugs to huge centrepiece vases and everyday plates.
It's like looking at your Pinterest board in real life.
You could honestly spend hours in this place, all you need to do is grab a trolley and get creating your perfect home as you wonder through the aisles.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You'll find ramen bowls for as little as £4 and the most adorable butter dishes you've ever seen for £8.
And don't worry about getting to the end to find a huge bill, if you want to keep track of how much you're spending you'll find weighing scales around the store to weigh as you go.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You can find Mondego just moments away from the city centre in Roundhouse Business Park on Wellington Road, but we'd recommend arriving on wheels if you want to take a big haul home with you. Which let's be honest, you will be doing.
They're open every day other than Monday, and you can find out more about Mondego here.
The best restaurants in the UK have been named at the National Restaurant Awards – and Yorkshire has done pretty well for itself.
The prestigious awards took place last night, listing the top 100 places to eat in the entire UK.
Four restaurants in Yorkshire managed to make it into the top 100 of the country’s best restaurants.
Coming in at a very impressive number 13 is Sheffield restaurant JÖRO, who's year has gone from accolade to accolade after being awarded none other than a Michelin star back in February.
Often hailed as the city's best restaurant, JÖRO is run by husband-and-wife team Luke French and Stacey Sherwood.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
They recently relocated into a bigger space near the edge of the Peak District in Oughtibridge, which has allowed them to expand their offerings.
Here's what the judges had to say: 'A much larger and better-equipped kitchen has allowed French - whose CV includes Midsummer House in Cambridge - to evolve his already finely-tuned and distinctive cooking style.'
JÖRO announced the news to Instagram, saying: "To be sat in a room filled with incredible people from across the industry is truly inspiring and being listed is something our younger selves only dreamed of achieving."
Over in Leeds, beloved neighbourhood bistro Bavette placed at number 83 where owners Sandy and Clement stated they were "Over the moon" to have made it onto the list.
Elsewhere in Yorkshire, The Angel at Hetton came in at number 47 being declared as a 'Yorkshire institution' whilst The Star Inn at Harome took number 78 as one of the first pubs in England to be awarded a Michelin star.
The 80-year-old Wakefield butchers that won Jane McDonald’s heart
Declan Kelly
When Wakefield's queen of the cruise ships recommends a pork pie in Yorkshire, you listen.
TV presenter, singer and national treasure Jane McDonald has never hidden her love for her hometown. While her career has taken her around the world, from luxury ocean liners to sold-out theatre tours, Wakefield has always remained close to her heart. And among the many things she proudly champions from her hometown, one local institution receives more praise than most: Allums Butchers.
In fact, Jane has often joked that one of the reasons she still lives in Yorkshire is because of their famous pork pies. Most recently, Jane was once again singing their praises during her album launch at HMV when we interviewed her. She has also recently spoken fondly about the butcher's legendary pies on Alan Carr's podcast.Â
Hearing her enthusiasm sparked our curiosity, so we decided to make the trip to Wakefield and discover for ourselves what makes these pork pies so special.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Located on Brook Street, Allums Butchers is more than just a place to pick up your Sunday roast. It's a business woven into the fabric of Wakefield's history, with a story stretching back more than 80 years.
The journey began in 1945 when Albert Allum started trading from Wakefield Market.
At a time when local communities depended on independent traders, Albert Allum built a reputation for quality produce, expert craftsmanship and exceptional customer service. Those values helped establish a loyal customer base and laid the foundations for a business that would stand the test of time.
More than eight decades later, the same principles continue to guide the company.
Today, Allums remains proudly family-owned and is run by third-generation butcher Jonathan Allum. While much has changed since Albert's early days on the market stall, the commitment to quality remains exactly the same. The business has grown into one of Yorkshire's most respected independent butchers, yet it continues to place traditional butchery, carefully sourced produce and customer service at the heart of everything it does.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Speaking to us about his relationship with Jane McDonald, Jonathan shared memories that stretch back decades. The pair first met as teenagers when Jane would visit the market alongside her mother. Like many local families, they regularly stopped by the Allum stall and, more often than not, left with one of the butcher's famous pork pies.
Jonathan remembers chatting with Jane as she collected her order.
"I'd often say, 'See you next week,'" he recalled. "And every so often she'd reply, 'No, you won't - I’m off cruising.'"
Jane has gone on to become one of Britain's most recognisable entertainers, known by millions for her television programmes and her successful career at sea and most recently her iconic Mighty Hoopla performance . Yet despite the fame, she never forgot her Wakefield roots. To this day, she remains one of Allums' most loyal supporters and regularly speaks about the business with genuine affection.
Allums' pork pies have become something of a Yorkshire institution in their own right. Handmade using a traditional recipe that has been refined over generations, each pie is crafted using seasoned pork, rich savoury jelly and a perfectly baked hot-water crust pastry. There are no modern gimmicks, just a commitment to making a classic product exceptionally well.
Naturally, we couldn't leave without trying the pork pies ourselves.
Sometimes the best food stories aren't about reinvention or chasing the latest trend. They're about preserving traditions, maintaining standards and doing one thing exceptionally well for generations.
More than 80 years after Albert Allum first opened for business in Wakefield Market, Allums Butchers continues to embody exactly that philosophy. And after finally experiencing their famous pork pies for ourselves, we can confidently say that Jane McDonald might just be right.
Clementine Hall -
31st October 2025 
