A group of teenagers in Leeds have been publicly praised for their 'mature attitude' during a meal out.
The trio of lads visited Salute at The White Swan last weekend - and since the restaurant posted about them, they've gone viral.
Pals Will, 12, and Leo and Charlie, both 13, usually meet up outdoors every weekend, but decided to pay a visit to the popular Rothwell restaurant when the weather turned.
When the trio arrived at the restaurant, they sat down and told staff that they only had £9 between them and asked politely if that would be 'enough' for a pizza and water to share between them.
As management at the restaurant recognised Leo from his regular visits, they decided to treat the lads to an extra pizza and some fries for their 'mature attitude'.
The restaurant took to social media to share the heartwarming story of the lads' visit.
Explaining in a now-viral Facebook post, Salute at The White Swan said: "They came to Salute asking for a table of three, and they said they had £9 and asked if that would be ‘enough’ for a pizza and water to share.
"In exchange for their mature attitude to dining out, Salute decided to treated them to extra fries and extra pizza."
The restaurant even revealed that Will even took some of the leftover pizza and breadsticks home to share with his baby sister too.
Staff said that the lads' parents should be 'so proud' of them.
The photo showing the lads smiling at their table shared to the restaurant's Facebook page on Sunday has since gone viral globally, amassing over 44,000 interactions, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments from people both praising the lads for their attitudes, and the restaurant for 'always looking for the good' in people.
"Smashing lads well done, and thanks to those at The Swan who have praised them - we have some awesome young people," one person commented.
Another added: "That's warmed my heart to read. Loads of young people out there that parents can be proud of, and the lads are an example of that. Keep going the way you are and be proud of yourselves."
"Lads, that is awesome. You're clearly a credit to your families, school and wider society, so great to read, and good on the staff for your care and generosity," a third said.
The restaurant said they hoped the lads' parents would see the post, and their wish ended up coming true as Leo's mum, Lucy-Rae Prince, commented underneath the picture saying: "Thanks so much for your call letting us know how polite our boys were today and for looking after them like you did - above and beyond."
"Thank you for sharing this," she also added.
Lucy also told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she is 'so proud' of Leo and his friends for being 'so polite and well mannered', and said that for them to be recognised in such 'a lovely way' by Salute was 'just amazing for all of us'.
Staff at Salute at The White Swan also told the YEP that they had been 'blown away' with the response to the post.
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.
Emily Sergeant -
8th February 2022 
