Leeds

1,000 commuters will be ‘rewarded’ with free train journeys to work from Northern

The big commuter giveaway.

The Hoot The Hoot - 7th September 2022

500 commuters a month will get the cost of their season ticket back up to the value of £100.

Northern has now announced plans to reward 1,000 of its season ticket customers with the cost of their commute for free, reports The Manc.

Hot on the heels of its headline-grabbing £1 ‘Flash Sale’ - which saw the train operator sell one million train tickets across the north for just £1 last week - Northern is now looking to make life easier for commuters across Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and beyond with the launch of its 'Big Commuter Giveaway'.

The new promotion means that anyone who buys a daily, weekly, or annual Northern season ticket during September or October 2022 could be in with the chance of winning their commute for free.

They'll be entered into a draw to get the cost of their ticket back up to the value of £100.

500 commuters a month will be chosen as winners in the move Northern hopes will encourage more people to "ditch the car and take the train to work".

Northern will reward 1,000 of its season ticket customers with the cost of their commute for free / Credit: Northern

Speaking on the launch of the new 'Big Commuter Giveaway' promotion, Mark Powles - Customer and Commercial Director at Northern - said: "Following the success of our £1 flash sale, we wanted to give something back to our season ticket customers who commute to work with us on a regular basis.

Read more: Lifesaving defibrillators have been installed at 84 train stations in Greater Manchester

"And to those that haven’t bought a season ticket before, but are facing rising petrol prices and mounting city centre parking charges, we hope the chance to win back the cost of their commute might help convince them to make the switch from road to rail."

Mr Powles also promised new commuters will be "pleasantly surprised" by services.

500 commuters a month will get the cost of their season ticket back up to the value of £100 / Credit: Northern

He added: "We’ve made great strides in the last 12-18 months in terms of the customer experience, with our new fleet of modern trains and station renovations.

"I’m confident new rail commuters will be pleasantly surprised."

Find out more about Northern's 'Big Commuter Giveaway' promotion here.

Featured Image - Northern

Leeds

This UK pub chain has announced bottomless Guinness for the 2026 Six Nations

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Guinness and the Six Nations has got to be a match made in heaven.

With the 2026 Six Nations tournament kicking off last Friday Thursday, 5 February – it's safe to say rugby fans across Leeds will be set on finding the perfect place to watch the upcoming matches.

However, we can’t think of many other places offering bottomless black gold in town, let alone anywhere else in Leeds.

So, if you were still unsure of where to watch this year’s tournament, the Social Pub and Kitchen group might have just made the decision for you…

That’s right, this widespread British chain is looking to keep the pints flowing throughout the duration of this year’s competition, thanks to a twist on their standard bottomless brunch format.

Image: Social Pub and Kitchen Group

Running for every single televised meeting between the much-loved half dozen rugby union teams, all 103 of their locations across the country will be providing this impressive offer on pints.

Here in Leeds, the Dry Dock, The Library and the Hyde Park Hotel will be offering the deal.

As well as these nearby venues, there are obviously plenty more around Yorkshire for those slightly further afield.

With a new food menu too, which features several honey-based dishes like the sweet sriracha pizza, chipotle loaded fries, as well as honey chipotle chicken wings, the matchday scran is on point.

So too are the drinks, clearly, and if any of your party wants to stray away from the bottomless Guinness, there are series of special Six Nations-themed cocktails, such as the ‘Midnight in Dublin’, a ‘Peach on the Pitch’ margarita, Baby Velvet, and the bold ‘G-Bomb’.

Yes, we suspect it is as boozy as it sounds.

Running throughout February and March whilst the games are on, we imagine plenty of people will be making at least one Social Pub and Kitchen site their chosen destination for watching all the action.

Even if you happen to be reading this outside of Leeds, you can find your nearest Social Pub and Kitchen and book your table right HERE.

Read more: Salon Madre – a new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Leeds this month

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Publicity picture (supplied)

Leeds

Where to find the very best pizza in Leeds and the surrounding areas

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Circle or square, thin crust or deep dish, pizza is always a good idea.

From double-fermented sourdough to Fior di Latte mozzarella, the pizza options in Leeds leave you feeling like you’ve stepped onto the cobbled streets of Rome.

But of course finding that perfect slice for you can be hard, so we've rounded our very favourite spots in and around Leeds where you can try to find it - in no particular order.

Rudy's

Image: The Hoot Leeds

With three locations in Leeds, Rudy’s is an absolute classic if you're looking for a banging Neapolitan style pizza.

Their dough is made using Caputo ‘00’ flour (which ferments for at least 24 hours), which is then topped with quality ingredients imported from Naples, including the likes of San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella.

Wash it all down with a classic Aperol Spritz or Campari soda, and you’ve got the perfect combination.

Dough Boys

Image: The Hoot Leeds

For anyone who spends their weekends chilling out in Belgrave Music Hall, you’ll know the pure joy of ordering a slice of Dough Boys.

Describing themselves as having a ‘love affair with dough’ they are famous in Leeds for their slices and pies with some delicious innovative flavours as well as the loved classic. The pizzas are hand stretched using all fresh ingredients, sourced from local producers.

You can grab slices for half price Sunday to Thursday until 7pm.

Homeboy Pizza Co.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Probably one of Leeds' most famous indies, Homeboy Pizza Co sling out some of the best slices in the city.

Now with two locations, one in Roundhay and one in Burley - it's the only place to order from if you're looking to get tucked up on the sofa and get stuck into a proper pie.

Poco

Pizza at POCO with fresh vegetables

Fried Sicilian calzone and Pizza Al Taglio have become a Leeds foodie staple all because of POCO.

The flavours here are imaginative, but authentic. Think spicy Calabrian ‘Nduja sausage with roast peppers and mozzarella, pear and gorgonzola or even ham and potatoes (and by potatoes, we mean mini fries) across huge oblong slices of pizza; with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options to compliment the seemingly never-ending selection. It makes for the perfect takeaway lunch.

Pizza Pilgrims

Images: The Hoot Leeds

A relatively new addition to Leeds, Pizza Pilgrims on Boar Lane make some absolutely banging pies.

Known for their iconic leopard crust, their pizzas are authentic and made with the best quality ingredients. We'd recommend ordering a few of their sides too, the cucumber salad is out of this world.

Edges Pizza

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Located on Green Room's rooftop, Edges Pizza are bringing a slice of New York City to Leeds. Thin, crispy bases which can be dipped into a range of sauces - it's the perfect slice to dive into with a couple cocktails on the side. Bliss.

Livin' Italy

A fresh pizza at Livin' Italy

Fancy a trip to Rome whilst staying within the LS postcode? Take a trip to Livin' Italy where they specialise in authentic Italian food, and they do it very well.

They’ve got a great selection including a spicy pizza with tomato sauce, goat cheese, mozzarella fiordilatte, grated parmesan, Calabrian chilli sausage ‘Nduja, and spicy salami spianata. These kind of flavours, you won't find anywhere else in Leeds. Looking for something more classic? We'd recommend with mozzarella fiordilatte, pecorino romano, goat cheese, grated parmesan, sweet gorgonzola, walnut crumble & fried sage. 

Water Lane Boathouse

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Not just famous for hosting arguably Leeds' best quiz night or the huge ourdoor terrace looking over the canal, Waterlane Boat House are excellent at making pizza.

Their pizza dough is made using just three ingredients: Organic Yorkshire flour, water and salt - that makes it a proper Yorkshire pizza doesn't it? The Spinach & Blue Cheese is a real crowd favourite; San Marzano, fior di latte, spinach, blue cheese, mushroom, red onion with crumbled walnuts.

Culto

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Over in Meanwood you'll find Culto, a firm local favourite that serve up brilliant pizzas which you can take out or enjoy inside their beautiful dining space.

They've won awards for their pizzas and it's not hard to see why, we'd recommend kicking things off with an antipasti board first.

Read more: The best places to get a great bowl of ramen in Leeds

Featured images - The Hoot Leeds

More Leeds

Feature

How to spend a weekend in Chapel Allerton – one of Leeds’ most loved suburbs

Leeds

Jacob Elordi says the sexiest thing about Yorkshire is ‘rocks and sheep’

Audio

Miles Kane at Project House Leeds – an utterly electric night fuelled by leopard print