It's been quite a year for Leeds restaurants, so why not give them one last cheer by sampling the best festive dish around.
Loaded fries are the ultimate sharing dish. Whether you like barbecue, gravy or cheesy varieties, there's always something for everyone on the plate to enjoy. With Christmas only around the corner, this is your last chance to try out the festive version of these tasty treats.
We've rounded up our favourites to try out in December, but the non-festive versions of these loaded fries also come highly recommended, so save this list for year-round cheese pulls and gooey toppings.
The loaded fries are available as vegan or meat versions and packed with all the festive trimmings. There’s a super scoop of fries in every dish, topped with vegan cranberry Wensleydale and Pigs in Blankets rain, made from This Isn’t Bacon and This Isn’t Cocktail Sausages. The fries are then topped with vegan paxo mayo, cranberry mostarda, root veg crisps and fresh parsley.
25p from every Christmas menu item sold goes towards the Kids In Blankets campaign, helping to buy beds for vulnerable children, so when you buy fries for yourself, you’re helping someone in need too.
The owner of Kerbside Kids described this dish as "A phat f**king tray of pure festive filth”, and we couldn't agree more. There's a huge tray of roast chicken crinkle cut fries and fried chicken, topped with roast chicken gravy, thick cranberry hot sauce, crispy shredded sprouts and chopped smokey bacon- it really doesn't get more festive than that. To get your entire Christmas dinner on your loaded fries, you'll have to head over to North Brew Co. Springwell Brewery before the end of the month.
Fat Hippo have kept the menu short and simple this year. Your festive fries are a combination of dirty cheese with gravy: rather like a poutine. The simple combination leaves enough space in the dish for the gravy to drip through gaps in the fries and create a gooey cheese pull that tastes like a Sunday roast- we didn't think that was possible either. Pair these with a Hans Gruber-ger and you're on to a winner. It's a beef patty and a pork stuffing patty with American cheese, maple-based Southern fried turkey, cranberry jello and Christmas slaw.
If your loaded fries can be vegan, yet taste as good as their meaty counterparts then surely these are the perfect fries for everyone to share? Punk Vegan is leading the plant revolution, one chip at a time and their vegan loaded fries are proving you don't have to do without on a plant-based diet. All their chips are twice cooked and covered in quaso cheese, as well as the festive toppings like stuffing, cranberry and more.
Brewery giant Brewdog is serving a special Blitzen Burger as part of a monster meal in a burger that features all your Christmas favourites, and all the trimmings. Whilst the fries may come plain, there's no reason we can't encourage a DIY loaded fries option, simply get your festive 'Hoppy Meal' and add your chips to the burger. You also get a can of their famed Hoppy Xmas beer to wash it all down with and a Christmas cracker.
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
Sophie Smith -
20th December 2021 
