A new cake shop opened inside an industrial mill unit in Stanningley, Leeds on Sunday, 23rd May.
Called Soph's Cakes Leeds, it's the brainchild of ex-professional dancer Sophie O'Connell - who's had the unit for over a year but has only just been able to open now.
First beginning life in her family's tiny kitchen in Pudsey, she started baking cakes around nine years ago as a way to relax, and soon started getting requests from friends and family.
A hobby since her teens, it wasn't until she broke her foot dancing that she started to think about it as a serious career.
Today, Soph’s Cakes Leeds is a full-time operation and its founder is in high demand.
In the past year alone, she's single-handedly baked around 1,300 bespoke cakes for her customers: that's an average of 3.5 cakes every day.
Due to skyrocketing demand for her creations, the young ballerina first acquired her unit at Swinnow Grange Mills, Stanningley in early March last year - but her initial opening plans were put on hold when the pandemic hit.
Having already moved in, she started making bread and other essential bits on top of her usual cakes in order to provide essentials for those shielding or isolating.
These were then delivered out to those in need to replace items that weren't available in the shops, earning Sophie some extra brownie points with the local Pudsey community.
Now, with the return of indoor hospitality, she's finally been able to open her doors to the public.
Customers can enjoy a good range of sweet treats like cupcakes and full-size creations, alongside coffees and savoury pastries from 2-6pm Monday to Wednesday, and 9.30am-2pm on Saturdays.
Speaking to the YEP, Sophie said: "I can't wait to open to the public. I love chatting to people and getting to know my local community through the means of cake!"
Find out more about Soph's Cakes Leeds on her website.
Eats
Salon Madre – a new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Leeds this month
Manchester's favourite Mexican bar is about to become your newest nightlife destination in Leeds.
It's been a long time coming, but Salon Madre is officially ready to open in Leeds.
Although we may have to wait a little bit longer for Madre, the day-to-night eatery that has made waves over in Manchester and Liverpool, Salon Madre, its lively tequila bar and pool hall sibling, is officially opening on Friday 20 February.
Salon Madre, which will be located just around the corner from Madre at 114 Wellington Street, is where the party really gets started.
Image: The Manc Group
Expect tequila-fuelled nights, pool tables, lively DJs and Lucha Libre on the big screens.
There will also be plenty of tacos being flung out the kitchen to keep you going until the early hours.
If you’ve ever visited one of their venues in Manchester or Liverpool, you’ll know it’s an absolute riot and we can’t wait to welcome them to the city.
Images: The Manc Group
Co-founder Sam Grainger, inspired by countless trips to Mexico, says: “Mexico is alive with passionate artisans and cooks, mastering everything from street tacos to regional delicacies. It’s a world where traditions blend and evolve and we’ve built that ethos into the heart of both Madre and Salon Madre.”
Madre Leeds will open soon and you can even grab yourself a free margarita by signing up to their newsletter here.
We’ll keep you up to date with their opening times but for now, we'll see you at Salon Madre for a boogie, margarita and game of pool next week.
Award-winning Leeds restaurant announces shock closure just months after opening
Clementine Hall
Emba in Leeds will be closing its doors with the owner blaming rising costs and pressure on the hospitality sector.
Back in April last year, one of Leeds' top restaurants The Owl closed its doors.
Run by renowned Chef Liz Cottam, The Owl was reimagine into Emba - a trendy restaurant tat bridged 'the gap between cosy bar and vibrant dining room'.
To open Emba, Cottam opened a Crowdfunder where supporters would be awarded with prizes such as VIP dinners and merch depending on how much they donated.
But sadly just months after opening, Emba is to close permanently.
Cottam confirmed the sad news with a statement shared with customers over the weekend, saying she was completely "heartbroken".
She said: “This is no longer the right time to own independent restaurants like Emba,” she said. “Under the current conditions they cannot survive and the recent budget confirmed what so many of us already knew: no meaningful help is coming for hospitality.
"The experience of being here and the harsh financial reality of running a business here no longer stack up.
"Being award winning, popular, admired and loved no longer means profitable and as an industry if we’re honest most of us have not truly been okay since Covid."
She signed off the statement promising to return to the restaurant world, she said: “What I do know is this, I am not done. I will keep cooking, keep creating and keep finding ways to do the thing I love.”
Georgina Pellant -
26th May 2021 
