Twelve years ago, acclaimed Leeds pizza chef and dad of two Mark Baber was living a very different sort of life.
A professional jet setter, he was flying all over for his job and working behind the scenes at European Golf Tour, which is the principle golf tour on the continent.
Then he took a trip to Italy with his wife - and everything changed.
From the moment he tried his first wood-fired pizza, Mark was obsessed. Upon their return to the UK, he and his wife quickly bought a wood-fired oven of their own and he got to work trying to recreate the magic he'd so enjoyed whilst away.
Already an avid home cook, once he'd set his sights on recreating that pizza he was transfixed and spent hours researching techniques on Youtube.
Making his dough by hand in tupperware, he got his first break after visiting Malton Food Festival with his wife, Victoria. Here they were asked if they could fill a slot at the next market. With little to no experience, no dough trays and just the one portable oven sitting in their garden, they decided to go for it.
This was the moment that Wood Fire Dine was born.
Fast forward 12 years and that market stall pop-up is now an award-winning pizza restaurant located in Rothwell, South Leeds.
Mark and his wife finally made the leap in 2017, choosing to open in their local town out of a desire to help rejuvenate the area - which had been hit by a number of high street closures and was looking a tad sorry for itself.
The Commercial Street site was soon a hit, drawing in a string of fans who enthused about the restaurant's quality dough and authentic Italian ingredients, all of which are imported directly from Naples.
In just two years, Mark found himself taking home the coveted award of UK Pizza chef of the year at 2019's national PAPA awards - a dream career moment for the chef, which he celebrated by cooking his gluten and vegan pizza the 'Millennium Special' live for the event in his Leeds United shirt.
Whilst the past year has been difficult, like many fellow hospitality businesses in Leeds Wood Fire Dine has adapted to the times - tweaking his dough recipe to hold up better for takeaways and launching a DIY home kit for families to try at home with their children.
The restaurant also launched a new New York-style dough range in February. This sees the dough cold-proved, allowing the yeast to work on the sugars in the flour for a long period of time for a deeper flavour.
Still, he's looking forward to getting back to normal and plans to reopen the restaurant on Monday 17th May when indoor dining restrictions are eased as part of the government's roadmap out of Covid.
Wood Fire Dine's new reservations system is open for bookings from 12th May.
Leeds
Leeds pizza shop hailed ‘exceptional’ and ‘best in the UK’ by major reviewer
A Leeds pizza takeaway has received a glowing review from popular review duo.
Edges Pizza opened up their first permanent spot in Leeds back in June this year, after making a name for themselves slinging out pizzas at multiple pop-ups across the city.
Owners Grace and Edge from Harrogate opened Edges Pizza two years ago, taking inspiration from trips to New York over the years.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their pizzas are a love letter to the class New York slice, think thin and crispy rather than chewy and floppy. But above all else, think absolutely delicious.
And now, they've caught the attention of a major review page, with Bite Twice Food Reviews (a page with almost 300k followers) paying Edges a visit.
The food review duo of Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany popped up in Holbeck beneath the arches to get their hands on a pizza, and the outcome is brilliant.
In the video, Bite Twice said that the pizza is 'f**cking exceptional' and up there with 'one of the best pizzas in the UK'.
Before even taking a bite, they said: "On aesthetic, I don't think anywhere in the UK is doing pizza like this".
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Then after the first bite, they go on to say: "There are very few pizzas in the UK that create this, I’m a little bit blown away".
As Londoners themselves, they go on to say that Edges is 'easily hitting with the best that we’ve got down south'.
And if that's not high praise enough, they sign off the video saying: "Leeds has got an absolute gem. I give this a stamp so hard my foot went through the pizza. Edges. Don Level."
The 42-year-old Kirkgate Market stall serving freshly shucked oysters for £1.90 a pop
Clementine Hall
Tucked away in Leeds Kirkgate Market you'll find a wonderful seafood stall selling freshly shucked oysters for £1.90 each.
It's places like these that remind us why we love Leeds so much.
Established in 1880, Hayes Seafood is widely regarded as the oldest trader within the historic Kirkgate Market.
For the past 42 years, it has been run by Cliff and Michelle, the loveliest couple who welcome every customer with open arms.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The menu here is small but perfectly formed, focusing on fresh, ready-to-eat seafood that you can enjoy with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of mayonnaise at most.
Delivered fresh every morning, there's pre-cracked crab shells, brown and white crab meat, cockles, crawfish tails - all perfectly prepared for you to eat at their bar or high tables opposite.
But, it's the oysters that you'll see people queueing for. And rightly so.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Everything here is prepared to order right in front of you, and for no extra fee. You can choose from two types of oysters: super salty Lindisfarne oysters or the slightly sweeter English Loch Fyne.
We recommend having a couple of each, pulling up a stool right by the counter and getting stuck in. If you ask Cliff nicely, he might tell you a bit about the history of the place - but you may have to order a couple more oysters for that.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You're left to dress them yourself, whether you prefer dash of fiery tabasco or a few pickled shallots. But to be honest, they're delicious just as they come.
This spot is a real piece of Leeds history, and the queues at lunchtime as well as the repeat regular customers proves just how special it is.
All it's missing is a champagne stall next to it...now wouldn't that be perfect?
Georgina Pellant -
11th May 2021 
