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Leeds craft beer bar Friends of Ham announces ‘Hocktoberfest’ event
Spanning two weeks, Friends of Ham will be hosting a five-line lager takeover, pouring Bavarian festbier, Czech pilsners and “the crème de la crème of UK lager”.
Leeds craft beer bar Friends of Ham has announced a two-week "Hocktoberfest" event for September - dedicated to "celebrating some of the best lagers the world has to offer".
Ordinarily at this time of year, Bavaria would be prepping the tents and steins for its famous annual Oktoberfest celebrations.
But with the big event being cancelled for a second year running, Leeds’ Jamon Bar has decided to throw its own local party.
Over the course of two weeks, Friends of Ham will be hosting a five-line lager takeover - pouring Bavarian festbier, Czech pilsners and "the crème de la crème of UK lager".
Beers will be paired with a German-inspired specials menu throughout the fortnight, with multiple events taking place including a tasting menu and a closing party with live music.
Events include:
Thursday 23 September - Happy As A Pig In Schnit // Friends of Ham x Schnit Faced // An evening of Austro-Bavarian cuisine with a four-course tasting menu with great German beer paired alongside each course.
Saturday 2 September - Hocktoberfest Closing Party // Underbelly Leeds // Steins // Gravity Cask Lager // Live Music // Good Vibes
More information and tickets are available online via the Friends of Ham Facebook page.
Leeds
Pitbull at Roundhay Festival – For one glorious evening, Leeds became the happiest place on Earth
From the second Pitbull emerges onto the Roundhay Festival stage, suited, sunglasses firmly in place, there was only ever going to be one outcome - a field full of thousands of people completely surrendering to the party.
A few years ago, Pitbull's resurgence was treated by some as a bit of an internet joke. The memes were everywhere. The bald cap. The "Mr Worldwide" catchphrase. The nostalgia.
But those people who still think this is a novelty have clearly never been to a Pitbull concert.
While party anthems are often dismissed as throwaway pop, these hits are anything but - Pitbull writes songs that still get you dancing 20 years since their release, songs that reach into your brain and switch off the part that normally tells you to stand still with your drink.
Whether the tracks first exploded onto playlists in the late 2000s or the early 2010s, they still trigger the same involuntary reaction: arms in the air, hips moving, and strangers suddenly becoming your dance partners.
Pitbull is also a genuinely exceptional showman, dancing and jumping so freely we end up with a camera roll of photos where he appears to be levitating.
Backed by a phenomenal live band, every song feels bigger, louder and more celebratory than its studio version, while slick choreography and booming production transforms Roundhay's open fields into a full-blown fiesta.
Giant video screens whisk the audience from Miami to Cuba, Rio Carnival to Tijuana, with plenty of lively pyrotechnics making it all the more mental.
The Hoot in a sea of PitbullsPitbull on stage at Roundhay Festival
Even the inevitable costume changes (... jacket changes) became part of the experience.
Rather than letting the atmosphere dip, Pitbull hands the stage over to a DJ armed with wall-to-wall singalong classics. Instead of checking phones or heading for the bar, the crowd just… keeps dancing.
The whole spectacle thrives on glorious excess. There's the surreal contrast of Pitbull, impeccably dressed in a tuxedo jacket, standing centre stage while dancers perform around him in impossibly tiny leotards. It's flamboyant, unapologetic and entirely committed to the bit. There really isn't another live show quite like it, and that's probably for the best.
Amid all the catchphrases, the relentless positivity and what feels like several hundred uses of the word "party", Pitbull also finds time to remind the audience of the work his foundation has done, including helping build schools and providing education for thousands of young people. It's a brief but welcome reminder that beneath the larger-than-life persona is someone who has invested heavily in giving opportunities to others.
Of course, nobody is really here for a TED Talk. We're here to lose ourselves for 90 minutes in hit after hit, and that's exactly what we get.
Pitbull understands something many artists don't: joy is a skill. Creating an atmosphere where thousands of strangers forget about work, bills and bad news long enough to dance without embarrassment isn't easy. But somehow he makes it look effortless.
For one night, Roundhay Park wasn't just another festival site. It was the biggest party in Yorkshire.
Cult favourite burger chain Burgerism is officially coming to Leeds this August
Clementine Hall
An award-winning burger chain is coming to one of Leeds' suburbs.
If you don't know Burgerism, then get to know.
The Manchester-based burger chain is known by many for its incredible smash patties and quick, reliable service.
Their concept is simple: good burgers made with quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order. Delicious.
And it's not just burgers, they've also got some great wings and fries available too with a range of homemade sauces on offer for dunking, drizzling and devouring. We're a particular fan of the buffalo wings with their garlic ranch dip.
The chain used to have a dark kitchen on the outskirts of the city where people could order via Deliveroo, however this closed down and since then there's been a Burgerism-shaped hole left in our foodie scene.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Burgerism recently applied to move into a vacant shop unit in Meanwood at 605 Meanwood Road, seeking change-of-use planning permission for the former Papa Johns site which was previously only allowed to serve...well, pizzas.
And the plans have now been approved, which means Burgerism will officially be coming to Leeds. Hurray!
Burgerism's new takeaway will be walking distance from the The Meanwood Tavern, perfect for those looking for some post-pint burgers.
It will be strictly takeaway with no dine-in option available.
The brand-new Burgerism will employ 15 people from the local area with food being served between 11am and 11pm.
We'll keep you up to date as and when we find out more, but for now we're aware that Burgerism Leeds is set to open this August.
The Hoot -
20th August 2021 
