Long time sweet treat favourites Batch'd will be opening a store in the heart of Leeds this summer.
If you've caught the scent of melting chocolate or the crunch of cookies in Leeds Train Station over the past few months, chances are you've been drooling over Batch'd, the Leeds-born small business championing the city's independent dessert traders.
There's delicious baked goods and artisan desserts aplenty to choose from. Think donuts, brownies, cookies, cookie pies, pastel de natas and ice cream from Leeds-own Doboy donuts, Brown & Blond Brownies, 42nd East Bakehouse, Sweet Tooth Bakery to choose from- and now, there will be a brand new location for foodies to pick up their sweet treats.
Just one year on from their first kiosk opening at White Rose Shopping Centre in 2021, Batch'd will be opening their very own store inside Leeds Trinity Shopping Centre. The business started as a lockdown success after owner David Richmond's airport taxi company was impacted by the pandemic.
Coming together with his colleagues Harry Clavane and Louis Richmond, the team started Batch'd after developing a business that delivered fresh groceries before eventually moving on to the notion of getting a delivering locally-produced cakes, doughnuts and brownies and selling them at a food fair, where they came up with the concept of Batch’d.
Harry Clavane, Managing Director at Batch’d, said: “We’re proud to offer something completely different from the mass-produced baked goods you often see. We do pick-ups from our independent, small-batch bakeries in the north every morning, and deliver them straight to our kiosks and stores to ensure they’re at their freshest.
Image: Supplied (UMPH)
“Opening our first stand-alone store, at the same time as celebrating the 1st anniversary of our first kiosk at the White Rose centre, feels like a momentous milestone and we’re excited to give local artisan bakers a platform in such an iconic location as Trinity Leeds.”
Nick Jones, Assistant Centre Director, at Trinity Leeds, said: “Batch’d is a fantastic example of a local business supporting other independent Leeds-based suppliers and we’re excited to have them on board here at Trinity Leeds, offering the perfect pitstop for anyone with a sweet tooth.”
Whilst the official opening date is yet to be announced, you can bet that the news will keep Loiners heading to Leeds Trinity in anticipation of the new opening.
Feature Image- Supplied
Leeds
Independent Nordic-inspired homeware shop closes Leeds store after six years
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Sophie Smith -
21st July 2022 
