The Collective, a unique interior design and cafe-bar concept, is opening at 34 Boar Lane in Leeds city centre next week.
Inspired by the Los Angeles art scene, the brand-new venue is being fitted with high-quality furnishings and tableware which are all for sale - with a wide range of drinks and light refreshments available to order.
Movable bookcases at The Collective will also provide cosy corners to work from; well as spaces for meetings, events and workshops.
34 Boar Lane - which is already home to several businesses - has recently undergone an architectural transformation, and The Collective is taking a 1,819 sq ft unit on the ground floor with space for 42 covers.
The new cafe-bar will open next week on Boar Lane. / Image: The Collective
Ellen Pryce of The Collective described the venue as "a space to refuel, unwind and discover".
She added: "[The Collective] will provide our guests with an immersive experience that encourages them to quite literally buy into our brand.
"We have worked hard to source some amazing British companies that produce high-quality hand-crafted furnishings and tableware and it’s exciting that we can allow our guests to really fall in love with the pieces before they order them for their own home.
"The large majority of everything you see in The Collective will be available to purchase, from the sofas and modern art, to the tables, chairs and even the kitchenware.
"The food and drinks will match the curated interiors with an instagram-worthy menu of healthy brunch and lunch options, incredible coffees and classic cocktails."
The cafe-bar have only shared illustrations of their concept so far. / Image: The Collective
George Haddo, co-founder of Kinrise who own 34 Boar Lane, said: "It is very exciting to welcome such an innovative and imaginative company like The Collective to 34 Boar Lane. They are the perfect fit for our very special building, where we are creating a collaborative environment that offers our occupiers high-quality office floors, small studios or co-working desks.
"Our aim is to turn iconic but unloved buildings into creative work and community spaces. It means that the city’s heritage and soul lives on for the future and real cultural capital remains in the centre rather than being pushed further out of cities."
Current occupants of 34 Boar Lane include recruitment company Charlton Morris, pensions advisory firm Isio, brand agency McCann, culture group Leeds 2023 and popular Yorkshire restaurant chain Mowgli.
Everything in the space will be available for purchase. / Image: The Collective
The Collective will open next week. For more information, visit the Collective Inc website.
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Myles Smith announces HUGE arena gig in Leeds this year
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has just announced his biggest headline tour and is set to play a huge arena gig in Leeds this year.
Quit ‘Stargazing’ and get ready to fight for tickets as Myles Smith has just announced he’ll be visiting Leeds later this year for his biggest arena gig to date.
Known for hits like ‘Nice To Meet You’, ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’ and ‘Wait For You’, this BRIT School graduate is now heading on the road for some headline shows across the UK.
Recognised for his folk-pop sound, Smith has built quite a name for himself just three or so years into his career, with solo efforts and a few collaborations under his belt.
Myles Smith is heading to First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds, on tour this year / Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Recently, the Luton-born artist collaborated with some well-known names like Shaboozey on their track ‘Blink Twice’ and even features on a new single from former One Direction member Niall Horan titled ‘Drive Safe’.
It was only last year that the ‘Stargazing’ songwriter visited Leeds, bringing his high-energy hits to O2 Academy back in February.
Now, Smith is ready to tackle an arena crowd and has chosen Leeds First Direct Bank Arena and is expected to raise the roof when 13,500 fans flock to the star’s show this winter.
Titled after his upcoming album My Mess, My Life, My Heart, Smith will be playing a variety of well-known and brand new hits when he makes his way up North.
Fans who are signed up to the official artist presale can get exclusive access to tickets from Wednesday, 25 March at 10am, with the window closing on Friday, 27 March at 9am.
Meanwhile, general admission tickets go live by 10 am that same Friday (27 Mar).
Myles Smith is embarking on his ‘My Mess, My Life, My Heart’ tour this winter and visiting First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds on Sunday 8 November – tickets and more info HERE.
Sophie Smith -
19th November 2021 
