Friends of Ham, Fika North, Honest Burgers and Double D's Hot Sauce have all collaborated with this sauce company this year.
Starting from humble beginnings, Thiccc Sauce is one of our favourite lockdown success stories from Leeds.
Since beginning the sauce company, founder Luca has collaborated with some incredible Leeds talent, including the likes of Friends of Ham, Little Bao Boys, the Savvy Baker, as well as gaining national clients that all want a taste of hot sauce.
Sauces are available for personal use and as giant corporate bottles for mass production. / Image: Thiccc Sauces
Over the last eighteen months, variations of sauces have been repeatedly limited to small batches and sometimes a purchase maximum of one per person- these Thiccc Sauces have been in hot demand.
It all started for Luca in May 2020, when the founder was bored and hibernating in their mum's kitchen, 'until everything blew over, which it didn't'.
Image: Thiccc Sauce
Earlier this year, founder Luca shared the recipe for success so far on Instagram, explaining:
"Previous to starting the project, my love of hot sauce & BBQ sauce came from working in hospitality for 10 years & travelling the east and west coast of America over the years.
I always wanted to put together a combination of the love of sauce & beer from an industry i love into my very own product & then was born Thiccc Sauce.
"What started with 5 bottles of unlabelled, waxed scotch bonnet hot sauce sold over Instagram, then grew and grew to being able to work with some of the best Northern foodies, venues and brands to where we are today, back in lockdown #fullcircle".
Hot sauce with packaging designed by artists around the UK. / Image: Thiccc Sauce
The sauce maker isn't just championing restaurants and bars across Leeds, but uses talent from the city and across the UK to design each bottles' unique design. So far, some of Thiccc Sauces' greatest designs have come from the likes of Drew Millard, Stuart Allen, Bobbi Abbey.
As the year comes to a close, the sauce giant has collaborated with Bundobust, Neon Cactus, Mozzafella, North Brew Co and more, which all come from an original Thiccc Sauce base. Nowadays, there are a range of fast-selling sauces available, including a recent restock of a collaboration with Fika North: Lagöm.
Thiccc Sauce X Fika North. / Image: Thiccc Sauce
The collaboration is all about championing local and international flavours with their Lagöm Lingonberry Hot Sauce. Lagöm meaning “just the right amount, in balance” in Swedish, and contains just the right amount of freshly squeezed Lingonberries, Lingonberry Jam, habanero chilli, bell red pepper, tomato, red wine vinegar, maple syrup and spices.
So what can we expect from the delicious sauce makers in 2022? Luca said:
"I’ve recently just moved into a huge warehouse space in Sheepscar so production will be increasing in 2022 along with loads more exciting collabs and sauces"- we can't wait to hear which.
Thiccc Sauce is available at plenty of foodie pop ups too. / Image: Thiccc Sauce
To get your hands of some of the best sauces in Leeds, you can visit their website or Instagram page, or you can find their sauce in person at Bottle Chop in Headingley, amongst other stockists.
Feature Image- Thiccc Sauce
Leeds
Claire’s shutting down all standalone shops in UK and Ireland
In another hit to the high streets, Claire's Accessories is shutting up shop across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration yet again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire's will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire's closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded in America way back in 1961, Claire's has enjoyed a presence across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they've struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They filed for bankruptcy in the US in August 2025 after having already concluded operations in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
For many, the outcome isn't all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Slam Dunk festival’s statement in full as director steps down amid allegations
Daisy Jackson
Slam Dunk festival has shared a statement confirming one of its directors has stepped down, in the wake of allegations.
The popular punk festival takes place next month across two sites, one of which is here in Leeds.
This year's line-up is set to include headline performances from the likes of Good Charlotte, Knocked Loose, Sublime, and Taking Back Sunday.
But Slam Dunk has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week after allegations against one of its directors came to light.
Slam Dunk said in its statement, which did not get into specifics about the nature of the allegations, that the festival 'remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers'.
They added that the director has stepped down, but 'strongly refutes' the allegations.
The statement then promised 'transparency and honesty' and said that more updates would be provided when appropriate.
Slam Dunk wrote: "We are aware of allegations published yesterday relating to one of our directors. We take these allegations seriously and understand that they may be distressing and hard to process for our community.
"Our Slam Dunk fans, staff, and artists are, as always, our top priority.
"While he strongly refutes these allegations, the director in question has agreed, in consultation with the board, to step down from Slam Dunk operations while this matter is ongoing.
"Slam Dunk remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers.
"Our values and culture are fundamental to how we operate, and we are committed to upholding them.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further on an ongoing legal matter.
"However, we promise transparency and honesty to our Slam Dunk community and will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so."
Slam Dunk returns to Temple Newsam in Leeds on Sunday 24 May.
Sophie Smith -
21st December 2021 
