Head to the back of Kirkgate Market, weaving through fish stalls and greengrocers, until you hit the bustling food trader quarter. Here, you'll find one of the most satisfying fish butties in Leeds.
It's a far cry from your traditional deep-fried, battered fish finger butty. To start with, this is no light, flaky white fish filling, but robust, rich and oily mackerel. Slapped on a hot grill to sizzle right in front of you, this is Turkish street food at its finest.
We're talking about Mr Mackerel, the popular Leeds market trader that recently featured in a rave by Guardian food critic Jay Rayner.
Encased in a soft white roll, with lashings of chillies, pickled red cabbage and cucumber yoghurt, it makes both a comforting and filling lunch - the oiliness of the hot, grilled mackerel tempered by a generous squirt of lemon juice. Even better, it's only a fiver.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
On a visit to the city at the end of last month Rayner enthused about MorMor at Kino, the Levantine-inspired street food gaff serving up gorgeous mezze and small plates, as well as namechecking Quebec Street's old-school French restaurant Sous Le Nez.
But it's Mr Mackerel that he described as "the best £5 you can spend on lunch anywhere in Leeds right now".
The critic wrote: "The next day I went for lunch to the old Kirkgate Market, from where I used to buy thick slabs of fabulous bacon when I was a student.
"Now it is a smart mix of traditional stalls, many selling old-school cream cakes and intriguing, modern food stands.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
"Head to the back and Mr Mackerel, a Turkish grill where you can get a soft white bun filled with a whole grilled fresh mackerel fillet with shredded red cabbage, salad and chillies. It’s fantastic.
"It’s probably the best £5 you can spend on lunch anywhere in Leeds right now."
If it's good enough for Mr Rayner, it's definitely good enough for us. Yes, there are non-fish options. But if you want the real balik ekmek experience, make sure to order the real thing.
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.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Georgina Pellant -
17th March 2023 
