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.
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
17th March 2023 
