Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Leeds City Centreand take on the role of your beer-loving dreams?
We might have just found the ultimate day trip for any Leeds beer-lover on the hunt for their new favourite spot out of town- and with every dream daytrip, comes a dream job for those that work there (but more about that later).
Whilst the task of getting a table in the city centre on a Saturday afternoon may be considered almost an Olympic sport, we understand that having a delicious pint in a venue with amazing atmosphere might be something that you crave.
Leeds is blessed with a huge array of amazing venues, but sometimes it’s nice to take a short train to a town or village nearby. Imagine a place 20 minutes train ride outside of Leeds, filled with an amazing craft beer selection, cocktails ‘on tap’ and just about something for everyone.
Imagine a Grade II listed Tramshed, filled with the best craft beer Saltaire has to offer, complete with a huge brewery at the rear of the building where you’ll find the ultimate craft beer experience.
SALT Beer Factory is the home of one of the UK’s fastest growing craft beer brands, and you’ll certainly find a large selection of their brews on tap at any time. Hidden away in the UNESCO heritage village of Saltaire, SALT Beer Factory is on a mission to unify heritage and modern brewing with a difference.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Find out more about the brewery and its heritage from friendly bar staff who are more than willing to give you more information. The brewery taproom is complete with a dramatic yet pristine backdrop, and you’ll be surrounded by fermenter tanks where the beer you are sipping on once was. Grab a seat in the heart of the action during its opening hours – Friday – Sunday, and enjoy an intimate and one-of-a-kind drinking experience.
There's also ample opportunity to visit SALT Bar & Kitchen every single day of the week for a taste of real ales and SALT beers. There’s certainly something for everyone available, with high strength speciality beers and low strength sessionable ales available all week long.
So whether you’re looking for a weekday or weekend visit, SALT have fantastic food and craft beer available all week long. Along with a Shuffleboard table which is available in the Taproom all week and SALT even host their very own live music events, with bands playing once a month and DJ’s every Friday and Saturday.
Sample their brand-new selection of 'on tap' cocktails, each poured from a draught line or taste artisan wines at the bartender's recommendation.
How could we forget about food? Both SALT Bar & Kitchen and SALT Taproom offer a huge menu, with freshly prepared food to your liking. So whether you’re in the mood for wood fired pizzas, or looking to just get a light snack, the menu is complete with a huge array of delicious treats – whatever your budget or portion size.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
So where does the dream job fit in? If this sounds like the sort of place you want to spend your days: strolling amongst the hops and testing out SALT Beer Factory's finest, you could become one of their expert members of staff.
If you know your craft beers from your IPAs or just fancy talking about beer all day, SALT is looking for those that know a thing or two about brewing to join their Brewery Tour team.
The staff here are knowledgeable, but make the whole experience exciting and relatable and exciting, so you need to be able to give those visiting an informal but informative insight to the beer factory business, so that they can leave with plenty of fun facts.
We really can’t think of a better dream job to swap our 9-5s for.
Those interested in a position with SALT Beer Factory should contact the business themselves to find out more information.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage
If there’s one thing Leeds knows how to do, it’s produce a seriously talented bunch of emerging creatives. And this time, we’re swapping the usual indie gigs and late-night dance floors for a choir proving there’s nothing old-fashioned about singing together.
Meet LC Pop Choir, the Leeds-based group taking some of the biggest pop, rock and gospel hits and giving them a whole new lease of life.
Based at Leeds Conservatoire, the choir was founded in 2015 by Principal Lecturer Craig Lees and has since grown into a talented community of students and alumni who share a love of music and a good old singalong.
But don’t go thinking this is your typical Sunday afternoon choir. We’re talking huge vocals, impressive harmonies and the kind of performances that make you want to get up and join in. Think songs you already know by heart, reimagined with a whole room full of voices behind them.
In 2025, LC Pop Choir took to the stage on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, performing Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. The anthem is practically impossible not to sing along to, and the choir gave it a powerful new spin, showing just how much a familiar pop hit can be transformed through the power of group vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxUjfRqvyks
It’s the sort of performance that reminds you why live music is so special. There’s something about hearing a song you’ve known for years delivered in a completely different way that makes you fall in love with it all over again.
LC Pop Choir is such an exciting part of Leeds’ creative community. They’re not just performing songs; they’re finding new ways to bring people together through music. And that’s something Leeds has always done particularly well.
What makes the group even more special is the talent behind the harmonies. Made up of emerging artists releasing their own music, touring around the country and even performing at major festivals, these are creatives making waves in their own right.
Yet, every Monday, they come together as a family of creatives, supporting one another, nurturing their talents and celebrating their shared love of music.
The music industry can be a competitive place, particularly for artists just starting out, so having a space to develop their skills, meet like-minded people and be part of something bigger is invaluable.
This Leeds pop choir is putting emerging musicians centre stage. Credit: Ian Hodgson
And that sense of community is exactly what makes groups like LC Pop Choir such an important part of Leeds’ cultural scene.
Whether you’re a musical theatre obsessive, a pop music fanatic or someone who simply loves a brilliant live performance, LC Pop Choir is one Leeds-based group worth keeping on your radar.
We have a feeling some of these young artists will be paving the way for the next generation of music in the North, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Leeds City Council granted £1.6m to tackle rough sleeping by Christmas
Clementine Hall
A £1.6m grant has been given by the government to Leeds City Council to help tackle rough sleeping.
The funding has been allocated to Leeds City Council as part of the Government’s national Rough Sleeping Programme.
The overall target is to help rough sleepovers off the streets by Christmas through providing safe accommodation.
The council have said that voluntary organisations and charities will be able to help them reach this target.
The council report said: "This funding will be used for immediate interventions to ensure all those rough sleeping have an offer of accommodation by Christmas and support longer term sustainment of accommodation.
“The initial target is to provide a suitable offer of accommodation for everyone who is rough sleeping by Christmas 2026.
“Providing a path into supported accommodation and independent living is the key objective and sustaining this independent living with, where necessary, ongoing support to prevent any return to rough sleeping and homelessness.”
The government announcement spoke of the scheme: "The programme is intended to support people experiencing rough sleeping.
"People experiencing rough sleeping may have differing entitlements to housing and support depending on their individual circumstances, including their immigration status and eligibility for public funds."
The funding is intended to help provide immediate support for people currently sleeping on the streets, while also helping them access longer-term accommodation and the support needed to maintain independent living.
By working with local charities and voluntary organisations, the council hopes to ensure people are not only offered a place to stay but are also given the help they need to avoid returning to the streets.
Sophie Smith -
31st May 2022 
