A new street food-style supper club is bringing pina colada fried chicken (and actual Pina Coladas) to Leeds for the night.
The brainchild of Leeds chef Robert Hallas, the exciting new drinking and dining event at Temple Arches combines food and booze with some brilliant-sounding results.
Called crEATe, next week's event will showcase a playful four-course taster menu with Rob of Bastards Bistro cooking all his dishes in booze before pairing them with an alcoholic drink.
“My initial concept was ‘food cooked with booze’ so dishes would be cooked with some kind of alcohol and it would be paired with an alcoholic drink," he told Leeds List.
Bastards Bistro
“We’ve got Pina Colada fried chicken, that’ll be served with a Pina Colada cocktail - and a few more surprises.
Alongside the pina colada fried chicken, diners will also get to try Hallas's spin on the pot noodle and a unique take of a greasy spoon full English breakfast (which, spoiler alert, will look nothing like the real thing but promises to carry "all the flavours").
There'll also be live art from a graffiti artist with 3D mapping and music from local DJs.
“You’ll basically get a 360-degree view of the cooking, live art and watching the DJs play,” Hallas said.
Hallas has only been cheffing for three years, having previously worked in bars and nightclubs.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMRRzrLn4DK/
Bastards Bistro first launched in 2019 but things really kicked off for him in lockdown when he started his own takeaway business - hiring in furloughed friends to help and borrowing a cafe’s kitchen to sling kebabs, pizzas, scotch eggs and deep-fried lasagne balls.
Now his friends have gone back to work, he's hired two new members of staff to work alongside him at Bastards Bistro - which has just officially taken over the kitchen downstairs at The Hedonist Bar on a permanent basis.
Tickets for crEATe start at £50pp, with an additional £20 for a drinks flight. It will take place at Temple Arches from 5pm on Wednesday, 26th May. You can get yours here.
To keep up to date with more of Rob's projects, follow him on Instagram.
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Inside Sheffield’s new supersize JD Sports Store that has just opened in Meadowhall
Meadowhall has just welcomed a brand-new JD Sports Store - and it is absolutely mega.
Trainer and sportswear lovers, this one's for you as JD Sports has just opened the doors to its newest store.
Located in Meadowhall shopping centre on the Lower Level of the High Street, the new store is almost triple its previous size and spans a whopping 29,225 sq ft.
Shoppers can now browse an ever bigger selection of clothing, footwear and sportswear from big brands like Nike, Montirex, New Balance, Adidas and Berghaus just to name a few.
Image: The Sheff
To make your shopping experience even smoother, the new store features self-service tills so you can be in and out within a flash.
To celebrate the opening, Chunkz and Kenny from popular Youtube collective Beta Squad officially opened the store today and held a meet and greet for fans.
Image: The Sheff
And the celebrations don't stop there, as from Friday 31 July - Sunday 2 August customers can get involved in JD's Spin-to-Win, with the chance to win gift cards, trainers and JD-branded merchandise.
Not only that, but Montirex will be hosting games all-weekend-long.
And if you can't make it that weekend, then do not fear. As on Friday 7 - Sunday 9 August, The Crep Protect truck will be rolling into Meadowhall giving out free goodie bags for customers who sign up to JD Status and follow Crep Protect.
Image: The Sheff
Sneaker Throne will also be offering a shoe-cleaning experience, with demonstrations showing customers how to keep their trainers fresh using products available in-store and goodie bags will be on offer which will also include tokens to play the Cop & Flop game.
So, what are you waiting for? We'll see you there for a fresh new fit.
Shortlist for 2026 Mercury Prize announced with several northern names making the cut
Clementine Hall
The shortlist for the 2026 Mercury Prize has officially landed - and it's another huge year for music from the north.
The prestigious annual award, which celebrates the very best British and Irish albums released over the past 12 months, has unveiled its 12 nominated records ahead of this year's ceremony in Newcastle this October.
Among the biggest talking points is a first-ever Mercury Prize nomination for music legend and northern icon Sir Paul McCartney, whose latest album The Boys Of Dungeon Lane has earned him a place on the shortlist.
Elsewhere representing the north, Newcastle jazz collective Knats have been shortlisted for A Great Day In Newcastle while jungle pioneer Nia Archives, who comes from Bradford, is recognised for her acclaimed album Emotional Junglist.
Image: Audio North
Another artist flying the Newcastle flag is JADE with her debut solo album That's Showbiz Baby!, whilst other notable nominations include Olivia Dean, RAYE and and the charity compilation HELP(2) from War Child Records.
The full 2026 Mercury Prize shortlist is:
Paul McCartney – The Boys Of Dungeon Lane
Olivia Dean – The Art Of Loving
RAYE – This Music May Contain Hope
Dave – The Boy Who Played The Harp
Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream
Dove Ellis – Blizzard
Knats – A Great Day In Newcastle
Kojey Radical – Don't Look Down
JADE – That's Showbiz Baby!
Nia Archives – Emotional Junglist
Suede – Antidepressants
War Child Records – HELP(2)
This year's Mercury Prize ceremony will return to Newcastle's Utilita Arena on Thursday 22 October after the city successfully hosted the awards for the first time last year.
The 2025 event saw hometown hero Sam Fender take home the coveted prize for People Watching, and who knows - maybe The Toon will bag another prize for a hometown hero.
Georgina Pellant -
20th May 2021 
