A huge all-day African and Caribbean food festival is taking over Leeds' Kirkgate market later this month - and it's going to be completely free to attend.
Promising to be Leeds biggest Caribbean and African food festival, those heading down will find a host of emerging and well-established food vendors cooking up and serving their mouth-watering recipes, many passed down throughout generations
Hosted by The Cultural Arts Heritage Circle (Nubian Noire), the free-to-attend festival will celebrate an array of national dishes in a celebration of African and Caribbean heritage and culture.
Maureen's on Roundhay Road is one of the most recommended spots for Afro Caribbean food in Leeds / Image: thelastsuppernorth
Taking over Kirkgate Market's food hall from 10 am - 5 pm on Saturday, 28 August, there'll be an array of food on offer here covering everything from Barbadian to Gambian cuisine.
There'll also be arts and crafts stalls as well as calypso music playing at the event, so if you're sad to be missing out on Leeds West Indian Carnival this year you can still head down for a dance.
It's all being put together by Nubian Noire, also known as The Cultural Arts Heritage Circle - first set up in 2019. The woman behind the project, Dionne Edwards, is on a mission to support BAME businesses and young entrepreneurs as small business battles its way out of the pandemic.
Black businesses have been particularly affected by the pandemic, according to Dionne, especially those within hospitality - so she was especially keen for Nubian Noire to do something to help support the community.
Safe to say, if you're a fan of Afro Caribbean food you won't want to miss this.
The food festival is free to attend but you will need to register in advance to secure a place. To register for your ticket, click here.
Alternatively, if you're a trader who would like to take part in the festival then you can email artsheritagecircle@gmail.com.
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Channel 4 needs people from Yorkshire who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wondered how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now's your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.Â
The casting call simply reads: "Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?"
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city - used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare - with no food, running water, electricity or heat.Â
Produced by The Garden - which is part of ITV Studios - for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on people from Yorkshire with the 'courage and ingenuity' to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let's prove what we're made of.
Applications close on Sunday 4 October 2026 at midnight, and you must be 18 or above, with a valid UK or ROI passport, to enter.Â
Georgina Pellant -
3rd August 2021 
