Leeds Kirkgate Market will be home to the great Yorkshire Vegan Festival this summer.
Taking place in June, there'll be over 80 stall owners in attendance on the day - with products spanning skincare, homeware, food, clothing, toiletries and world food.
The likes of VDogs, Greek Vegan Deli, House of Habesha, There’s No Catch (vegan fish and chips) and Those Vegan Pizza Guys are all confirmed to visit with tasty vegan treats.
There'll be a new event taking place this year, too - providing guests with the ultimate vegan food and camping experience. Titled VFest UK, the occasion will feature some huge headline acts, a club night, circus skills workshops, an assault course, and a zip wire experience.
Naturally, there will be a big focus on food - with plenty of food stalls and caterers on hand, plus appearances from TV Chef Matt Pritchard and Guinness World Record Holder Fiona Oakes.
Vegan doughnuts from Doughnotts laden with plant-based toppings / Image: Doughnotts
But there'll also be opportunities to go boating on the lake, take part in group entertainment, watch fun shows and hear international speakers giving talks on their areas of expertise.
The event is working with a number of organisations including Cats Protection, Four Paws UK, Greenpeace, Plantlife, Ramblers, Viva!, We The Free, Woodland Trust and WWF. All money raised on the day will go to support these organisations.
Non-profit UK animal welfare charity Miracle's Mission is also involved and will attend in the capacity of an organisation that works with sick, injured and difficult animals.
More food stalls confirmed to take part in the festival include Bonnie Yau's Food, Dalton Moor Farm, Doughnotts, Ella’s Instant Vegan Yorky Puds and Pancakes, Just Deserts Yarm, KO-CO Brownies, MKS Food, Telltale Tea, The May Bakery, Tyne Chease, and Vegan Sweet Tooth London.
Skincare, make-up, toiletry, candle and crafts stalls will include Devaiya Oils, Earth's Garden, Lavender and Lilac and Tropic Skincare.
Bo's Book, Jewellery Star, Olive and Hope, Vegan recipes and information, Pet Respect and Trad Collective, and Vegum are also down to attend.
Taking place on Sunday, 20 June from 10am to 4pm, 100% of ticket sales go towards helping the event's partner charities.
Get tickets and find out more information on their website.
Feature image - Geograph.
News
Independent Nordic-inspired homeware shop closes Leeds store after six years
After six years in the city, independent homeware retailer North Home is closing its Leeds city centre shop.
If you're a lover of all things home then you'll have most likely visited the gorgeous North Home shop in the Victoria Quarter.
Stacked to the brim with unique pieces from striking ceramics to stylish soft furnishings, North Home is known for its well-curated stock and great customer service.
Seriously, we've probably spent a good hour in here in awe of all the beautiful pieces.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Last week, curious shoppers noticed the three-storey store was suddenly empty and now the company have confirmed that they have closed for good.
In a statement, they said: "After nearly 6 wonderful years trading in Leeds, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our physical store while we restructure the business and explore the next chapter for North Home.
"Retail has changed significantly in recent years and, like many independent businesses, we’ve faced increasing costs.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
"Taking this step now gives us the opportunity to protect what we’ve built and focus on the future of the brand. North Home continues to operate online and all existing customer orders will be fulfilled as normal although delivery times may be slightly extended.
"We’ve loved being part of the Leeds retail community since 2020 and are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. We hope to share more about our plans soon."
We'll be sad to see them go and we hope this isn't goodbye forever, but you can still shop from North Home online here.
Neighbourhood Leeds bistro hailed as ‘a bit horny’ and ‘brilliant’ by national critic Camilla Long
Clementine Hall
Food critic Camilla Long visited Leeds for her latest review for The Times with her sights set on Horsforth's finest - Bavette Bistro.
Ever since opening back in 2024, Bavette Bistro nestled in the leafy suburb of Horsforth has made waves across the country for its sheer brilliance.
It's pretty much received five star reviews across the board and been handed awards from left, right and centre. And rightly so.
The Good Food Guide crowned Bavette the best local restaurant of 2024, and Michelin handed them a well deserved Bib Gourmand - so it's safe to say it's not just us who think it's really something special.
So it was only a matter of time until The Times popped in for a review, and this one is truly glowing.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The review labels Bavette as "warm, unmannered and unpretentious" as well as "authentically French".
Long describes the food as "gorgeous, confident, surprising" with a menu that "isn’t too long" and "filled with sturdy, noble dishes, whiffing mightily of the sea and the soil."
It continues: "All of it made with generosity and cheer, served fast by nimble waiters, with a long, if slightly eccentric, wine list. To bang out French dishes with this much fiddly detail and to do it to a full room is not easy. Yet all four courses came in under two hours, for about £75 a head, which in London terms is nothing.
"It’s not that this place was perfect, it’s that it was decidedly not perfect. A bit too much chat about the menus; the oeufs in the meurette not quite runny enough. But the point is: it didn’t matter. All of it came charmingly together. It felt relaxed, just right."
The review is then wrapped up with a pleasing five stars, the cherry on top of the cake.
It's a review only restaurants can dream of, and we can't think of a more deserving team - congratulations Bavette.
Georgina Pellant -
7th June 2021 
