The 13th Oliver Awards, hosted by the Yorkshire Evening Post took place last night at the Queens Hotel.
It was the biggest event in the Oliver Awards history, with over 400 guests joining in on the celebrations. The awards celebrate the brilliance of the food and drink sector in Leeds and after two years of resilience throughout the pandemic, there was certainly a lot to celebrate last night.
From the city's best late night bars, fine-dining restaurants and trendy brunch spots; there were awards to commemorate all the outstanding talent in the hospitality sector from in and around Leeds.
BBC's legendary Harry Gration hosted the glitzy and glamorous awards, which was then followed by a night of live entertainment.
Image: Below Stairs Bar
Noticeable wins include Below Stairs, an underground cocktail haven on South Parade taking home the award for Best Bar. Best cafe went to Grön who have locations in both Leeds and Harrogate and serve up healthy, nourishing dishes all day long. Lamb and Flag on Church Row took Best Pub and Overall Restaurant of the Year went to Chef Jono at V&V.
Image: The Lamb and Flag
Here is the full list of winners at the glamorous Oliver awards this year:
Best Cafe/Deli - Grön Kafe
Best Pub or Brewery: Lamb & Flag
Best Brunch: Grand Pacific
Best Use of Local Produce: The Beehive Thorner
Best Bar: Below Stairs
Best Speciality: Tharavadu
Best Family Friendly: Grumpy's
Best Use of Outdoor Space: Chow Down
Sustainability Award: The Alchemist
Best Customer Service: Kuala Lumpur Cafe
Newcomer of the Year: CORA
Best Takeaway Offering: Bomba Paella & Tapas
Best Fine Dining Experience: HOME
Chef of the Year: Jono Hawthorne of Chef Jono at V&V
Sheffield based curator and archivist Alex Wilson is taking over a refurbished Victorian unit down the historic Chapel Walk.
The space will be transformed into a record shop, gallery space and micro cinema dubbed 'Sheffield's Smallest Cinema'.
The space will be rooted in, and be a champion of, Sheffield/Yorkshire/Northern cultural heritage; focusing specifically on sound, moving image, design and photography.
Titled 'Memory Dance', the opening exhibition, WE'LL MISS THEM WHEN THEY'RE GONE, will reboot a popular display held on The Moor, Sheffield back in 2012.
Images: Supplied
The exhibition will explore the history of record shops in the city, from Bradleys to Virgins, and includes original 78 RPM sleeves, old and new record shop bags, related ephemera from lost Sheffield vinyl retailers, alongside prints by designer Simon Robinson responding to the imagery of these old sleeves.
They're also asking the Sheffield community to come down with anything relating to the history of Sheffield record shops and if suitable, Memory Dance can scan the items on site and hand back a digital file. Or, they can hang them in the venue for the duration of the exhibition.
The ground floor will also open its racks for the first time to a curated selection of used vinyl for sale drawn from some of the best collections the city has to offer, with a real focus on Sheffield artists and labels past/present to carry the legacy forward.
At the end of June, the walls will be refreshed for the first ever exhibition telling the amazing story of 'SHEFFIELD CABLEVISION TV (1972-76)'.
With newly printed photography from surviving staff members and crew, plus archive artefacts and merchandise, the Memory Dance micro cinema space will also be launched with an exclusive, rarely seen collection of Cablevision TV Station archive video.
Memory Dance at Chapel Walk will soft launch on 05.06.26, and you can find out more here.
Leeds’ most famous pub has announced the return of its annual FREE Beer Festival this summer
Clementine Hall
Whitelock’s Ale House has announced the return of its annual Beer Festival - hoorah!
There’s nothing quite like a nice fresh pint, and we all know Whitelock’s Ale House know how to pour a good one.
So it's with great glee that we can fill you in on their upcoming Beer Festival which will be returning to the iconic pub from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 June 2026.
The four-day festival will celebrate the best of independent brewing in Leeds, with beers sourced exclusively from local breweries.
Featured breweries will include Northern Monk, Kirkstall Brewery, Anthology, Amity Brew Co. and more.
Known as the oldest pub in Leeds, Whitelock’s Ale House has long championed independent beers and local brewing culture.
Image: Supplied
This year’s festival aims to spotlight the strength and diversity of the city’s brewing scene, with the tagline 'Beer tastes better up north!'
Beer will be pouring throughout the weekend across Whitelock's Ale House and The Turk's Head, with further brewery announcements and festival details set to be shared in the coming weeks via their Instagram.
The best part? Entry to the festival is completely free.
Talking about this year’s festival, General Manager Beth said: “Beer has always been at the heart of Whitelock’s, so this felt like the right year to celebrate both the breweries on our doorstep and the city we’ve called home for more than 300 years.
"Leeds has a brilliantly strong independent beer scene right now, and we’re looking forward to showcasing some of the best breweries the city has to offer across the weekend.”
You can find out more about Whitelock's Ale House and their fabulous Beer Festival here via their website. Cheers to that!
Clementine Hall -
29th March 2022 
