Leeds' iconic vintage store Blue Rinse has been forced to shut up shop at its oldest location in the city after 25 years of trade.
A haven of old school Levi's, tartan shirts, trinkets, and nearly-untouched pieces from the 70s, the three-floor Call Lane store has been a mainstay for vintage lovers in the city for decades.
Blaming rising rent rates and disruption caused by the ongoing development of the nearby Corn Exchange, the brothers behind the emporium reflected on the decades they've spent at the store as they said goodbye to it one last time on Tuesday.
“There was just so much in circulation. But clothes now are more ‘used’. I wouldn’t even call it all vintage.
“But we still find rare gems. We sort through four or five tonnes of clothing a week in our warehouse in Armley, the odd 60s stuff - but we buy a lot more 80s and 90s stuff now.”
The store first opened in 1997, born out of the brothers' desire for new clothes and an inability to pay for them.
They told the paper: “When we were 18, 19, we were skint. You could go into a charity shop and find a decent T-shirt.
“It was born from that, and my brother ended up selling in a used clothing shop, then we started doing markets.”
Whilst Blue Rinse's original Call Lane location has now closed for good, its five-storey Leeds shop at Silvercrest House remains open - as does its Manchester site.
This will certainly not be the end of the brand, either, with the brothers revealing plans to open another site in Newcastle later this year.
Feature image - Blue Rinse
Leeds
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 -
27th April 2022 
