It's official, Chow Down is here to stay - and it's coming back bigger and better than ever.
As the popular street food festival pop-up nears its first birthday, organisers have revealed it will be moving into Temple Arches on a permanent basis. And as part of the new plans, it'll also be launching its own cocktail bar, Tipples.
New Head of Drinks Jake Speakman has put together an eclectic drinks list, featuring the likes of guava and kiwi punch, the Chow Down 'heavy sipper', Ribena margaritas, and white chocolate espresso martinis - all of which sound absolutely incredible to us.
Chow Down has confirmed it will be staying at Temple Arches permanently / Image: Chow Down
The food festival first launched in Leeds last summer, hosting ten successful pop-up weekends that saw a whole host of independent traders bring their tasty street food dishes to Temple Arches.
Returning again in April, it's now set to stay - and is gearing up for a huge birthday celebration starting from July 22 and running through to July 25.
The street food festival now has a permanent home at Temple Arches / image: Chow Down
The four-day birthday celebrations will see the festival bring the likes of the New York Brass Band and The Pigeon Detectives down to Temple Arches, alongside a whole host of other musicians.
Things will kick off with a Futuresound takeover on Thursday night, featuring DJ sets from Low Hummer, Far Caspian and The Pigeon Detectives.
Chown Down is preparing for its first birthday celebrations / Image: Chow Down
The music will continue with the intergalactic house sounds of Man Power on Friday, followed by an appearance from Manchester DJ legend Luke Unabomber. on Saturday night.
Finally, the New York Brass Band will make their triumphant return to Temple Arches on the Sunday afternoon with a live set that is expected to include a brassy rendition of Happy Birthday.
On the food front, there'll be appearance from traders like Torito Taco, MorMor, Wallace and Sons and Little Red Food Cluck. Project D will also join for a special pop-up, bringing along some special Chow Down Birthday donuts for the occasion.
Resident ice cream truck Scoop is always on hand to serve up a tasty dessert / Image: Chow Down
The resident Scoop truck will also be in situ, serving up its indulgent ice-cream treats and brownies.
There will also be live art across the weekend from abstract designer and marker Emma Hardaker, whose bright graphics can be seen in murals and installation pieces across the North.
“This area of Leeds has some amazing plans for the future and we can’t wait to be a part of that," said Chow Down co-founder Matt Long.
Chow Down supports a whole host of independent street food traders with its events / Image: Chow Down
"It's been incredible to see Chow Down grow over the last year, and cement itself as a permanent venue at Temple Arches. Alongside Chow Down, we (New Citizens) have great projects in the Temple area, with Oktoberfest and The Garden Party, so we feel very much a part of this exciting transformation.
"At Chow Down we have looked to support as many independent food traders as possible, and this year to date we have had over 50 vendors trade with us, helping out and actually kickstarting many of the hospitality scenes as we rotate the food as much as possible.
"Our drink supply is very much as local as possible, and is ever-rotating. We are planning some more collaboration brews on the menu for later in the year, after the huge success of our North Brew Co beer this summer.”
Bookings are now open for Chow Down's big birthday bash, to reserve your table click here.
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The Yorkshire artist who’s put together the official FIFA World Cup scarf collection
A Yorkshire-born and bred artist and his creative team have earned the huge honour of creating the official FIFA scarf collection for this year's World Cup.
Nothing short of massive for anyone from our part of the world.
The local legend in question is Tom Pitts, who was born in Sheffield and is now based just beyond Leeds, leading the campaign right from the helm.
Hand Drawn Pixels is a graphic design and digital studio based in Otley, and while you'll see plenty of folks wearing football shirts and even the odd scarf on the town's famous pub crawl, these lot are venturing on an entirely different kind of run this summer.
In fact, the work has very much already started, with Tom and co. collaborating directly with FIFA and US manufacturers, Global Scarves, to create the World Cup collection.
With this year's tournament obviously taking place across America, Mexico and Canada, they've joined up with a big LLC, but they describe themselves as "a true English custom scarf company with American parents."
In their words, "We knit scarves for clients all over the world", with a presence both near Leeds and over in Seattle, Washington.
The fixtures themselves kick off next month (England's first game coming against Croatia on 17 June), and so Hand Drawn Pixels have been hard at work meeting the briefs for each of the nations taking part.
Here's a quick breakdown of how the opportunity came about, their vision for the project, and how everything starts for them as a whole process.
You can see more of their work HERE, but as the brand name would suggest, it's pretty simple to begin with: nothing more than a pencil.
It's worth noting that the 2026 World Cup also featured the largest number of teams in the competition's history: 48 qualified national squads, to be exact. So, technically, they've had even more designing to do than they theoretically would have in any of the previous years, too.
Tom confessed that winning this bid is obviously a big deal on its own and that seeing his creations being worn in person by supporters at the stadiums will be a "surreal" experience.
Speaking exclusively with The Hoot, he said: "It’s been an amazing creative challenge for us to truly reflect the individuality and diversity of the nations competing in this prestigious tournament on such an iconic product as the football scarf."
He went on to add that "the whole project has been a huge learning experience, gaining deeper cultural insight into every nation involved."
We can't wait to cast eyes upon a sea of colour and finely crafted fabric in unique but somehow universally familiar patterns, all designed right here in 'God's Own Country'.
Award-winning Sardinian restaurant Domo announces Leeds opening date
Clementine Hall
Domo will officially open the doors to its Leeds venue this summer.
Get ready for Domo Leeds, a Sardinian independent born in Sheffield that is loved by many for its delicious food, inviting atmosphere and stellar service.
Run by Raffaele Busceddu and Sarah May Elliott, Domo serves a range of traditional Sardinian specialities from homemade pasta dishes to show-stopping grills.
They've also got a banging cocktail menu full of signature serves and refreshing spritz, perfect for enjoying with friends over some delicious sharing plates.
Images: The Sheff
Domo has confirmed it will officially open the doors to its first Leeds venue on Friday June 5, so we really don't have long to wait.
Located at the iconic Tower Works development, Domo Leeds will offer a vibrant new canal-side destination, perfect for the summer months.
Alongside the main restaurant menu, there’ll be a dedicated bar food menu designed around relaxed dining and carefully crafted small plates designed to pair with the drinks offering creating a more informal way for guests to experience Sardinian flavours.
Domo co-founder, Sarah Elliott-Busceddu, said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally open the doors and welcome people into Domo Leeds. From day one, our vision has been to create a space where everyone feels welcome and somewhere that brings people together in the true spirit of Sardinian hospitality.
“Whether it’s an evening out with friends, a relaxed catch-up over drinks after work, or a big family celebration, we’ve designed Domo to feel warm, inclusive and full of life. We can’t wait for people in Leeds to experience not just the food and drinks, but the atmosphere and sense of community that sits at the heart of everything we do.”
Georgina Pellant -
16th July 2021 
