Get Baked, one of Leeds’ best known dessert store, has announced it will be teaming up with local brewery Northern Monk to bring us a chocolate stout that’s based around the viral chocolate cake, Bruce.
If you’ve not heard of the Bruce before, he’s kind of a big deal..
The huge chocolate cake that’ll set you back £12 a slice, as well as sell out brownies, cookies and Frankenpies – Get Baked has a huge following, with many swearing by owner Rich Myer’s desserts for all occasions.
Announcing the news this afternoon on Instagram, a collabed post between Northern Monk and Get Baked said: “LET THEM DRINK CAKE
“Northern Monk and GET BAKED have saddled up again to unleash a trio of bloody nice stouts, inspired by GET BAKED‘s iconic Bruce cake.
Image: Get Baked / Northern Monk via Instagram
“First off is the OG Bruce. Gooey and chocolatey. We’ve packed Bruce into a beer. It’s a chocolate cake stout, do we have to spell it out?
“The second Bruce’s all gold. We’ve added salted caramel to the Bruce chocolate cake stout for a golden gilded brew, and so we could make an ‘all gold’ pun.
“Last, not least, Bruce with a party hat on. Birthday Bruce. Chocolate cake stout flavoured generously with those sweet lil’ and proper nice sprinkles.
“All three are 5% ABV and come in a special gift box and whoever you buy them for will love you for it, and maybe forgive you for That Thing You Did, you know the one.
“Get all three stouts now in a Bruce-inspired gift box from northernmonk.com”
The dessert business was first founded from a Leeds kitchen in 2011, quickly growing a cult following as word spread out into neighbouring cities and even further afield.
It quickly amassed more than 50,000 followers across social media, with people eager to keep up to date with their humorous content and mouth-watering food pictures. Then, in the midst of its success, it shut down following what has been described as an “unsuccessful” venture into the restaurant business with The Joint in Leeds city centre.
In 2021 the original owner has revealed plans to open a new takeaway in Headingley, which has seen the famous Bruce cake served far and wide across the UK.
Last year, the company entered what they deemed a ‘sprinklegate’ with Trading Standards over the use of their sprinkles, which eventually saw Get Baked release their very own ‘expensive sprinkles’ – and is now ‘currently in possession of the largest volume of totally legal, EU and U.K. compliant rainbow sprinkles in the World.’
Following from it’s recipe book and collaborations with some of the north’s biggest burger spots like Almost Famous and Burgerism – and now it’s taking on the city centre.
Earlier this year, Get Baked announced it will be coming to Leeds city centre to bring an eat-in dining concept with pancakes, French toast and poached eggs.
Gail's has finally set its sights on Yorkshire for the first time, with a new bakery set to open this year.
It's one of the UK's most famous bakeries, launching in London in the early 1990s to supply restaurants, before opening its first retail site and cafe in Hampstead in 2005.
Gail's founders set out on a mission to bake bread as it used to be baked: by hand, using quality ingredients and time-worn artisanal methods.
While Gail's has expanded aggressively into the north, opening around a dozen bakeries in Greater Manchester and its surrounds, it hasn't made the journey across to Yorkshire just yet.
All that looks set to change, with job ads now listed for roles within a brand-new Yorkshire branch of Gail's.
Based on the job advert, Gail's is heading straight to the spa town of Harrogate - which is a fairly predictable move.
It looks like Gail's is heading for HarrogateGail's will make its Yorkshire debut
It had previously been reported that Gail's would be going to Knaresborough, but the job posting appears to hint that Harrogate will be the first Yorkshire location.
When it does open, you'll find loaf choices including classic white and brown sourdough, Gail’s ‘wasteless’ loaves (made using a specially-created recipe designed to incorporate unsold bread crumbs), alongside seeded varieties, baguettes and batons.
Must-tries include Gail’s famous cinnamon buns, still-warm cheese and ham croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and – given the weather we’re having this week – iced coffees, all day long preferably please.
But given the number of fantastic local bakeries all over Yorkshire, the question is, does anyone want Gail's?
Kirkstall Brewery and Little Bao Boy unveil new Leeds taproom
Daisy Jackson
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
Sophie Smith -
16th November 2023 
