A new wellbeing cafe with a focus on improving people's mental health has opened in Leeds.
Called Better Days, it's located inside the Grand Arcade and sets itself apart from other bars and cafes in the area by offering dedicated (and free) classes in improving wellbeing.
Better Days offers free support to everyone who visits and, according to owner Vicky Fytche, is the only place of its kind in Leeds.
Waffles with strawberries, bananas and blueberries / Image: Better Days
The cafe also organises walks and talks out in Leeds in the day, as well as hosting self-care and mindfulness sessions upstairs: teaching customers new breathing techniques, and leading gratitude and mindfulness sessions.
In-house wellness coach Kayleigh Bradshaw is on hand throughout the week to chat with guests, she also hosts weekly wellness classes above the cafe to help spread positivity and good vibes.
A pornstar martini, made perfectly at mental wellbeing cafe Better Days / Image: Better Days
The mental wellbeing cafe and bar serves up pizza, pancakes and cocktails throughout the week and does boozy bottomless brunches, waffles and charcuterie boards on the weekends.
The food and drink here looks brilliant, ranging from perfect pornstar martinis to big boards of cheese, olives, antipasto and cured meat.
Every Wednesday to Friday between 6 and 9 pm, Better Days also run a deal on their pizzas where you can get a pizza and a pint for £10 - a winner in our books, considering the dearth of offers in Leeds since the pandemic.
And on Thursdays, they host a live open mic night with a host of different singers, poets and musicians taking turns on the mic.
A cheeseboard and charcuterie board at mental wellbeing cafe Better Days / Image: Better Days
According to the restaurant, these events have made a huge difference in breaking down barriers and bringing people together in the cafe.
"Music, honestly brings people together so much, we have strangers meeting, making friends and singing together for the first time," said the restaurant in an Instagram post.
"We have people who arrived in week 1, really quiet, now chatting away and staying until close with new friends!"
Better Days is open Wednesday to Sunday, from midday to 7pm.
Find the mental wellbeing cafe inside the Merrion Street Grand Arcade in Leeds.
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Leeds is set to be transformed into a huge interactive game of Trivial Pursuit this summer
Leeds is set to become a giant board game this summer as Trivial Pursuit arrives in the city centre to celebrate a landmark moment in its history.
The famous board game is being brought to life as LeedsBID transforms the city centre into a live version of Hasbro’s iconic Trivial Pursuit board game, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its royal charter.
And a few famous Leeds faces are helping to make it happen.
Running from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 30 August 2026 and is completely free, players embark on journey across the city centre, travelling from category to category and testing their knowledge of Leeds. Correct answers earn wedges, and once all six are collected, players face a final question to complete the game.
Key locations represent the six traditional Trivial Pursuit categories: Entertainment, Geography, Sports and Leisure, Science and Nature, History, and Art and Literature.
Central to the game will be the stories and achievements that have shaped Leeds over four centuries, from the origins of Marks & Spencer to a connection with the first British internet provider.
An array of well-known personalities are involved, appearing digitally to look back and look ahead at the city’s notable events.
Leeds-born presenter and podcaster Alex Zane, historian Ruth Goodman, and commentator Daniel Norcross each take on Entertainment, History, and Sports & Leisure, telling the stories behind the people, places, and moments that define Leeds.
Angela Griffin says: “LeedsBID have come up with a fun and engaging way to introduce visitors to the Leeds story through Trivial Pursuit, and I was happy to play a part in some of this trivia this summer, which is a real honour as a Loiner.”
Sara Merritt, Principal Keeper, Leeds City Museum and Leeds Discovery Centre. “Leeds City Museum is excited to host TRIVIAL PURSUIT as part of Leeds400 this summer, offering visitors a fun and interactive way to celebrate knowledge, curiosity, and everything that makes Leeds unique.”
Restoration of beloved Leeds mural preserves a piece of the city’s cultural heritage
Clementine Hall
A striking Leeds mural has been carefully restored back to its former glory.
The 'Cornucopia' is one of Leeds' most beautiful murals, situated across from the iconic Corn Exchange in it stands at an impressive 32 feet high depicting the goddess Cornucopia – a symbol of abundance and prosperity.
It was originally commissioned by the late Graeme Willson and has been a popular landmark in Leeds city centre since its unveiling in 1990, when it also won the Leeds Award for Architecture and the Environment.
And now, the mural has been fully restored bringing it back to its former glory.
Artist Ralph Replete restoring the much-loved Cornucopia mural in Leeds city centre Credit: Simon Dewhurst
The restoration has been supported by Leeds City Council and funded by Yorkshire-based property developer and investor Rushbond, which owns the neighbouring Grade I listed Leeds Corn Exchange, in partnership with Leeds Civic Trust.
The specialist restoration work has been undertaken by local artist Ralph Replete, who carefully hand-cleaned the mural. The artwork was then sympathetically retouched using the same specialist mineral paint originally used by Graeme Willson.
Jonathan Maud, Chairman of Rushbond, said: "‘Cornucopia’ was a wonderful gift to the city from the former owners of Leeds Corn Exchange, and it deserved to be given a respectful refresh. Thanks to our incredible partners, including the team at Blue Rinse who were most accommodating in giving us access to the mural, and the meticulous work of Ralph Replete, everyone can once again enjoy this beautiful work of public art.
"‘Cornucopia’ is an important part of Leeds’s cultural heritage and I’m delighted that the many thousands of people who come to Leeds Corn Exchange and Kirkgate every year will once again be greeted by a cultural landmark that reflects both the area’s independent, commercial, creative identity and the true spirit of Leeds.”
Georgina Pellant -
9th July 2021 
