News

Kirkstall Brewery announces partnership with popular Indian restaurant for new bar concept

Kirkstall Brewery X Dastaan.

Sophie Smith Sophie Smith - 5th May 2023

Opening Summer 2023.

Much-loved local brewers Kirkstall Brewery has joined forces with five star Indian restaurant Dastaan, based in Adel, to bring together a fusion of Indian street food and IPAs, in a brand new setting.

Kirkstall Brewery announced it would be taking over the former Banyan site on New Road Side in Horsforth last month.

But this new opening is going to be far from your usual suburban boozer.

Karobar, the working name for the new bar partnership, plans to bring together the best of Kirkstall Brewery's beers with 'modern fusion' Indian street food that's been inspired by trends seen back in India.

three beers held up to camera.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
plate of food with beer in background.

The idea is that all of the food on the menu will be based on Kirkstall's IPAs and the flavours for each dish will be shaped around the beers - a rare but exciting way to work, and by working in tandem with the flavours in both food and drink, it promises some seriously exciting pairings.

To give a glimpse of what lies ahead for the new bar concept, Dastaan has begun to work on an impressive street food menu with innovative dishes like Pani Poori, puffed semolina shell with chickpeas paired with Kirkstall's 3 Swords and potato tornado chaat with white pea ragda, herb yoghurt and taramind chilli chutney to serve with longtime Leeds favourite Virtuous, an Aromatic Session IPA with grapefruit peel, lemon and lime.

Like the rest of the award-winning menu Dastaan has to offer at its restaurant in Adel, everything is homemade, right down to the whole wheat tacos individually filled with pulled masala jackfruit, Punjabi paneer bhuriji and pulled masala pork before being garnished with pickled ginger, raw mango marmalade, Tekhi chutney, tadka yoghurt, onion tomato kachumber and potato salli. Naturally there's a Mango IPA and more crisp, bitter West Coast IPA, Spokane that goes perfectly.

Homemade tacos in three flavours.
fork holding up square with green sauce.
Images: The Hoot Leeds

Hoping to bring some of the food trend spotted on a recent trip to India, the team at Dastaan is working on fusing together popular street food items with the more traditional Indian curries found on the menu.

"Bao buns are trending, tacos are trending - but you're not seeing that in the UK yet and it takes time for things to filter through" a spokesperson for Dastaan told The Hoot Leeds.

Elsewhere on the working menu, you'll find Pao Sliders with potato vada, Amritsari fish and Chicken 65 pakora inside, as well as Tandoor Se, a lamb seekh kebab or tandoori soya chop as a plant-based alternative, with sirka onions and mint chutney, ideally paired with a Belgian Blond.

plate with orange, green and white sauces.
Tandoor Se. / Images: The Hoot Leeds
slider cut in half.
Pao Sliders.

Kirkstall Brewery announced that they "believe in tradition, authenticity and innovation and this is an opportunity to show us what we can do" with their new partnership with Dastaan.

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And for those wondering about the name, Karobar translates to 'business' in Hindi and is the popular term for street food stalls, amongst other businesses, in India. "When you put a shop on the street, it's 'your Karobar', it's your business" - so it perfectly encompasses the partnership between Kirkstall Brewery and Dastaan, as well as hinting at the street food element of the menu in a single word.

Work is now underway to bring Karobar to life, with plans to open this summer - and we can't wait to hear more.

Feature Image - The Hoot Leeds

News

Leeds’ most famous pub has announced the return of its annual FREE Beer Festival this summer

Clementine Hall 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 festival 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!

Read more: North Star Coffee announces opening date for new site – and they’re giving away 200 coffees to celebrate

Featured image - Supplied

News

Inside Leeds’ very first sauna and ice bath cafe hidden behind a railway arch

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept has landed in the city centre.

Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast has brought its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.

Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds combines saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.

The Leeds space features two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The space is absolutely gorgeous, complete with trendy tin ceilings, fairy lights and soft furnishings.

Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The same goes for the saunas, with one silent and one sauna giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.

Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.

There's a fab little cafe too offering all sorts from electrolyte slushes to ginger shots and a range of coffees and matcha.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of
community in the city.

Officially opening their doors this Friday 29 May, Kontrast are offering free sessions over the weekend so you can try before you buy. Book your spot here.

Read more: Inside Leeds’ new neighbourhood bakehouse from the team behind Silver’s Deli

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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