A Polish bakery in the West of Leeds had a record day for sales on Thursday, as hundreds of its doughnuts flew off the shelves in the name of 'Fat Thursday'.
Karpaty Polish bakery in Armley saw local residents flock to its doors as they stocked up on sugary treats like rose petal and plum jam-filled doughnuts ahead of Lent.
Fat Thursday or, as it is known in Poland, Tłusty Czwartek, is a day when people typically treat themselves to their favourite pastries and other sweet treats ahead of the religious period of abstention.
Karpaty
The bakery is hugely popular with local residents, as was shown yesterday when it sold over 1,000 of its doughnuts in just four hours.
Sandra Draszanowska, 22, who works at the bakery told the Yorkshire Evening Postyesterday that the bakery had been open since 7am and they had had queues spilling out of the doors and down the street all morning.
Image: Karpaty
She told the paper that she couldn't believe how busy the shop had been and that it was her first shift working on Fat Thursday, adding "Both Polish and English customers have been in, everyone loves it".
As well as their rose petal and plum jam doughnuts, another popular treat enjoyed at Karpaty on Fat Thursday were angel wings or Polish Chrusciki.
A key element of the Fat Thursday tradition, these treats are also a popular sweet enjoyed all over Poland all year long.
Crusty angel wings (Faworki) at Karpaty bakery. / Image: Karpaty
Made from wheat flour, eggs, margarine, sugar, salt, sour cream, alcohol, vinegar, these traditional sweet crisp pastries are made from dough that has been shaped into thin twisted ribbons, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
People travelled from far and wide to get their treats, with one customer saying he had come all the way from Bramley to pick up doughnuts for his family.
Called Stan, he said he had lived in the UK for 13 years but still loved to celebrate Fat Thursday.
Speaking to the YEP, he said: "All the family love different flavours."
"I always come to Karpaty as their doughnuts are absolutely huge.
"I live in Bramley but make the trip.
"It is definitely worth it."
News
‘Ugly, run-down’ and ‘untidy’ – Leeds named UK’s tenth best big city
Britain's 20 biggest cities have been ranked, and Leeds has done pretty well.
Although, you wouldn't be able to tell judging by the overwhelmingly lacklustre description we've been given.
The listing comes from The Telegraph and ranks Britain's 20 biggest cities from worst to best, taking into account visitor appeal and where offers most to tourists.
Leeds comes in at a very respectable number 10, however judging from what they've said about our city you'd think we were much, much lower.
Kicking things off, the description reads: "There’s an untidy quality to Leeds, borne of a patchwork of periods in its built environment and the fact that a lot of regeneration is underway (cranes rise at every corner)."
Image: Unsplash
Yep, not off to a good start but it's only down hill from there as Leeds is then said to have a 'certain shapelessness'.
But perhaps the worst part is yet to come: "There are some ugly, run-down streets very close to the centre, and while the Headrow and other high streets have a fair number of shops, there’s no real boulevard or grand square.
"The most atmospheric spaces are Queens Arcade and perpendicular Cross Arcade, and Thornton’s Arcade; Grand Arcade is also Victorian but looks and feels less uplifting."
By the end it starts to get slightly more positive, emphases on 'slightly': "Leeds’ strongest points might be its small size and its north-central location; it’s easy to walk everywhere inside the city, and a short ride away are Ilkley, Skipton and the Dales."
Our visitor appeal gained a 6.5/10, beating Cardiff, Sheffield, Brighton and Nottingham.
Taking the top spot was Liverpool followed by Edinburgh, Belfast and Glasgow. Read the full ranking here.
An award-winning Sardinian restaurant made famous in Sheffield is now opening in Leeds
Clementine Hall
This family-run restaurant has chosen Leeds as their second location, and we're very glad they have.
Introducing Domo, 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
They've been teasing a second site for some time now but finally the cat is firmly out of the bag as they've announced they'll be bringing Domo to Leeds.
But where might you ask? Well, none other than the scenic location of the Lockside overlooking the canal.
Slotting right in next to BAKE, they're going to be in very good company indeed.
Image: The Sheff
Announcing the exciting news to Instagram, Domo said: "So most of you guessed it right...it’s been a long time coming but Domo 2.0 is finally cooking.
"Here’s a little sneak peek at our week which we’ve mostly spent admiring the views and getting to know the new neighbours …. If you can guess where it is there’s a glass of bubbly on us next time we see you. To be continued ………"
That's all the information we have so far, but we'll keep you in the loop as and when we find out more.
We can't wait to have you here in Leeds Domo, but for now we'll pop round to Sheffield to get our Domo fix and we highly suggest you do too.
Georgina Pellant -
25th February 2022 
