A number of eateries in Leeds and West Yorkshire have been named as some of the best in the world right nowby the Observer in its esteemed Top 50 list.
The prestigious foodie guide, which lays out the national paper’s favourite food highlights for 2022, names Leeds-born vegan and veggie Indian street food heroes Bundobust, alongside Yakumama, the meat-free Latin American-inspired cantina in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
Excitingly, Leeds is also named as the city of natural wine - with critic Simon Naylor speaking to a number of operators in the city and praising the informal, relaxed attitude that accompanies it here as a world away from stuffy sommeliers and gastronomic restaurants.
Image: Eat Your Greens
Leeds as the city of natural wine
Describing Leeds as "fashion conscious and happy to spend a few quid enjoying itself", Naylor goes on to add "trends often flourish [here]" before name-checking the likes of Sarto, owned by Dave Olejnik, alongside 'pioneering' Eat Your Greens, Owt, Ox Club, Home, Steve Nuttal's influential shop Way of Life, The Reliance and Friends of Ham.
Commenting that "the number of local bar-restaurants that have embraced natural wine [...] reflects something deeper: the way the city’s tight-knit food scene fosters", he goes on to speak with Olejnik about the city's scene as a whole.
Image: Owt
According to Olejnik, here in Leeds, the hospitality industry is, “full of people happy to exchange ideas and put in the legwork to present good things to the public – who are open to new takes. The city’s geography lets people bounce between places easily, too. New ideas are never far away.”
Naylor surmises: "The informal culture around natural wine, how it is served and talked about, suits the city’s many ambitious, casual independents: " We can't argue with that.
Bundobust Brewery
Leeds' vegetarian and vegan street food favourites Bundobust feature prominently in the guide, except this time the focus is on its new brewery restaurant over in Manchester.
Housed in a 100-year-old Grade II-listed building on Oxford Road, it boasts a custom-built 10-hectolitre facility capable of producing 20,000 pints a month – not to mention a talented head brewer in Dan Hocking, formerly of Uiltje.
Image: Bundobust
Naylor writes: “Good beer is essential to Bundobust: Bradford-born owners Marko Husak and Mayur Patel first bonded over the emerging craft beer scene of the early 2010s.
“Its IPAs and sours became the ideal foil for Patel’s food – meat-free Gujarati family recipes updated for the street-food generation”.
Yakumama
Billed as “offering respite from the restaurant industry’s frothiest excesses”, this Manchester food truck turned restaurant in West Yorkshire is showered in praise.
Operated by Hannah Lovett and Marcelo Sandova, the Latin American-inspired cantina serves a short menu of colourful, meat-free small plates – all designed to share.
Image: Yakumama
Naylor is just as enthusiastic about the space (a 19th-century former Co-Op building in Todmorden, situatedon the border of West Yorkshire and Manchester) as he is the menu, writing:
“Beyond its ornate 19th-century frontage the airy dining room is fairly plain. There are plants. Art. Nothing showy.”
He continues: “The Andean-style crisp potatoes with kalamata olive sauce, smoked paprika oil and pickled peppers, topped with a boiled egg, embodies Yakumama’s imaginative use of vibrant sauces and pickles to create astonishing food.
“An example of what is possible without meat or lots of money.”
Feature image - Bundobust
News
Even MORE padel courts are coming to a former film studio in Leeds city centre
It's looking like the whole of Leeds might turn into padel courts before we know it.
The padel craze is well and truly thriving, because over the past few months we've had not one, not two, but THREE new padel courts being announced in the city.
We're not quite sure why, but something about that little racket and ball is really getting the people going - and we love to see it.
So, the next lot of padel courts is set to move into the part of a former film studio on Whitehall Road.
If granted permission by Leeds City Council, eight padel courts will be created at the Versa Studios site in Holbeck, along with an onsite cafe and bar.
Council planners have said the new development would boost access to sports facilities and create jobs in the local area.
The report said: “The development will generate around 15 new jobs, contribute to the local economy and create wider spin-off benefits for the city centre fringe.
“It will also deliver important social and health benefits, encouraging more people to participate in sport and promoting an active lifestyle within an inclusive and accessible setting.”
A design report by Quantam Padel said new courts were needed to meet the ongoing growing demand for the sport, and we can believe that.
It said: "The proposal aims to deliver a high quality padel tennis centre.
“Padel tennis is more accessible to those whose level of fitness, agility or skill make conventional tennis or squash overly challenging and difficult to play.”
So, what do you make of this? Can there be one padel court too many?
Sheffield’s Peddler Market to relaunch as FREE monthly mini music festival
Clementine Hall
Peddler’s 13th year marks a bold new direction for the free monthly event.
Peddler Market began its life 12 years ago as a street food night market with a sprinkling of live music and DJs.
Now that they're synonymous with bringing some of the best street food the UK has to offer to Sheffield, the organisers are now heading in a new direction.
Peddler will now offer a five-stage monthly music festival, spread across their Kelham Island footprint - maintaining its ‘free entry’ ethos for customers.
Image: Supplied
But don't worry, food will still be a key component all whilst increasing their to platform some of the best local promoters, record shops, DJs and bands across Sheffield.
But now, they're bringing five stages to Peddler, working with some of the best up and coming and well established promoters in and across the city.
“Twelve years ago, we filled a gap that Sheffield really needed,” Jordan Roberts - owner, says. “Since then, it’s nourished this huge gastronomic change within the city. Now there’s food halls and street food everywhere, which is great because people have choice – at peddler amazing street food is a given but now you can expect much more”
Image: Supplied
"I wanted to create a labyrinth of exploration like that you find at a proper festival, tread the zones, sample the delights and find your vibe. It’s like a little mini festival,” Jordan says.
“With Tramlines and We Out Here being huge inspiration for the next gen development. There’s a car park stage, the inside main stage, a courtyard stage, the factory floor and activities happening in the basement underneath too,” Jordan explains. “Bands, DJs, the whole thing.”
Image: Supplied
“We’ve always been a street food event with two music stages,” he explains. “Now we’re excited to bring five stages, working with some of the best up and coming and well established promoters in and across the city. After more than 100 Peddler Markets where we’ve always hosted a free entry gig.
"We’ll still host our street food partners, who love seeing all the Sheffield foodies. However, the changing music line up will help you ‘save the date’ making each month even more unmissable”
The first edition of the reformatted Peddler lands on the usual first Friday and Saturday of the month on 5-6 June and promises a sprawling, multi-space experience inspired as much by classic city festivals as warehouse parties and independent culture.
Georgina Pellant -
23rd February 2022 
