Leeds

Popular city centre pub to convert office space into 42 hotel rooms

“The proposed hotel will diversify the city’s accommodation offer"

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 8th October 2025

Plans to convert the office space above a popular pub into hotel rooms have been revealed.

And that pub is The Nation of Shopkeepers on Cookridge Street.

Mitchell & Butler Retail Ltd has applied for planning permission to convert the first and second floor offices above the pub.

The empty offices will be turned into hotel rooms that will be operated together alongside the pub.

Under the new plans submitted to Leeds City Council, 42 bedrooms will be constructed to complement the pub.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

The rooms will be operated under the Innkeepers Collection hotel brand.

The application writes: “The proposal is to create a 42-bedroom ‘Innkeepers Collection’ hotel, with a reception area on the first floor, associated linen storage, miscellaneous store and plant rooms. The upper floors of the site have previously served as offices; however, they currently stand empty.

“The existing courtyard (primarily used as an external dining area and outdoor seating for the public house) will accommodate air conditioning units within a timber enclosure. A service lift is proposed to rise through the corner of the internal courtyard.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

“By carefully conserving the building’s historic features, introducing discreet modern interventions, and incorporating robust energy and security strategies, the scheme strikes a balance between heritage protection and contemporary hospitality requirements.

“The proposed hotel will diversify the city’s accommodation offer, support local businesses, and encourage sustainable modes of travel, aligning closely with Leeds City Council’s ambitions for a thriving, accessible and environmentally responsible urban centre.”

Comments on the development are welcomed until Friday 31 October, you can have your say here.

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Leeds

This UK pub chain has announced bottomless Guinness for the 2026 Six Nations

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Guinness and the Six Nations has got to be a match made in heaven.

With the 2026 Six Nations tournament kicking off last Friday Thursday, 5 February – it's safe to say rugby fans across Leeds will be set on finding the perfect place to watch the upcoming matches.

However, we can’t think of many other places offering bottomless black gold in town, let alone anywhere else in Leeds.

So, if you were still unsure of where to watch this year’s tournament, the Social Pub and Kitchen group might have just made the decision for you…

That’s right, this widespread British chain is looking to keep the pints flowing throughout the duration of this year’s competition, thanks to a twist on their standard bottomless brunch format.

Image: Social Pub and Kitchen Group

Running for every single televised meeting between the much-loved half dozen rugby union teams, all 103 of their locations across the country will be providing this impressive offer on pints.

Here in Leeds, the Dry Dock, The Library and the Hyde Park Hotel will be offering the deal.

As well as these nearby venues, there are obviously plenty more around Yorkshire for those slightly further afield.

With a new food menu too, which features several honey-based dishes like the sweet sriracha pizza, chipotle loaded fries, as well as honey chipotle chicken wings, the matchday scran is on point.

So too are the drinks, clearly, and if any of your party wants to stray away from the bottomless Guinness, there are series of special Six Nations-themed cocktails, such as the ‘Midnight in Dublin’, a ‘Peach on the Pitch’ margarita, Baby Velvet, and the bold ‘G-Bomb’.

Yes, we suspect it is as boozy as it sounds.

Running throughout February and March whilst the games are on, we imagine plenty of people will be making at least one Social Pub and Kitchen site their chosen destination for watching all the action.

Even if you happen to be reading this outside of Leeds, you can find your nearest Social Pub and Kitchen and book your table right HERE.

Read more: Salon Madre – a new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Leeds this month

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Publicity picture (supplied)

Leeds

Where to find the very best pizza in Leeds and the surrounding areas

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

Circle or square, thin crust or deep dish, pizza is always a good idea.

From double-fermented sourdough to Fior di Latte mozzarella, the pizza options in Leeds leave you feeling like you’ve stepped onto the cobbled streets of Rome.

But of course finding that perfect slice for you can be hard, so we've rounded our very favourite spots in and around Leeds where you can try to find it - in no particular order.

Rudy's

Image: The Hoot Leeds

With three locations in Leeds, Rudy’s is an absolute classic if you're looking for a banging Neapolitan style pizza.

Their dough is made using Caputo ‘00’ flour (which ferments for at least 24 hours), which is then topped with quality ingredients imported from Naples, including the likes of San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella.

Wash it all down with a classic Aperol Spritz or Campari soda, and you’ve got the perfect combination.

Dough Boys

Image: The Hoot Leeds

For anyone who spends their weekends chilling out in Belgrave Music Hall, you’ll know the pure joy of ordering a slice of Dough Boys.

Describing themselves as having a ‘love affair with dough’ they are famous in Leeds for their slices and pies with some delicious innovative flavours as well as the loved classic. The pizzas are hand stretched using all fresh ingredients, sourced from local producers.

You can grab slices for half price Sunday to Thursday until 7pm.

Homeboy Pizza Co.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Probably one of Leeds' most famous indies, Homeboy Pizza Co sling out some of the best slices in the city.

Now with two locations, one in Roundhay and one in Burley - it's the only place to order from if you're looking to get tucked up on the sofa and get stuck into a proper pie.

Poco

Pizza at POCO with fresh vegetables

Fried Sicilian calzone and Pizza Al Taglio have become a Leeds foodie staple all because of POCO.

The flavours here are imaginative, but authentic. Think spicy Calabrian ‘Nduja sausage with roast peppers and mozzarella, pear and gorgonzola or even ham and potatoes (and by potatoes, we mean mini fries) across huge oblong slices of pizza; with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options to compliment the seemingly never-ending selection. It makes for the perfect takeaway lunch.

Pizza Pilgrims

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A relatively new addition to Leeds, Pizza Pilgrims on Boar Lane make some absolutely banging pies.

Known for their iconic leopard crust, their pizzas are authentic and made with the best quality ingredients. We'd recommend ordering a few of their sides too, the cucumber salad is out of this world.

Edges Pizza

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Located on Green Room's rooftop, Edges Pizza are bringing a slice of New York City to Leeds. Thin, crispy bases which can be dipped into a range of sauces - it's the perfect slice to dive into with a couple cocktails on the side. Bliss.

Livin' Italy

A fresh pizza at Livin' Italy

Fancy a trip to Rome whilst staying within the LS postcode? Take a trip to Livin' Italy where they specialise in authentic Italian food, and they do it very well.

They’ve got a great selection including a spicy pizza with tomato sauce, goat cheese, mozzarella fiordilatte, grated parmesan, Calabrian chilli sausage ‘Nduja, and spicy salami spianata. These kind of flavours, you won't find anywhere else in Leeds. Looking for something more classic? We'd recommend with mozzarella fiordilatte, pecorino romano, goat cheese, grated parmesan, sweet gorgonzola, walnut crumble & fried sage. 

Water Lane Boathouse

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Not just famous for hosting arguably Leeds' best quiz night or the huge ourdoor terrace looking over the canal, Waterlane Boat House are excellent at making pizza.

Their pizza dough is made using just three ingredients: Organic Yorkshire flour, water and salt - that makes it a proper Yorkshire pizza doesn't it? The Spinach & Blue Cheese is a real crowd favourite; San Marzano, fior di latte, spinach, blue cheese, mushroom, red onion with crumbled walnuts.

Culto

Image: The Hoot Leeds

Over in Meanwood you'll find Culto, a firm local favourite that serve up brilliant pizzas which you can take out or enjoy inside their beautiful dining space.

They've won awards for their pizzas and it's not hard to see why, we'd recommend kicking things off with an antipasti board first.

Read more: The best places to get a great bowl of ramen in Leeds

Featured images - The Hoot Leeds

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