A new restaurant has opened in Leeds selling some seriously dirty burgers filled with the likes of Biscoff, bacon and cheese.
Called Coco's Kitchen, it's taken over the food offering at the Great Northern Hotel in Pudsey - and we'd say it's definitely worth the trek from the looks of the menu.
Founded by Cohen Panayiotis, a talented chef with a turbulent rise to success, his journey hasn't been easy up to this point - but it seems like things are now about to turn around.
Having started his cheffing journey just over three years ago, Cohen began working in a Soho hotel whilst homeless - living out of hostels and trying to save to progress in a new direction.
But at 32, he decided he couldn't hack that anymore and wanted to learn to cook so he wangled his way into a new role that both offered him accommodation and the chance to develop his cheffing skills.
The Great Northern Hotel in Pudsey. image: The Great Northern Hotel
"I ended up getting a job at a high end ski resort in France, I couldn't even whip cream at this point but the head chef took me under his wing," he tells us.
However, by the end of the season, he'd come on leaps and bounds: helping to create menus and sending his own creations out to customers after just a few months.
After the season was over, he started doing 5-course blind taster menus in Chesterfield and Doncaster where he was then approached by Studio Ramsey to take part in a TV show for entrepreneurs in the food and drink industry.
Unfortunately, though, halfway through filming the show got scrapped due to Covid - and at the same time, the kitchen he had taken over in York also closed for the same reason.
From there, he was on the verge of being kicked out of his house after his kitchen at the Printers Apprentice in York closed - claiming that the manager there ripped him off and put him in "loads of debt" - when he managed to land a job running a covid testing station.
From here, he "saved, saved, saved" and started doing chef pop-ups around Leeds. Now, he's finally back on his feet and is launching his new kitchen in Pudsey this weekend - serving up a mixture of dirty burgers and Caribbean classics done well, alongside some special Sunday roasts and afternoon teas.
On the menu, alongside the ultra-diirty Biscoff crunch bacon burger, which comes loaded with red Leicester, cheddar, crispy streaky bacon, smashed patties and more; you'll also find some classic Caribbean options like proper curried goat with tarragon carrots, shallots and rice and peas, and BBQ-smoked and 24-hour marinated jerk chicken legs.
Elsewhere, you'll find the veggie Triple Threat burger loaded with halloumi, grilled cheddar, pickled gherkins and red onion; the vegan, a chickpea and bean falafel burger with vegan cheese; and the brilliant-sounding Sebastian Sandwich made with tempura soft shell crab, kimchi, a house slaw and pink mayo.
Launching from today, Friday 3 September, you can find Coco's Kitchen at the Great Northern Hotel at 213 Richardshaw Ln, Stanningley, Pudsey LS28 6AA.
News
Plans to turn one of Leeds’ most historic buildings into padel courts approved
One of Leeds’ most iconic buildings is set to be brought back to life.
Plans for a brand-new padel and leisure destination at The Roundhouse on Wellington Road have been approved by Leeds City Council’s West Plans Panel.
Consent has been granted for Ollo Padel to transform the Grade II* listed Roundhouse into a state-of-the-art sport, fitness, food, drink and community venue subject to conditions and completion of a Section 106 agreement.
Built in 1847 for the Leeds and Thirsk Railway Company, The Roundhouse was once home to the steam locomotives that powered industrial Victorian Leeds. In recent years, the building has stood largely unused.
Image: Supplied
The approved plans will restore and protect the landmark building and give the site a new, long-term future as one of the city’s most distinctive leisure destinations.
The three-acre site, located on the edge of Leeds city centre, will include nine outdoor doubles padel courts under a 10-metre canopy, plus a dedicated indoor coaching court within The Roundhouse itself.
At the heart of the site will be the Ollo Clubhouse; built around an all-day kitchen and bar, it will combine a comfortable lounge and co-working space, meeting rooms and live sport and events spaces.
The kitchen and bar will be run in partnership with Southbank Provisions, the independent Leeds hospitality team behind Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Galleria whilst the gym will be operated by fitness and performance specialists Northbound, who will bring strength and conditioning practice, Hyrox training and pilates classes to The Roundhouse.
Image: Supplied
Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the venue aiming to open in early 2027.
Luke Gidney, Founder & CEO Ollo Padel: "This is a huge day for Leeds, for The Roundhouse and for Ollo. The Roundhouse has been part of the city’s story for nearly 180 years. It’s an incredible building but it needs people, energy and purpose again. Our plan is to bring it back to life as a place where people can play, eat, work, meet friends and feel part of something.
"Padel is growing so quickly because it’s fun, social and easy to pick up. But for us, this is about more than just the courts. We want Ollo to become a proper community destination for Leeds, somewhere welcoming, joyful and full of life.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Leeds City Council’s planning team, our case officer, the wider council team and everyone who has supported the project to this point. This has been a complex project but the sport and engagement throughout has been brilliant. Now the real work starts and we cannot wait to open the doors for you.”
New study crowns Leeds as one of the friendliest cities in the UK
Clementine Hall
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Georgina Pellant -
3rd September 2021 
