With help from us at the Hoot, and the luck of the Irish, here are the best places in and around Leeds to celebrate St Patrick's Day this year.
St Patrick's Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday has evolved into a joyous celebration of Irish Culture, taking place on the 17th March. Think Guinness, leprechauns and an abundance of green attire.
Having been deprived of the festivities for two years, venues in Leeds are pulling out all the stops to make up for it. Falling on a Thursday this year, it is the perfect excuse for some mid-week fun. So whether you're Irish or not, raid your wardrobe for all things green and head out in search of some good fortune.
Bongo's Bingo - St Patrick's Day Special
Image: Bongo's BIngo
Looking for somewhere to drink and dance all whilst playing a game of bingo? Bongo's Bingo is the perfect event for you. Offering an immersive, unforgettable experience full of raving, gaming and misbehaving. This St Paddy's themed evening is always a sell out so make sure to grab your ticket in advance. With cash prizes up for grabs, you'll definitely need the luck of the Irish on your side for this one!
Get a strike this St Patrick's Day at the brand spanking new Roxy Lanes in Leeds, based inside The Light. If bowling isn't your thing then do not fear, there's table tennis, beer pong and other activities to challenge your friends to. Make sure to take a break from the competitive sports with one of their fab cocktails or craft beers.
This one is for the foodies. Brontae's in Horsforth are offering a special 5 course tasting menu this St Patrick's Day all for £50 per head. This contemporary restaurant opened in summer last year and chef Dale Spink has been impressing ever since with his British food with a twist. Dishes include lamb rump and trio of cured salmon, or Guinness infused tofu for the vegans out there. You will also receive a free pint of Guinness on arrival, what a winner!
Located on the Headrow, the Horse and Trumpet is a down to earth, classic British pub with great value drinks. And they're really pulling out all the stops to help you enjoy the Irish festivities, offering 4 baby Guinness shots for only £8. Get ready to shamrock and roll!
This Australian themed sports bar know how to host a proper party and this St Paddy's day is no exception. Grab yourself a double Jameson, ginger and lime for just £6 or a Jameson's barrel back shot for just £3.50 when you buy a pint of Guinness. There'll be Live music on all night so make sure to practice your Irish jig in anticipation!
There's another new opening in Farsley - this time an incredibly cool listening bar and cocktail bar.
Tucked away in Sunny Bank Mills, Pardon Me is a bar built around 'music, atmosphere, and detail'.
Bartenders here create well-made cocktails and pour natural wines in front of a wall of vinyl records, while a playlist of hip hop, soul, jazz, funk, deep house, and disco soundtracks your evening.
The stylish space features a considered sound system that's been built around Danley speakers.
Pardon Me has opened with the intention of creating a space where 'sound sits at the centre, and everything else supports it'.
It's been launched by Scott Rapson, who grew up in the Scottish Highlands and fell in love with music around the time of the arrival of hip hop in the early 80s.
He then spent time travelling for raves, and visiting venues like Glasgow’s Sub Club and London’s Plastic People, giving Scott an appreciation for how 'music can shape a room, not just fill it'.
Scott and his partner Laurie have then spent the past three years travelling Europe, visiting listening bars across the continent to shape the foundations of Pardon Me.
Inside Pardon Me in FarsleyCocktails at Pardon Me
They say that sound, look, atmosphere, service and style are treated with equal importance.
Whether it's for coffee during the day, or drinks into the evening, they want Pardon Me to be a place to spend time, looking out across Sunny Bank Mills.
Scott says he's built the bar with the support of family and friends, plus Laurie helping to bring the idea to life, already finding a warm welcome within the Farsley community.
Pardon Me is open now at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.
Posh bakery chain Gail’s is finally coming to Yorkshire
Daisy Jackson
Gail's has finally set its sights on Yorkshire for the first time, with a new bakery set to open this year.
It's one of the UK's most famous bakeries, launching in London in the early 1990s to supply restaurants, before opening its first retail site and cafe in Hampstead in 2005.
Gail's founders set out on a mission to bake bread as it used to be baked: by hand, using quality ingredients and time-worn artisanal methods.
While Gail's has expanded aggressively into the north, opening around a dozen bakeries in Greater Manchester and its surrounds, it hasn't made the journey across to Yorkshire just yet.
All that looks set to change, with job ads now listed for roles within a brand-new Yorkshire branch of Gail's.
Based on the job advert, Gail's is heading straight to the spa town of Harrogate - which is a fairly predictable move.
It looks like Gail's is heading for HarrogateGail's will make its Yorkshire debut
When it does open, you'll find loaf choices including classic white and brown sourdough, Gail’s ‘wasteless’ loaves (made using a specially-created recipe designed to incorporate unsold bread crumbs), alongside seeded varieties, baguettes and batons.
Must-tries include Gail’s famous cinnamon buns, still-warm cheese and ham croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and – given the weather we’re having this week – iced coffees, all day long preferably please.
Gail's has now confirmed the opening, with a spokesperson saying: "GAIL’s is excited to confirm it is opening a new bakery in Harrogate later this year. The opening will bring GAIL’s craft baking to the community, including creating a number of craft baking, barista, and management roles.
"We will also be donating surplus baked goods through our Neighbourly partnerships. This is part of our ongoing commitment to giving back to the communities we serve and improving access to quality food and drink on the high-street."
But given the number of fantastic local bakeries all over Yorkshire, the question is, does anyone want Gail's?
Clementine Hall -
14th March 2022 
