There's a pub in Leeds whose owners love Yorkshire puddings so much, they eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Wapentake on Kirkgate dishes up pub staples in a cosy space, serving up the ultimate Yorkshire scran as an optional extra for every dish on its breakfast, brunch and Sunday lunch menu.
Inside Wapentake on Kirkgate / Image: Wapentake
Popular menu staples include their 'Yorkshire breakfast' and breakfast hash, but there are also some super-northern additions - like crisp butties, Yorkshires with gravy, and stuffed Yorkshire puds.
The dedicated Yorkshire pudding dishes are what's really got us excited - like their breakfast Yorkshire puddings, which come filled with baked eggs, crispy bacon bits and Henderson’s relish.
Breakfast Yorkshire Puds with baked eggs, crispy bacon bits and Henderson’s relish / Image: Wapentake
Other must-tries include their Yorkshire pudding burgers, which come slathered in gravy and garnished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. Available as a meaty or vegan option, these look beyond incredible - served with chunky hand-cut chips on the side.
Or, of course, if you really want the ultimate Yorkshire experience you could always spring for their roast on. a Sunday. The presentation on these makes it all about Yorkshire again: perfectly fluffy, large puds stacked on top of your main and its accoutrements.
The Yorkshire pudding burger filled with meat, cheese and served with chunky chips on the side / Image: Wapentake
As well as serving up Yorkshires a-plenty, there's so much more to be discovered here too - not least a brilliant selection of craft ales and beers, many of them brewed right here in Yorkshire.
There's also a solid coffee menu if you're at a loose end in the day, with some tasty home-baked options like fruit loaf, brownies and blondies to be enjoyed alongside.
Tea, meanwhile, is, of course, Yorkshire (gold or decaf) or Taylor's of Harrogate. We wouldn't have it any other way, PG tips is beyond sacrilege.
Wapentake has to be the most Yorkshire spot in Leeds - and based on their Instagram, it's about to get a whole lot busier after they posted that local Youtuber Danny Malin was down recently trying their aforementioned Yorkshire pudding burger.
Consider yourself a confident driver? Have a drive through Leeds.
Have you ever had the joy of driving the wrong way up a one-way road in Leeds City Centre? Perfect - then you know what we’re on about.
Whether you still have your L-plates on or you consider yourself a pro, driving can be anxiety inducing at the best of times, never mind when you’re in an unfamiliar area, with unclear signage and your passenger is reading the map upside down.
MoneySuperMarket recently conducted a study, to investigate where UK drivers felt least safe. It also uncovered that more than 8 in 10 UK drivers have avoided driving somewhere due to the journey feeling too stressful or difficult. We can’t be having that - nobody should have to miss out on visiting our lovely city.
Leeds sadly ranked as the fourth most stressful UK location to drive in, with an Overall Drivability Score of 25, closely following Manchester, then Derby, and Croydon at number one.
This was contrasted by Bath, which was named the ‘UK's easiest place to drive,’ where vehicle traffic has fallen by 0.9% over the last decade. To add insult to industry, Leeds racked up a whopping 6,000 road incidents, compared to the 357 incidents in Bath, in 2024.
The study analysed multiple factors, including road infrastructure, the numbers of road incidents, increasing traffic volumes, and higher levels of concern about vehicle crime, to conclude which locations drivers found most stressful.
It found that the top three sources of stress were dealing with aggressive or impatient drivers, driving in bad weather and driving in an unfamiliar area.
Carmine Mastrogiacomo, driving expert at Drive Therapy, revealed some ways that drivers can build their confidence on the road: "Confidence comes from experience. Start with routes you already know and repeat them regularly to build comfort. Gradually introduce new routes and challenges, setting realistic goals that stretch your ability without feeling overwhelming.
"If anxiety starts while driving, slowing your breathing can help your body relax. Try breathing in through your nose for four seconds, pausing, then breathing out through your mouth for six seconds. Practise this outside the car first, then use it when needed while driving.”
We may not be able to do anything about the weather, but come on - we can definitely curb (pardon the pun) that road rage and try to bring Leeds out of the top four this year.
New rules restricting the use of bikes and street trading are set to be introduced in Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
New regulations are set to be put into place as part of the Briggate Action Plan.
Proposals for the plan, aimed at making some of the city centre’s busiest areas safer for everyone, received a huge amount of support during a public consultation last year.
Since then, the council have been drawing up the necessary regulations and signage, with the new rules now due to officially come into place over the next few months.
Once implemented, the action plan will mean a requirement to walk bicycles and e-bikes within the city centre’s pedestrianised shopping area from 10.30am until 8pm every day.
That means no surprise bicycles will try and run you over as you're doing your shopping, hooray!
The action plan will also introduce prohibitions around certain street trading activities in targeted areas, including mobile street traders.
Extended restrictions will be put into place during major city centre events including Leeds Pride, Light Night Leeds and the Leeds Christmas Market.
Anyone breaking the new rules could be given a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council, said: “The city centre welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and our aim is for every one of them to have the best and safest possible experience of Leeds.
“Through this action plan, we’ve taken important and meaningful steps to address issues which the public have consistently told us were impacting their enjoyment of the city centre whilst also creating potential safety issues for shoppers and pedestrians.
“With these new regulations in place, our hope is that both day-to-day visits and major events will now be even more enjoyable, successful and welcoming.”
The new restrictions on pedlars are expected to be in place from Thursday 1 October, with restrictions on bikes in pedestrianised areas due to be in place by the end of the year.
Georgina Pellant -
13th July 2021 
