Leeds' lockdown bakery success story The Savvy Baker revealed over the weekend that they'll be taking over the food van at Trinity Kitchen this week.
Having gained quite the cult following in Leeds with her chocolate-laden gooey brownies, blondies and cookies during lockdown, founder Savannah Roqaa has gone from strength to strength and now employs a full baking team at a warehouse outside of the city.
Her delicious baked goodies are often to be found popping up at various spots in Leeds in further afield, but for this week only you'll also be able to find them at Trinity Kitchen's static food van.
The street food van has been a permanent fixture in the shopping center's food hall since May, sitting alongside permanent eateries such as Archie’s, Pho, Rola Tala, Tortilla, Pizzaluxe, Absurd Bird and Doner Shack.
It's already welcomed a host of different street food traders so far, including the 'low and slow' BBQ delights of Jimmy Macks and, most recently, Halifax's Stodfold and Clough with their modern take on pub grub.
Now, it's the Savvy Baker's turn to take on the truck - and it sounds like she's got some proper treats up her sleeve for us this week.
Promising followers a whole week of warm brownies, ice cream, goodie boxes and "maybe a few surprises" it's not one that you'll want to miss.
Sharing the news on social media over the weekend, Savannah said: "This is MADDD to me. We ain’t complete yet but with 24 hours to turnaround this gorg pop up at @trinity_kitch@trinityleeds to bake everything and try and make it look cute, I’m so buzzing.
"I used to come in here and say one day I’ll have savvy baker in trinity kitchen and it felt like a distant goal, and here she is, in the flesh, savvy baker truck at trinity Leeds!!!
The Reliance, a much missed North Street site, is being brought back to life as The Smithfield.
The Smithfield is set to be a new social eatery and pub focused on seasonal, produce-led dining.
Set to open its doors to the people of Leeds in early April, The Smithfield will pay homage to the local area through both its produce and people.
The venue will focus on proper plates of seasonal ingredients, pairing a relaxed dining style with a strong sense of community. Sounds pretty brilliant if you ask us.
Building on the legacy of North Street, The Smithfield is a collaborative project between Yorkshire brewery Crooked Brewing and chef James Donovan.
Images: Supplied
Steve Dawson, co-founder of Crooked Brewing, has long admired The Reliance and want to build on its established legacy.
“What The Reliance was doing was cutting edge for its time,” says Donovan. “We want to bring that same vision and energy into Leeds in 2026. Our aim is to pick up the culinary torch that The Reliance left behind and continue its legacy of great food in Leeds,” adds Dawson.
The Smithfield takes its name from Church Street’s historic connection to the Smithfield cattle market of the early 1800s, once located on what is now Lovell Park.
“We really want the people around us to feel that The Smithfield is their space,” says Dawson. “We want to give them a place at our table.”
We'll keep you updated with an opening date as and when we know, but we're very excited indeed.
Jungle are back and have announced a huge Leeds gig for later this year
Daisy Jackson
Modern funk and soul band Jungle are officially heading back to Leeds.
The Mercury Prize-nominated group will be performing at the First Direct Bank Arena this November, following their blistering summer on the festival circuit last year.
They'll be heading to Leeds on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Jungle was formed back in 2013 by producers and friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland.
While they technically worked as a duo for years (until 2023, when touring member Lydia Kitto became an official member of the band), Jungle are known for their huge live performances.
They always fill stages with musicians and vocalists, for incredible funk n soul live shows.
The bands huge hits include Back on 74, Casio, and Busy Earnin’, from four top-10 albums including 2023’s groundbreaking Volcano.
The upcoming Leeds date forms part of the band’s upcoming world tour, which arrives in the UK in November 2026 following a string of international performances across Europe, North America, and beyond.
Fans can expect a setlist jam packed with standout tracks, including fan favourites such as ‘Volcano’ and ‘Back On 74’ and newer material from their upcoming album ‘Sunshine’, released on 14 August that continues to push the band’s signature sound forward.
With over 3.4 billion streams to their name, Jungle’s Leeds show is set to be one of the hottest tickets of 2026 so we wouldn't mess about if we were you.
Tickets for Jungle in Manchester will go on general sale from 10am on Friday 27 March, with pre-sale from 10am on Thursday 26 March.
Georgina Pellant -
13th September 2021 
