If you've found yourself wandering around Adel and Tinshill over the past few months, you might have spotted these robots pacing their way around the suburbs.
Starship Technologies has been working with Leeds City Council to offer an alternative delivery option to the city - and the tiny robots taking groceries from Co-op to homes has caught the attention of Leeds and beyond.
And after three months of trialling the service, ITV News reports that the robots "may be extended after a survey showed 72% positive feedback from residents".
In an interview with the national broadcaster, Ben Jackson, a team leader at the Co-op in Adel said the people loved the robots so much that they received Christmas cards for them, and "[they]'re getting a lot of families taking pictures with their children".
It doesn't seem as if the novelty of watching a white robot pace down the road has worn off at all - and there still seems to be plenty of the Starship robots spotted around the suburbs even after the official trial date came to a close on Saturday 4 March 2023.
What on earth are these robots?
But how exactly does the delivery service work? Well, it’s actually pretty simple – first, you’ll get to choose from a wide range of Co-op grocery items, then pick a delivery time from the schedule, before “dropping a pin” to show where you want the delivery to be sent and watching the robot travel in real-time on an interactive map.
You’ll receive an alert when it arrives, and you can then meet and unlock the robot’s lid through the app to retrieve your shopping.
It’s already being dubbed a “quick and convenient” way to serve the community.
Starship’s robots are battery-powered, lightweight, and travel at the speed of a pedestrian.
They use a combination of sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to travel on pavements and navigate around any obstacles, while their computer vision-based navigation helps them map their environment to the nearest inch.
Co-op’s partnership with Starship Technologies and Trafford Council will soon see the robots come to Greater Manchester too. / Credit: Starship Technologies
Following on from trials in Leeds, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Bedford, Cambridge, it was also announced this week that Greater Manchester would be introduced to the delivery service too.
The Good Food Guide has released its annual list of the top bakeries across the UK – and one in Leeds has made the cut.
The prestigious guide has been travelling across the nation testing out the joy of British bakeries, from pastries to loaves to croissants to biscuits. What a tough job.
The Good Food Guide has said that the nation is going through something of a ‘modern baking boom’ and selected one spot locally that are doing it better than anyone else.
And that bakery is the fabulous Nova Bakehouse that is co-owned by sisters Sarah Lemanski and Hannah Mather.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Located on Leeds Dock, Nova Bakehouse is a beautiful sun drenched spot that serve up irresistible morning buns, chewy cookies and speciality loaves.
They focus on 'flavour forward baking' using seasonal ingredients to create monthly specials that'll have you going back time and time again.
It was the only Leeds spot to feature on the list, for the second year running might we add, but elsewhere in Yorkshire Haxby Bakehouse in York and Baker’s Yard Bakery in Sheffield are included.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Editor of The Good Food Guide, Chloë Hamilton, said: “Choosing just 50 winners was an almost impossible task given how diverse and highly skilled the British baking scene has become.
“From wood-fired sourdough in Perthshire to a central London café peddling pains au chocolat that take you straight to the streets of Paris, one thing uniting them all is sheer unadulterated deliciousness."
All of a sudden we're feeling pretty peckish for a croissant...what's your favourite bakery in Leeds?
Viral brunch cafe Acai and the Tribe is coming to Leeds city centre this spring
Clementine Hall
Leeds health nuts assemble, because acai bowls and superfood smoothies are coming to a city near you.
Incase you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, you may not be clued up on the whole acai bowl trend that has been sweeping up the nation.
Acai is a super berry grown and harvested in the Amazon rainforest, and not only is it absolutely delicious but it has a myriad of health benefits.
Acai and the Tribe first opened four years ago in Manchester, and ever since then it's only gone from strength to strength opening up three other locations across the country.
Images: The Manc Group
Next stop? Leeds. And we couldn't be happier about it.
So, what can we expect from this aesthetically-pleasing and ultra trendy female-owned business? Well, loaded acai bowls that look almost too good to eat, superfood smoothies, coffees, matcha and savoury options like avocado toast.
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, Acai and the Tribe said: "You asked, we listened. LEEDS… your new lifestyle arrives soon."
They will be opening on 88 Vicar Lane as part of the Vicar Lane regeneration scheme, which has already scene some great new restaurants being announced such as Sticks'n'Sushi and Dishoom.
It seems like this part of town is suddenly going to be the place to be, and we're very happy to see it.
We'll keep you updated with opening dates as and when we know more but for now, you can find out more about Acai and the Tribe here.
Sophie Smith -
17th March 2023 
