The UK's first ever fully sober Oktoberfest event is happening this week, and it's taking place right here in Leeds.
In celebration of Sober October, award winning alcohol-free beer brand Mash Gang, is turning tradition on its head by hosting the UK’s first ever Swaptober Fest – a booze free twist on the infamous Oktoberfest.
Guests will be able to chug steins of Mash Gang's signature Chug lager whilst dancing along to live German oompah music and digging into authentic German bratwurst.
It's set to be one of the biggest and best Bavarian parties, all without the hangover.
The event is taking place this Thursday 16 October, between 5-10pm at one of the nation’s ancestral homes of brewing, The Tetley in Leeds.
In the spirit of the event, guests are encouraged to swap an alcoholic drink on the door to gain entry to Swaptober Fest.
The event is open to everyone who fancies it but spaces are limited, so revellers are encouraged to turn up early to avoid disappointment.
Jo Taylor, Global Marketing Director at Mash Gang commented on the event; “We’re confident that Mash Gang is alcohol-free beer like no other, and stands up to the best beers on the market. So swapping alcoholic beer for ours doesn’t feel like any compromise.
"At Mash Gang, we’re all about having a party, getting together with friends and family over a great tasting beer and making memories, so we wanted to throw a big party this Sober October to show that swapping the booze doesn’t have any impact on the vibes. It’s guaranteed to be a night people won’t forget, with a big Bavarian atmosphere, live music, great food and exceptional beer - and even better, they won’t wake up with a hangover the next day.”
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Yorkshire.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit for plenty of new colleagues across the UK.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
Image: Supplied
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Leeds - including city centre, Moortown, Crown Point, White Rose Shopping Centre and Pudsey.
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
Fancy it then? Applications are now open, and you can find out more and apply on the M&S Christmas careers page here.
A brand-new frozen yoghurt bar is coming to Leeds
Clementine Hall
Everyone's in love with frozen yoghurt, and Leeds is about to get more of it.
Over the past year, the UK has become a little bit obsessed with frozen yoghurt - and Leeds is no exception.
We've had Kefiyo open in Headingley which met to queues round the block for weeks, as well as the UK's leading froyo brand Frurt open up in Kirkstall.
And now, there's a newbie on the block.
Images: Supplied
Introducing 'Yo-Go', your newest frozen yoghurt bar that will be opening up in Leeds' Hyde Park.
We don't know much about Yo-Go yet, but we do know it's female owned and is sporting some pretty cute branding.
The space is currently undergoing renovation, with the owner posting that she received the keys just a couple of days ago.
The window vinyls are up, and people are already getting very excited about the opening as they flock to the comments of Yo-Go's first Instagram post.
Announcing the news of their opening, Yo-Go wrote: "GUYS!! WE’VE GOT THE KEYS. And apparently they don’t come with a finished shop… rude.
"While we get to work, we need your input. Toppings, flavours, very specific requests, we’re taking notes. Drop them below and I’ll try my best to make it happen x"
Comments included requests for 'unlimited toppings' as well as warm sauces, cookie dough, marshmallow and honeycomb.
Sounds pretty delicious if you ask us, but for now, it looks like there's still some work to be done before the shop is ready to welcome its first customers.
We don't know of an opening date just yet, but we'll keep you updated as and when we do.
Clementine Hall -
13th October 2025 
