"My motto is, ‘If my mam won’t eat it, then we won’t sell it" says Butcher Malcolm Leary, who has worked in Kirkgate market almost every day since he was just fourteen.
Today he is a bit of a local legend and a very much part of the furniture at the market, where he's worked now for four decades.
A much-loved part of the community, Malcolm is known as the guy who'll help anybody, and is often doing outreach work.
At Christmas, he set up a huge cube outside his butchers and asked his customers to donate new toys to give to children whose families were impacted by addiction - raising £15,000 worth of toys.
He also did a ‘Get Your Kit Off’ campaign to encourage people to donate their unwanted clothes to charity, even getting the Leeds Rhinos team involved to donate some of their actual kits with names and numbers on.
The popular butcher also hosts daily coffee mornings for the homeless outside his shop, giving out 20 free drinks and food every day.
He's got a big heart and, for him, it's all about giving back to the market that helped him to turn his life around.
When he was a young lad he was given a second chance by his boss after messing around, and never looked back. Now he's on a mission to pay it forward, having worked his way up the ranks from washing trays on Saturdays to being co-owner.
“It honestly saved me,” Malcolm said about the market. “It’s saved a lot of people. That’s important.
"I employ ex young offenders, people from broken homes, and people who have had a tough time."
“As long as I see something in them - if they’re a little bit cheeky and have that market quality - then I’ll give them a job.
“The only condition is that they work hard and don’t get involved in the wrong things.”
As well as being famous in Leeds for his charitable giving, he's also a bit of a local celebrity in his own right.
With over 15,000 followers on Instagram alone, Malcolm Michaels Butchers is very well known in the city - thanks in part to the hilarious content he posts with best friend and colleague Danny Malin of Rate My Takeaway fame.
“Danny’s the celebrity, but I would say I’m the most famous butcher in Leeds - and I don’t think other butcher’s would argue with that.”
You can find Malcom Michaels Butchers in Kirkgate market and follow them on Instagram here.
Feature image - Malcom Michaels Butchers.
News
Team behind Headrow House and Belgrave to take over and reopen Woodside just one year after opening
The foodie-favourite restaurant and bar is now under new management.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that Woodside has sadly been closed for a few months.
We certainly have, and ever since December we've had a Woodside Sunday roast-shaped hole in our hearts that's been gasping for one of their glorious Marmite glazed parsnips.
But luckily, it has now been confirmed that Woodside isn't going anywhere as Superfriendz, the team behind Headrow House, Belgrave and many other top Leeds spots will be taking over. Hallelujah.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Woodside opened at the end of 2024 from the owners of The Brunswick and The Melbourne.
Labelling itself as a 'neighbourhood eatery and bar', Woodside quickly became a favourite amongst Leeds foodies and was known for its smoked meats, great cocktails and stellar Sunday roasts (do I need to talk about the parsnips again).
The menu was fresh and innovative, with oysters topped with kiwi granita and an incredibly garish banana split standing out as highlights.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We hope that the new management continues to maintain Woodside's brilliance, but mainly we're just so glad that it's sticking around.
Superfriendz take care of a whole host of spots in the city, including proper Leeds favourites Headrow House, Belgrave Music Hall and Waterlane Boathouse.
Announcing the news to Instagram, Woodside said: "After a longer-than-expected winter break, Woodside is back and will reopen on Thursday 19th March!
"Your favourite neighbourhood bar and eatery returns with the same warm welcome, but an all new management team.
"We can’t wait to see you so keep your eyes on our socials for news on great food and drinks, big screen sports, quizzes and more.
"We’d also like to thank Sam and the original team for all the hard work that went into setting-up the venue. We hope we can do it justice."
A new female-founded business has opened in Leeds and it’s a trinket-lover’s paradise
Clementine Hall
Lisa Angel has just opened inside the Victoria Gate and it’s an Aladdin’s Cave full of jewellery, prints, gifts and everything in between.
The best part? It’s a female-founded brand that has chosen our wonderful city for their first Yorkshire site. We absolutely don't blame them.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has gone from strength to strength every since.
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Shoppers can expect beautifully handcrafted jewellery, unique trinkets and wonderful staff who are open to have a natter.
It's the perfect shop for when you don't exactly know what to buy that someone special, just pop in here and you'll be hit with a wave of inspiration immediately.
We could've genuinely spent a good hour in there and come out with a much lighter wallet.
Lisa herself spoke about the opening: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Managing Director James Moody said: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
Georgina Pellant -
4th June 2021 
