If you've ever looked at your bill and sighed after racking up more pounds than expected: we've got the perfect job for you.
There's an exciting position opening up at Open Gift Cards: a local gift card company that supports indie shops, bars and restaurants around Leeds, and it involves you spending their gift cards.
Three lucky people in January 202 will trade in their day jobs to become a ‘gift card spender’, and go shopping and dine in some of the best local independent coffee shops, cafes and bars in the city.
The idea is that the spenders will report back on their shopping experience and in return, have the opportunity to spend £100 at over 80 different cafes, restaurants and retail stores around the city.
You’ll even get free transport in and out of the city as every gift card comes with a First Bus Day mTicket.
Sounds like a dream job if you ask us.
You can spend your voucher at Saint Jude in Farsley and order anything on the menu. / Image: Open Gift Card
The company announced their search for staff on Instagram, stating:
“Applications now open for the best job in Leeds (probably). Are you passionate about supporting independent businesses? Do you like the sound of spending a £100 gift card in any of our 80+ partner indies….on us?
“If the answer to the last two questions is yes and yes, we want to hear from you. Open is looking for three gift card testers to take an afternoon or a day out in January, to visit a variety of independent businesses and spend some free £££ – think hair salons, delis, bars, retail stores.”
All you need to do is follow Open on Instagram, and enter as if it's a giveaway with the usual like, comment and share- but just make sure to tell your friends to like your comment as the person with the most liked comment will be the lucky shopper chosen for the experience.
If you need any more reasons to apply to shop for free in Leeds, here are just some of the places you'll be able to wine and dine whilst spending someone else's money:
George's
Saint Jude, Farsley
The Tetley
Liquor Studio
Punk Vegan, Hyde Park
Bare Coffee, Headingley
North Star Coffee Roasters
Hyde Park Book Club
George & Joseph, Chapel Allerton
Chophus, Oakwood
Pizza Fella
Sebbys
Little Yellow Rice Co.
Mill Kitchen, Farsley
Sabroso Street, Farsley
Grumpy's Pizza, Farsley
Tasty Kitchen, Oakwood
Slow Rise Bakery, Horsforth
Pookies Deli, Horsforth
S! Bar & Eats, Knaresborough
Horsforth Brewery & Tap Room
Dapur Malaysia, Chapel Allerton
Residence 74
and that's only a few of the options available.
Residence 74 in Oakwood accept the vouchers. / Image: Open Gift Card
Alternatively, you can choose to use your card for a shopping trip at an endless supply of retail stores, yoga studios and zero-waste stores and clothes shops in the city centre and neighbouring suburbs, including:
Leeds Refill in Hyde Park, Waste Not in Burley, The Nature Narrator, Handmade by Nabara, Becky Moore Designs,The Dance Studio, Headingley Enterprise and Arts, Sarah Louise in Horsforth and Haus of XS in Chapel Allerton.
For more information on Open Gift Cards, visit their website or to enter their draw to become their gift card spender, visit the Open Gift Card Instagram page.
Feature Image- Open Gift Card
News
Leeds’ first sauna and ice bath cafe is coming to the city centre this spring
Get ready to take the plunge Leeds, as a community-led sauna and ice bath concept is on its way.
Hidden behind a railway arch in Saxton Gardens, Kontrast is gearing up to bring its popular sauna and ice bath concept to the city.
Following the huge success of its Manchester site, Kontrast Leeds will combine saunas, ice baths and a cafe designed to bring wellness into everyday life.
The Leeds space will feature two traditional saunas, one infrared saunas and four ice baths each varying in temperature between 3 and 13 degrees.
Images: Supplied
Plunge pools can be enjoyed solo or shared, depending on what guests choose, giving people the opportunity to shape each session around exactly what they need that day.
To suit different moods and preferences, Kontrast Leeds will include both a social sauna and a silent sauna, giving guests the option to come for conversation or reflection.
Single sessions will cost just £12 for 45 minutes, with 90-minute sessions from £20.
Image: Supplied
Known for making sauna and ice feel more accessible, welcoming and community-driven, Kontrast has grown beyond regular sessions to become a base for recurring events. These include their live ambient DJ set event, Unwind, which celebrates local talent, and their weekly run club, both of which the team hopes to bring to Leeds as part of building a similar sense of community in the city.
The Leeds site builds on everything the team has learned from Kontrast in Manchester.
Alongside the core sauna, Ice, cafe offering, the new site will include improved facilities, more spacious sauna provision and additional ice baths meaning more room for people to get involved.
Leeds city centre crowned one of the best places to live in the north by The Sunday Times
Clementine Hall
Today, Leeds city centre earned itself a coveted spot in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.
What brilliant news to end the week on, hey?
Leeds city centre was amongst eight other locations across the north and the north east to be featured on the list.
The market town of Skipton took home the dazzling first prize, but it's still nice to be included isn't it.
Here's what the judges had to say about Leeds city centre: “Leeds has five universities, the fourth largest urban economy in the UK (with job opportunities in finance, insurance and big business), a youthful vibe and a relatively affordable average house price (£285,100).
Image: Unsplash
“Stay close to the centre, where you won’t have to worry about the patchy public transport, and it all adds up to a fun-filled, fulfilled life within walking distance of stylish shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. There’s a good choice of riverside homes, where you may spot kingfishers and otters, and even the schools are good.”
In total, 72 places across the UK were selected by The Sunday Times to showcase the very best of Britain, with Norwich named the overall national winner.
The full list of locations in the north and northeast include:
Skipton
Howardian Hills, North Yorkshire
Leeds city centre
Morpeth, Northumberland
Newcastle: Gosforth
Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire
Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
York
Helen Davies, editorial projects director and Best Places to Live editor, said: “This guide is a great opportunity to highlight the best places in Britain.
“It is full of places that show that our village, town and city centres can still be full of life, as well as places bursting with natural beauty, culture, connectivity and most importantly a sense of community.
“Our expert team of judges visit every location on the list and talk to the locals to find out what they love about the place they live."
Sophie Smith -
23rd December 2021 
