A bar in Leeds has come up with a 'sweet shop' cocktail menu and we're absolutely here for it.
Mad Frans on Wellington Place is a cute little cocktail bar and restaurant, dishing up a host of classic and signature cocktails plus a good range of spirit mixers and beers too.
But the thing that's really caught our eye is their sweet shop selection, inspired by all of our tuck shop favourites - with everything from giant strawbs and fruit salad chews, to parma violets getting a look in.
Photo credit: Mad Frans
Some of the quirkier drinks on the new menu include a meringue-topped 'fruit salad' cocktail made with raspberry, pineapple, white rum, citrus and sugar; and a 'lemon sherbert' drink comprised of sharp limoncello, lemon sorbet, prosecco, sugar, citrus and lashings of lemon sherbert.
They've also infused their own gin with parma voilets to create a purple-hued (and lethal-sounding) sour that combines the sweetie-flavoured spirit with vanilla vodka, apple, cirtus, sugar and egg white for a drink that will knock your socks off.
Mad Frans has a whole host of classics on its menu as well as the sweet shop cocktails / Image: Mad Frans bar
Elsewhere, other drinks include a candy floss-inspired creation with gin, apple liquer, apple juice, lemonade and grenadine, and a 'cola bottle' drink; made with orange marmalade, spiced rum, bitters, caramel and soda.
The drink that really catches our eye, though, is their 'sour cherry one', which pits vodka and cherry liqueur together with cherry jam, bitters, sugar, lemon and egg white for the ultimate sweet-meets-sour treat.
Photo credit: Mad Frans
As well as offering plenty of fun drinks, Mad Frans also has a good kitchen offering tasty scran throughout the week and bottomless brunches and roasts during the weekend.
Head down during happy hour to make the most of your money here, with all their cocktails priced at 2 for £12 between 12 and 6 pm Sunday and Friday, and 12 - 4 pm on Saturdays.
Find Mad Frans at Building 6 Wellington Place, Whitehall Rd, Leeds LS1 4EQ. For more information, head over to their Instagram page here.
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Farmer Copleys bans dogs from popular Tulip Festival after tragic death of beloved pet
Farmer Copleys, which is behind the popular Tulip Festival attraction, has spoken out after the tragic death of a dog who visited last weekend.
The family-run farm has decided to ban dogs (with the exception of service dogs) from its site, after a visitor reported that her beloved springer spaniel Bobby had died just hours after attending the Tulip Festival.
It's believed that Bobby had eaten a tulip bulb or flower, which can be deadly to dogs.
Farmer Copleys has now shared a statement about the incident, writing that the team are 'deeply saddened' by the animal's death.
They stressed that while the exact cause of his death remains unknown, they 'do not wish to take any further risks' and will no longer be permitting dogs at the Tulip Festival.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously," Farmer Copleys wrote in a statement shared today.
Customers who are no longer able to attend since the change are welcome to get in touch with the farm directly to discuss a refund.
And assistance dogs are still welcome, but owners will need to sign a disclaimer before taking them into the Tulip Festival.
Farmer Copleys tulip festival is one of the most popular events in Yorkshire every springDogs will no longer be allowed at the Tulip Festival
Farmer Copleys wrote: "We are deeply saddened by the recent incident involving a visitor’s dog following a visit to our Tulip Festival, and our thoughts remain with the owner at this difficult time.
"We must stress while the exact cause of this incident remains unknown, many flowers and plants in outdoor environments can pose risks to dogs if ingested, particularly the bulb, and we do not wish to take any further risk.
"The safety and wellbeing of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously. As a precautionary measure, we have made the difficult decision to no longer permit dogs at our Tulip Festival for the remainder of the season.
"In addition, this has further reinforced our decision to close the pick your own area for the remainder of the festival.
"We understand this may be disappointing for some visitors. Any customers who have booked and are now unable to attend due to this change are welcome to contact us regarding a refund at info@farmercopleys.co.uk.
"We are undertaking a full investigation and make a decision on 2027’s season in due course."
Posh bakery chain Gail’s is finally coming to Yorkshire
Daisy Jackson
Gail's has finally set its sights on Yorkshire for the first time, with a new bakery set to open this year.
It's one of the UK's most famous bakeries, launching in London in the early 1990s to supply restaurants, before opening its first retail site and cafe in Hampstead in 2005.
Gail's founders set out on a mission to bake bread as it used to be baked: by hand, using quality ingredients and time-worn artisanal methods.
While Gail's has expanded aggressively into the north, opening around a dozen bakeries in Greater Manchester and its surrounds, it hasn't made the journey across to Yorkshire just yet.
All that looks set to change, with job ads now listed for roles within a brand-new Yorkshire branch of Gail's.
Based on the job advert, Gail's is heading straight to the spa town of Harrogate - which is a fairly predictable move.
It looks like Gail's is heading for HarrogateGail's will make its Yorkshire debut
It had previously been reported that Gail's would be going to Knaresborough, but the job posting appears to hint that Harrogate will be the first Yorkshire location.
When it does open, you'll find loaf choices including classic white and brown sourdough, Gail’s ‘wasteless’ loaves (made using a specially-created recipe designed to incorporate unsold bread crumbs), alongside seeded varieties, baguettes and batons.
Must-tries include Gail’s famous cinnamon buns, still-warm cheese and ham croissants, chocolate chip cookies, and – given the weather we’re having this week – iced coffees, all day long preferably please.
But given the number of fantastic local bakeries all over Yorkshire, the question is, does anyone want Gail's?
Georgina Pellant -
26th August 2021 
