If there's one thing to look forward to as the year draws to a close, it's closing the day with a chilled evening in the bathtub and tucking into a cheese board.
For some unknown reason, the closer we get to Christmas, the more cheese that enters our fridge. It's the ultimate comfort food, an indulgent dairy snack, or main meal, if you're as obsessed as we are and it is the only accompaniment a night on the wine ever needs.
So when Iceland announced that they are introducing a cheese board made for the bath, you can bet we were all ears.
Imagine sinking into bubbly waters, lit only by candle light with one hand reaching for the cheddar and the other turning the pages of a book.
The Snacking Assistant created by the supermarket chain is the only way you will want to devour all of your favourite cheeses. The design behind the board wasn't just inspired by someone dreaming about the perfect way to relax, there's plenty of science behind the bathtub cheese board too.
The idea is that the steam from the bath will quickly bring the varieties of cheese to room temperature: this improves the texture and flavour as the fats loosen with heat- who knew?
The product was trialled by Love Island's Priya Gopaldas, who admitted “The product shoot took longer than it should, mostly because I couldn’t stop eating all the cheese on set."
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She also added that "Now that I’ve tried it, I can definitely say it’s the ultimate bath time accessory", confirming our suspicions about joining the 15% of Brits that already eat cheese in the bath.
The Cheese Board Bath Rack Set will soon be available on the Iceland website to purchase, costing £10 per set.
All that's left to do now is grab a cheese board and get the taps running.
An award-winning burger chain is coming to one of Leeds' suburbs.
If you don't know Burgerism, then get to know.
The Manchester-based burger chain is known by many for its incredible smash patties and quick, reliable service.
Their concept is simple: good burgers made with quality ingredients and cooked fresh to order. Delicious.
And it's not just burgers, they've also got some great wings and fries available too with a range of homemade sauces on offer for dunking, drizzling and devouring. We're a particular fan of the buffalo wings with their garlic ranch dip.
The chain used to have a dark kitchen on the outskirts of the city where people could order via Deliveroo, however this closed down and since then there's been a Burgerism-shaped hole left in our foodie scene.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Burgerism recently applied to move into a vacant shop unit in Meanwood at 605 Meanwood Road, seeking change-of-use planning permission for the former Papa Johns site which was previously only allowed to serve...well, pizzas.
And the plans have now been approved, which means Burgerism will officially be coming to Leeds. Hurray!
Burgerism's new takeaway will be walking distance from the The Meanwood Tavern, perfect for those looking for some post-pint burgers.
It will be strictly takeaway with no dine-in option available.
The brand-new Burgerism will employ 15 people from the local area with food being served between 11am and 11pm.
We'll keep you up to date as and when we find out more, but for now we're aware that Burgerism Leeds is set to open this summer.
Ireland’s famous fast food phenomenon, the spice bag, has landed in Leeds Kirkgate Market
Clementine Hall
You can now grab the ultimate hangover cure at our very own Kirkgate Market.
And it comes from none other than The Fisherman's Wife - a Leeds institution that has been serving up fantastic fish and chips for over 60 years.
But now, they're turning their attention to spice bags.
If you have no idea what we're talking about then allow us to fill you in. And we'd recommend pouring yourself an ice cold glass of water, because it's about to get real salty up in here.
The spice bag is an Irish delicacy that is often devoured after a few Guinness on the streets of Dublin, for example.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It consists of shredded and battered chicken, chips, onions and peppers - all deep fried, loaded into a bag and tossed in lashings of salt and pepper seasoning.
Oh, and of course dipped or lathered in a sauce of your choosing. The classic being curry sauce, obviously.
It's been available in Leeds once before at a pop-up in Trinity Kitchen, but now The Fisherman's Wife is here to make them a permanent option for anyone with that salty craving.
You've got a couple of flavours to choose from too, including peri-peri, plain, salt & chilli and of course the classic salt & pepper.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
You can then add a drizzle of sriracha, curry sauce (obviously) or sticky honey if you're looking for that sweet and salty balance.
The best part? They're selling these for just £6.50.
So next time you've had a few too many the night before, get yourself to The Fisherman's Wife inside Leeds Kirkgate Market's food hall and get yourself a spice bag. You'll be cured in no time.
Sophie Smith -
14th October 2021 
