It's not Christmas until you've gone and got a Coca-Cola from the giant red van.
It has been two long years since the Coca-Cola Christmas truck hit the road and drove across the UK to give out refreshing drinks to city dwellers.
Finally, the Christmas truck is returning to our roads as part of the 2021 festivities.
Although the final dates for the van are yet to be announced, we're pretty confident that Leeds will make the cut, given it has appeared on the Coca-Cola Christmas roadmap for as long as we can remember.
The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck is one of the Christmas traditions we have come to look forward to each year. / Image: Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Christmas truck dates way back to 1995, where their catchy jingle "holidays are coming" has given soft drink lovers a taste of Christmas in a red bottle.
Their festive packages, paired with real-life visits from the Christmas Truck have made the industry giants an unforgettable Christmas tradition.
In recent years, soft drink lovers have queued to grab a free sample of the drink; grab a selfie with the truck and even purchase personalised merchandise from the company.
The last giant red truck to grace the UK with its festive presence was in 2019, before pandemic-related restrictions were in place.
The van visited 19 locations, including two stops in Leeds during this time, and visitors were given 150ml samples of Coca-Cola Zero.
Coca-Cola have been hinting online that they will announce their UK tour dates soon, but only time will tell when we can see the Christmas truck for ourselves in Leeds.
In 2019, the company partnered with Crisis, the national homelessness charity and made trips to new locations across the UK.
The locations are expected to be made on their social media accounts, along with all you need to know about this year's tour.
Domo will officially open the doors to its Leeds venue this summer.
Get ready for Domo Leeds, a Sardinian independent born in Sheffield that is loved by many for its delicious food, inviting atmosphere and stellar service.
Run by Raffaele Busceddu and Sarah May Elliott, Domo serves a range of traditional Sardinian specialities from homemade pasta dishes to show-stopping grills.
They've also got a banging cocktail menu full of signature serves and refreshing spritz, perfect for enjoying with friends over some delicious sharing plates.
Images: The Sheff
Domo has confirmed it will officially open the doors to its first Leeds venue on Friday June 5, so we really don't have long to wait.
Located at the iconic Tower Works development, Domo Leeds will offer a vibrant new canal-side destination, perfect for the summer months.
Alongside the main restaurant menu, there’ll be a dedicated bar food menu designed around relaxed dining and carefully crafted small plates designed to pair with the drinks offering creating a more informal way for guests to experience Sardinian flavours.
Domo co-founder, Sarah Elliott-Busceddu, said: “We’re incredibly excited to finally open the doors and welcome people into Domo Leeds. From day one, our vision has been to create a space where everyone feels welcome and somewhere that brings people together in the true spirit of Sardinian hospitality.
“Whether it’s an evening out with friends, a relaxed catch-up over drinks after work, or a big family celebration, we’ve designed Domo to feel warm, inclusive and full of life. We can’t wait for people in Leeds to experience not just the food and drinks, but the atmosphere and sense of community that sits at the heart of everything we do.”
The Sheffield institution serving the city’s favourite sandwich for over 60 years
Clementine Hall
Of course, it's the one and only Béres.
It all started back in 1961 when Hungarian butcher Sandor Béres left his home city of Budapest during the 1956 uprising against the Stalinist government.
After the government took control of his father's butchers shops, Sandor set out to establish the chain once more and so, Béres was born.
And thank god it was, as for over 60 years now their iconic pork sandwich has been fuelling the hungry people of Sheffield, and we'd go as far to say it's one of the best sarnies in the city.
Images: The Sheff
Hot roast pork, herby stuffing, crispy crackling and fruity apple sauce all crammed into a soft bap - it really doesn’t get much better than that.
But, what makes it so special? Béres claims it's all in the preparation and quality control.
Being a traditional butchers, their pork joints are traditionally roasted and cured in house to give that succulent texture and crispy crackling every single time.
They use around seven tonnes of pork and four tonnes of flour per week to feed us hungry lot, and it's no surprise when you see the queues forming outside your local Béres every lunch time.
Images: The Sheff
The very first shop was born at Wadsley Bridge where they quickly built a reputation for their sandwiches, this then allowed them to become a proper Sheffield household name after expanding rapidly through the 2000s.
They now have 14 sites across Sheffield, and each site is as good as the next. Not only are the pork sandwiches class but if you're ever faced with a hangover no matter how severe, their stacked breakfast baps are always there to save the day.
But why we love Béres most of all is the lovely staff who are always there to offer a smile and a chinwag, but what else do you expect from the people of Sheffield hey?
Sophie Smith -
17th November 2021 
