Popular Leeds venue Green Room is back with another new and improved weekly event that is set to rival the regular 5k parkrun crowds this summer.
The city centre social space, eatery, bar and roof terrace always have stuff going on, from the usual post-work and weekend festivities, to the live music basement sessions and more, but now it's setting its sights on the run club community.
After a successful first jog around last year, the Green Room Run Club is officially back as we head into the summer season, and with more backing, brand new merch and bigger crowds already, it's safe to say the 2025 edition is off to a stormer.
Taking inspiration not only from the long-established parkrun, which countless joggers and racers alike attend week in week out all over the world, this event offers all the same social, fitness and community benefits with an extra half hour snooze in bed.
With that in mind, Green Room isn't just copying the winning formula but honing it into something very special of their own.
Adding not only a slightly more reasonable start time but also fresh juice and tasty baked pastries after you finish the 5k lap around some quieter sections of the city streets and along the serene Leeds canals, it's the ideal start to a weekend.
Better yet, not only is attendance completely free - hence why it's already proven such a big hit - but the selection of complimentary refreshments and snacks is accompanied by Green Room's own brand of official run club merch.
With a heavy GSM and thread count, not to mention a cool design on top of the high quality, we had to cop the t-shirt and the hoodie right away. You can find out more on their social media.
Once again, the 2025 Green Room Run Club is already underway and only just getting started; expect big things from the brand, and if you fancy avoiding the parkrun crowds around the same old loop you've done dozens of times, why not give this one a go?
Because one Fern Modern Sushi wasn't enough, we've now got two.
And guess what? It's even better than the first.
Fern Modern Sushi located in the unassuming Central Arcade has become a firm foodie favourite after opening just a couple years ago.
Run by the wonderful Chef Fern, who you could say is somewhat of a local celebrity at this point, the restaurant is known for serving delicious sushi with the freshest fish possible and traditional Japanese dishes with modern flair.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Full with hungry punters no matter the time of day, it's no surprise that Chef Fern has just opened Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 on Park Row.
This beautiful new space is serving up all the classic Fern dishes, from stacked donburi bowls and perfectly rolled sushi to miso glazed cod and hearty bowls of ramen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Different for this location, though, is their exclusive cocktail menu - so you can wine and dine to your heart's content.
The interior has also levelled up, complete with a huge open kitchen so you can pull up a chair and eat whilst watching the magic happen.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
And this isn't all that Chef Fern is up to, after opening Tori Nori on Vicar Lane a few months ago this will be her third restaurant in the city centre, and that is no easy feat.
She's even got another restaurant imminently opening in the Central Arcade which will be focused on traditional katsu dishes, and we wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something else lined up in the pipeline.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Fern Modern Sushi 2.0 officially opens on 19 November, but is open now for soft launch with limited bookings.
Independent Leeds matcha stand forced to close by council despite 3,000 people signing petition
Clementine Hall
An independent matcha stand in Leeds has been forced to closed due to council concerns.
You may remember back in August when the whole of Leeds rallied to save Sips Matcha over in Headingley.
The front garden matcha spot has become a firm favourite for students and locals alike over the past year, gaining more than 12,000 followers on Instagram.
The self-proclaimed 'tiniest matcha stand in Leeds' is located in the residential area of Little Woodhouse and is run by the lovely Matt and Julia.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
However, in August their retroactive planning application was rejected by the council and they were given 28 days to remove the shed.
In a published document via Leeds City Council website, multiple reasons were listed for the decision to refuse planning permission for the bright-green matcha shed.
The electronic letter signed by Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer, listed spoiling the property's character, increased footfall, and a failure to comply with numerous development and design policies.
In response, Matt and Julia launched a petition urging people to save Sips Matcha, labelling the painted wooden shed-turned-coffee shop as a 'Community Stand'.
Despite over 3,000 signatures, Sips Matcha have announced on their social media today that the shed must be removed by the end of November.
The statement reads: "our retrospective planning was declined, we appealed, and the appeal was dismissed. then the dreaded email arrived: the shed has to come down by the end of november.
"we don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re working out what happens next. over 3,000 of you signed the petition and it meant the world. thank you for every sip, share and signature. come say hi while we’re still here."
We're absolutely gutted for them, so make sure you pop by for a matcha before the end of November to give them a proper farewell.
Danny Jones -
6th May 2025 
