Feature

The Leeds family-run farm with the UK’s biggest pumpkin festival

Hello Autumn!

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall - 9th September 2024

With up to 250,000 pumpkins to choose from, Farmer Copleys is the ultimate pumpkin picking spot in Leeds.

These guys really know a thing or two about growing pumpkins.

Every year, a family-run farm shop and cafe transform into the UK’s biggest pumpkin festival in October and offer the ultimate spooky day out for all the family to enjoy.

Based in West Yorkshire, nestled between Pontefract and Featherstone, the Copley family have everything you need for a pumpkin experience you’ll never forget.

Image: Farmer Copleys

Wade through mounds of pumpkins to find your perfect pick.

This year there’s a whopping forty varieties to choose from that make up some of the 250,000 available- all with some pretty extraordinary names.

Cinderella, Polar Bear, Racer and Baby Bear are amongst some of the options available, though the names do not resemble the actual characters and animals, so don’t be looking out for any princess crowns or arctic fur or you might be there all day long.

Image: Farmer Copleys

Spookier varieties hold the name of Goosebump, Pumpkin Rouge and Casperita but the rare gem to look out for is the Blue Crown Prince, this unique variety are the tastiest and come in a beautiful shade of pastel blue.

The Pumpkin Princess and the ‘Not so Wicked’ Witch of the West will be on hand throughout the day to help you find your perfect pumpkin and will even be giving out prizes to those dressed for the spooky occasion.

Image: Farmer Copleys

Once you’ve had your pick of the rainbow and found the perfect pumpkin to carve for Halloween, there are plenty more activities to get involved in. Embark on a tractor ride across the farm or take part in the daily fancy dress competition.

There will also be archery for you to practise your best bullseye shot, a dedicated storytime for little ones and grown ups to recharge, as well as a visit from Magical Mr Zen.

Channel your inner child and jump on a vintage fairground and waltz away your worries or dance along to live music from different tribute acts from Luke Combs, ABBA and Taylor Swift.

Farmer Copleys is open for the Pumpkin Festival from Friday 28 September all the way through to Thursday 31 October and tickets are just £6 each. Farmer Copleys is around a forty-minute drive from Leeds city centre and can also be accessed from Streethouse train station (3 stops from Leeds).

Read more: Boojum in Leeds is giving away 500 free burritos this Wednesday – here’s how you can get one

Feature Image- Farmer Copleys

Feature

The best bakeries in Leeds serving everything from crusty loaves to flakey croissants

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

If you're got a sweet tooth, then you're going to want to keep reading.

Oh Leeds, if there's one thing we're good at - it's baking.

Just walking around the city you'll bump into delightful bakeries offering sweet treats galore, and you'll find even better gems when you venture into the suburbs.

We've rounded up a handy little guide for you to make your way through when you're looking to treat yourself to a cheeky baked good, which should be every day if we're being honest.

So, without further ado let's dive into the best bakeries in Leeds.

Bake

Mustard Approach, Mustard Wharf

Images: The Hoot Leeds

From the team behind Things in Bread and Doh'hut comes this absolutely beautiful bakery by the water.

Led by mastermind Tom, they're serving up great British bakes but with a refined twist. Think ultra cheesy cheese twists, sticky school cake and unbeatable sausage rolls.

Fat Pigeon Bakery

406 Broad Lane, Leeds LS13 3DF

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Fat Pigeon is a micro-bakery in Bramley that opens every Saturday to queues of adoring fans.⁠
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And it’s no surprise why, as here you’ll find some of the very best bakes - from croissants to cinnamon buns - that Leeds has to offer.⁠ Oh, and owner Ruth is about as lovely as they come too.
⁠

Fold

62 Brussels Street, LS9 8AB

Images: The Hoot Leeds

From the absolute masterminds behind The Cheesy Living Co. comes Fold, a hidden bakery serving up from under the arches every Saturday morning.

You can get your chops around their famous focaccia, stuffed sausage rolls, cookies, sarnies, bagels and the creme de le creme for us: the foot-long three-cheese twist.

Underground Bakery

Call Lane

Images: The Hoot Leeds

If you're after a really great almond croissant, then you've got to get yourself to Underground Bakery. They're serving a whole array of baked goods but doing them all really, really well.

Right in the centre of town, it's a great spot to swing by on your way to work because everyone deserves a midweek croissant every now and again.

Laynes

New Station Street

Images: The Hoot Leeds

This one probably doesn't need any introduction, as Laynes bakery are known amongst the city for their exceptional bakes and it's not hard to see why.

They stock a number of coffee shops across Leeds but for the true experience, pop in and enjoy a bake alongside a cup of their fabulous coffee.

Nova

Leeds Dock

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Nova Bakehouse is a beautiful sun drenched spot that serve up irresistible morning buns, chewy cookies and speciality bread.

They focus on 'flavour forward baking' using seasonal ingredients to create monthly specials that'll have you going back time and time again.

Oh, and they've been named one of the best bakeries in the UK by The Good Food Guide two years running now - so you know it's good.

Read more: Leeds bakery crowned one of the best in the UK for second year running by The Good Food Guide

Crumbb

154 Hyde Park Road, LS6 1AG⁠

Images: The Hoot Leeds

These guys have really made a mark for themselves since opening, and have cured all of LS6’s sweet tooth cravings and caffeine fixes.⁠

You'll find everything from stacked brownies and blondies to incredible red velvet cookie pies, and how could we forget their savoury options too?⁠

Chunk

174 Kirkstall Hill

Images: The Hoot Leeds

If cookies are your kryptonite, then Chunk is where you need to be.

From baking inside her student shared house to opening her very first bakery, the last few years have been a whirlwind for owner Amy Bennett- and there's really no stopping her now.

Her gooey NYX-style cookies are out of this world, served with great drinks to match.

The Savvy Baker

Albion Street

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Again, this one needs absolutely no introduction. A Leeds staple that has been curing sweet toothed brownie-lovers for years, it's The Savvy Baker.

Their new site in the city centre is truly one to behold, baking cookies on site and whipping up speciality matchas from a dedicated matcha bar - you don't want to miss it.

Karpaty Bakery

Leeds Kirkgate Market

Images: The Hoot Leeds

⁠This traditional Polish bakery inside the market is selling some of the cheapest bakes you can get your hands on. Their authentic donuts are as big as your head and the perfect sweet treat that won't break the bank.

Street Lane Bakery

399 Street Lane

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Hidden away just behind Street Lane, is Street Lane Bakery.

These guys have been baking up a storm in the kitchen for over a decade, from their ever-so-famous home-cooked bagels to the sweetest of treats.

Slow Rise Bakery

Sunnybank Avenue, Horsforth

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Can't get over to New York but craving a proper chewy, stacked bagel with all the trimmings? Slow Rise Bakery is the only answer.

Pick your flavour bagel from sesame to everything and then pick your fillings, we'd recommend going for lashings of cream cheese and layers of smoked salmon. Delicious.

Read more: Three of the most exciting new openings coming to Leeds this spring

Featured images - The Hoot Leeds

Feature

The Leeds Chilli Shop selling sauces so hot they come with a warning

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

If you think you can handle your spice, then there’s one shop in Leeds that will put that to the test.

Tucked away on Merrion Street, Chilli Shop has been a staple of the Leeds high street for over a decade.

First opening back in 2014, Chilli Shop was founded by Frank Jay and has built a reputation as one of the city’s most wonderfully niche (and hottest) destinations.

It's basically a shrine to all things hot, a proper haven of everything spicy to get your tastebuds tingilng.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

We're talking everything from chilli hot sauces and jams to chocolate, cheese, dried chillies and even novelty gifts perfect for the chilli lover in your life.

But what they're most famous for is a shelf fully dedicated to the Youtube hit Hot Ones, a show where celebrities are pushed to the limit and served hot wings coated in a variety of hot sauces from mild to blow-your-head-off hot.

So if you've ever watched that show and wanted to have a go yourself, this shop stocks all the sauces so you can be the star of your own Hot Ones episode.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

Best of all, you can try before you buy. Free, heat-rated tasters are available, meaning you can work your way up from “that’s got a bit of a kick” to “I can no longer feel my face”.

We can't promise there's any milk or ice cream on hand though, so get tasting at your own risk.

So whether you’re looking for a new sauce, a spicy gift for your mate or simply want to discover exactly how much pain your tastebuds can withstand, the Chilli Shop is one Leeds independent that deserves a visit.

Read more: Historic Leeds watermill to reopen as a canal-side pub, cafe and museum

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

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