Bringing a whole new meaning to Sunday lunch, Honest Burgers is serving up a unique roast dinner burger inside Northern Monk Refectory.
Honest Burgers is opening a permanent store in Leeds this summer, but whilst construction and staff training takes place, the nationally renowned burger joint has taken over the kitchens at Northern Monk to give us a taste of what's in store.
A mouth-watering menu exclusive to Leeds is just one of the bonuses about the takeover.
There are no less than two burgers on the menu that you won't find in any of their fifty odd restaurants- and they embody everything it means to be a northerner, including our love for a Sunday roast.
The pop-up will remain at Northern Monk for the next two months. / Image: Honest Burgers
The Sunday Roast Dinner burger is a gravy-laden dream for anyone looking for a weekend foodie fix that can cure a hangover or act as a formal family dinner choice with respective interest.
The burger itself is a standard, but nonetheless delicious, meaty beef patty served pink, then piled high with all your typical roast dinner faves. Think cheesy leeks, horseradish cream, savoy cabbage, bacon gravy and bacon- there's even mini rosemary roasties hidden inside the soft brioche buns.
The Roast Dinner burger comes with gravy aplenty. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
Offered originally as a National Burger Day special back in 2016, the secret recipe makes its way onto the menu for very special occasions only, according to the Honest Burgers team. Designed out of a love for cheese and veg on a roast dinner plate with cheddar, stilton and parmesan- this really is a unique combo you're unlikely to find anywhere else in Leeds.
This is a Sunday exclusive, but if you're after a mid-week burger fix, there's still a one-of-a-kind burger that combines all the best part of us northerners into one juicy lunchtime special.
The Northern Monk X Honest Burgers collab deserves prime place on the menu (and we're keeping all our fingers crossed that it becomes a permanent fixture at the Leeds restaurant later this year) with no less than two alcoholic infusions.
The Northern Monk X Honest Burgers collab. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
An Honest beef patty with bacon and Heathen IPA beer with cheese, Faith pale ale pickled onions, rocket and then a delectable combination of thick curry sauce and shoestring fries (like an elite version of chip stick on a sarnie).
Served with rosemary fries, coleslaw or salad, washing this one down with a pint of Northern Monk lager is optional, but highly recommended.
If this is the bar set for the new Leeds menu, we're really excited.
Northern Monk has a selection of fresh lagers and ales to wash your burger down with. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
The new restaurant is set to open on Cloth Hall Street this summer, but if you can't wait until then to get your hands on these drool-worthy burgers, paying a visit to the Northern Monk refectory is well worth the five minute walk
The kitchen will be open from 12pm-9pm every Tuesday – Saturday, with an earlier closing time of 6pm on a Sunday. For more information, including what else you'll find at the Leeds pop-up, visit the Honest Burgers website.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
Fences at Leeds Playhouse – walls, wounds and what we leave behind | Review
Leeds Playhouse delivers a powerful story about the walls we build.
August Wilson’s Fences is a powerful and deeply personal family drama, exploring race, fatherhood, ambition and the emotional scars that can be passed from one generation to the next.
At Leeds Playhouse, the strength of the production lies largely with its cast. Ray Fearon gives Troy Maxson a commanding presence, balancing humour and charm with a growing sense of anger and resentment. It is an uncomfortable performance at times, but one that keeps you invested in Troy even when his actions become increasingly difficult to accept.
Madeline Appiah brings real warmth and emotional depth to Rose, while Josh Tedeku captures Cory’s frustration as a young man determined to make his own way rather than inherit his father’s limitations.
Image: Supplied
For me, though, Act 2 is where the production really comes alive.
The first half feels comparatively restrained. That isn't necessarily a criticism of the performances or Wilson's writing, but having experienced previous Headlong productions, I went in expecting a little more theatrical imagination from the staging. There were moments where I felt the production could have pushed the material further visually.
Act 2 begins to deliver that.
The rotating set adds movement and energy, while the bright LED lighting works particularly well with the live music, creating a more heightened atmosphere as the family's tensions reach breaking point. The production suddenly feels more visually ambitious, and the design starts to work hand-in-hand with the emotional journey of the characters.
Images: Supplied
The fence itself is an effective recurring image, initially a practical task, but gradually becoming a representation of Troy's need for control, protection and separation. The more the story unfolds, the more the fence feels like a barrier between Troy and the people he loves.
There is a lot to admire here, particularly in the performances, and Wilson's writing remains as relevant and affecting as ever. However, I couldn't help feeling that some of the theatrical ambition found in Act 2 could have been introduced earlier.
Ultimately, Fences is a moving and thought-provoking evening, with a particularly strong second half. For me, it was Act 2 that turned a solid production into a genuinely memorable one.
Running until 23 September at Leeds Playhouse, get your tickets here.
A new açai cafe promising to be Leeds’ ‘neighbourhood social club’ is opening soon
Clementine Hall
An independent açai bowl pop-up is opening a permanent cafe in Leeds city centre.
It seems the açai bowl trend isn't over just yet, and we're absolutely not mad about it.
The aesthetically purple frozen treat isn't just delicious, but is also known to have numerous health benefits making it guilt-free and the perfect post-workout pick me up.
You may remember Açai Social Club that opened as a pop-up in the Victoria Quarter last year, and now they're moving into a permanent spot in the city centre.
Run by a lovely husband and wife duo who have spent the last 15 months exploring cafes around the world, it's safe to say they know exactly what they're talking about.
Their açai is made with the very best ingredients, topped with the freshest fruit and sprinkled with their homemade granola - it doesn't get much better then that does it?
Announcing the very exciting news to Instagram, they said: "Açai Social Club is getting a home. Our very first store is officially on the way! We’ve been working behind the scenes to create a space that’s more about than just açai.
"What started as an idea is finally becoming something you can walk into…There’s still a lot we’re keeping under wraps for now, but we’re so excited to finally share the beginning of what’s to come.
"We can’t wait to open our doors and welcome you in. Your new neighbourhood social club, coming soon."
The exact location of the cafe and its opening date is still under wraps, but we'll of course keep you updated as and when we find out.
Sophie Smith -
13th May 2022 
