2021 brought a lot of new contenders to the Leeds foodie scene, but 2022 is set to be the biggest year yet: with everything from high-end restaurants to drive-thru Greggs, the future is here, and it's delicious.
Here's everything we've got to look forward to this year.
A giant Roxy Lanes venue will open at The Light
Roxy Lanes new location at The Light will open in early 2022. / Image- Roxy Ballroom
Roxy Lanes will be relocating from their Bond Street location to The Light on Headrow. Although the mammoth new venue will not be open to the public until early 2022, the wait will be more than worth it. The new venue is a whopping three times the size of their Bond Street predecessor and will incorporate all elements of existing Roxy venues to date inside.
The company were overwhelmed by local support after launching the for a Libations Rum distillery onto a crowdfunding platform and received 96% of donations needed towards their £150,000 budget in just twenty four hours. The plans for a dedicated production house comes after twenty months of careful planning and temporary stents around Leeds at various venues, so the rum makers will be delighted to land themselves a permanent home soon.
Yorkshire's first drive-thru Greggs will open near Bradford
There are less than ten drive-thru Greggs in the country at present but the existing few have been a big hit with locals and visitors alike. Image: Martin Wallace
The one we've all been waiting for... The drive-thru Greggs will be the first in Yorkshire and only the ‘sixth or seventh’ to open in the country. The popular chain opened their first drive-thru to the public in Manchester back in 2017 but is now expanding at a quick pace, with new drive-thru branches opening in both Cumbria and Wales earlier this year. Construction of the new building is likely to begin in the new year after the former pub on the site has been demolished.
Due to open, unknown, but building will commence in 2022.
Cut & Craft Steakhouse will open in the Victoria Quarter
The bright flowers and pastel soft furnishings are perfectly in keeping with the existing bars and restaurants in the Victoria Quarter. / Image: Cut & Craft
The Cut & Craft are known in York for their comfortable yet stylish bar and restaurant, but the popular eatery have now announced they will be opening another venue in Leeds in 2022. There very little information about the specific details of the Leeds restaurant but visitors can expect the same beautiful interior and mouthwatering delights as their flagship York restaurant.
Due to open, unknown, but plans suggest in early 2022.
Slap and Pickle will leave The Fleece for another residency
The Fleece in Horsforth have worked with Slap and Pickle since lockdown. / Image: Slap and Pickle
Beloved chefs from Slap and Pickle will be leaving their residency at The Fleece in Horsforth at the end of the year. The news came earlier this month after the chefs thanked the pub for their hospitality, before announcing that the ongoing success of their flavoursome burgers and exciting menu h
ave brought the brand new opportunities for 2022. “Sadly though, we’ve outgrown the pub’s kitchen – so we’re moving on to pastures new and *VERY LOCAL*".
In early 2022, the Canal Cafe, a further daytime cafe space will open at the same location. Of course, a new cafe-bar-club concept couldn’t open in Leeds without a bottomless brunch option, and we can’t wait to see the full menu. Having only opened in December, Canal Club will has already confirmed its place on the Leeds food and drink scene, but we can’t wait to see how the cafe-bar-club presents itself in 2022 when it’s concept is complete.
A Charity Dinner from local award-winning chefs will open for one night only
Raise money for an important cause at this charity dinner. / Image: West Park Hotel
To bring in the new year and raise money for Hospitality Action, a national charity supporting workers in the face of adversity, the West Park Hotel in Harrogate will play host to a charity dinner prepared by some of our county’s finest chefs. Grab a seat, splash out on the £100, because a whopping 75% of the ticket will be donated to charity, and the menu has been hand-crafted by some of Yorkshire’s top chefs.
A renowned brewery have announced that they will be taking over the reigns of a popular craft beer bottle shop in Ilkley.
Fuggle & Golding opened in 2015 on Leeds road in Ilkley and quickly grew a loyal following with locals and visitors alike.
Sadly they announced last month that their last day of trading would be Saturday 28 February, news which was met with huge disappointment.
However this is no longer the case, as Horsforth Brewery is set to reopen the venue on Wednesday. Hooray!
Announcing the welcomed news to Instagram, Horsforth Brewery wrote: "When we saw they were going to close we were determined to not lose another great venue from the local beer scene.
"We owe a massive thank you to George and the landlord for getting a deal across the line in quick order.
"We’re going to take a few days to put our stamp on the place and then we will be open on Wednesday!"
"Obviously we will be stocking our beers here but as anyone who knows will know, we love the beer scene so we will continue to have a good amount of guest beer on as well. We’ll even been joining in with the biggest beer launches from around the country.
"Want to know the best news? We’re doing this solo. No outside interests, no investors, no debt. In the current climate being able to organically grow like this is so so hard and it’s thanks to all our team that we’ve been able to do this.
"We’ve always been determined to grow our business in a healthy and sustainable way; it may have (absolutely has) been tough over the years but we’ve got ourselves in a position to take us to the next level in a sustainable way."
British Pie Week 2026 – all the best places to find a pie in and around Leeds
Clementine Hall
Sweet, savoury, filled or plain: pies are a staple in the British diet.
It's the best week of the year...it's British Pie Week, not that we need much of an excuse to celebrate that flaky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pastry, but we're taking all the excuses we can this week to embrace all things pie related.
We've rounded up al our favourite spots to grab a pie, as a lunchtime snack or on the go in the city centre - so take your pick, whatever the occasion.
Dave's Pies and Ales
Kirkstall Road, Burley | Open from 5pm
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Dave's Pies and Ales is locally known as the smallest pub in Leeds - and whilst the menu and seating area might be teeny, what it does do, it does well.
Choose from a range of pies and peas with classic ales on tap to choose from inside this micropub 12-11pm every day of the week.
Whitelocks Ale House
Turk's Head Yard, just off Briggate | Kitchen open from 12pm
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Whitelocks is known in Leeds for its Sunday Roasts, warm fire and homely pub ambience- but their pies are the unsung heroes on the menu.
The beef and ale pie is made from Yorkshire Meat Co. beef, a Wetherby-based supplier that brings beef from the likes of Tancred Grange Farm in Richmond to Leeds. This one is served with chunky chips and sautéed seasonal veg, seat by the fireplace optional.
Pieminister
Duncan Street, Leeds city centre | Open from 12pm
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Available as a Sunday roast, bottomless brunch or just a plain old (but beautifully presented) pie and mash, Pieminister is famous for its pies for all the right reasons. On the shelves in your local supermarkets and available as a sit-down scran on Boar Lane, Pieminister is a place where pies are guaranteed to make up the majority of the menu options.
Finer Pleasures
Multiple locations
If you don't know about Josh at Finer Pleasures, then you're seriously missing out. Josh is somewhat of a pie-oneer (sorry), and is the master of creating weird and wonderful pie creations from lasagna pies to gammon, egg and pineapple pork pies.
You can find him over in Crossgates most Wednesdays, but you're best bet is to keep an eye on his socials for the best chance on bagging one of his pies. Trust us, they're like gold dust.
Wilsons Butchers
Austhorpe Road, Cross Gates | Open from 7.30am
Image: Wilsons Butchers
Located in Armley, Morley and Pontfract - Wilsons Pies and Pasties is a small indie chain from Wilsons Butchers and crowned champions of the Yorkshire Small Pork Pie Championships.
At lunch time, the shops offer a true Yorkshire delicacy of pie and mushy pies with optional (but essential) mint sauce. All Wilsons pies and pasties are made using locally sourced produce in Garforth, so these a true Leeds pies, and well worth sampling.
Sophie Smith -
24th December 2021 
