Looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Leeds City Centreand take on the role of your beer-loving dreams?
We might have just found the ultimate day trip for any Leeds beer-lover on the hunt for their new favourite spot out of town- and with every dream daytrip, comes a dream job for those that work there (but more about that later).
Whilst the task of getting a table in the city centre on a Saturday afternoon may be considered almost an Olympic sport, we understand that having a delicious pint in a venue with amazing atmosphere might be something that you crave.
Leeds is blessed with a huge array of amazing venues, but sometimes it’s nice to take a short train to a town or village nearby. Imagine a place 20 minutes train ride outside of Leeds, filled with an amazing craft beer selection, cocktails ‘on tap’ and just about something for everyone.
Imagine a Grade II listed Tramshed, filled with the best craft beer Saltaire has to offer, complete with a huge brewery at the rear of the building where you’ll find the ultimate craft beer experience.
SALT Beer Factory is the home of one of the UK’s fastest growing craft beer brands, and you’ll certainly find a large selection of their brews on tap at any time. Hidden away in the UNESCO heritage village of Saltaire, SALT Beer Factory is on a mission to unify heritage and modern brewing with a difference.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Find out more about the brewery and its heritage from friendly bar staff who are more than willing to give you more information. The brewery taproom is complete with a dramatic yet pristine backdrop, and you’ll be surrounded by fermenter tanks where the beer you are sipping on once was. Grab a seat in the heart of the action during its opening hours – Friday – Sunday, and enjoy an intimate and one-of-a-kind drinking experience.
There's also ample opportunity to visit SALT Bar & Kitchen every single day of the week for a taste of real ales and SALT beers. There’s certainly something for everyone available, with high strength speciality beers and low strength sessionable ales available all week long.
So whether you’re looking for a weekday or weekend visit, SALT have fantastic food and craft beer available all week long. Along with a Shuffleboard table which is available in the Taproom all week and SALT even host their very own live music events, with bands playing once a month and DJ’s every Friday and Saturday.
Sample their brand-new selection of 'on tap' cocktails, each poured from a draught line or taste artisan wines at the bartender's recommendation.
How could we forget about food? Both SALT Bar & Kitchen and SALT Taproom offer a huge menu, with freshly prepared food to your liking. So whether you’re in the mood for wood fired pizzas, or looking to just get a light snack, the menu is complete with a huge array of delicious treats – whatever your budget or portion size.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
So where does the dream job fit in? If this sounds like the sort of place you want to spend your days: strolling amongst the hops and testing out SALT Beer Factory's finest, you could become one of their expert members of staff.
If you know your craft beers from your IPAs or just fancy talking about beer all day, SALT is looking for those that know a thing or two about brewing to join their Brewery Tour team.
The staff here are knowledgeable, but make the whole experience exciting and relatable and exciting, so you need to be able to give those visiting an informal but informative insight to the beer factory business, so that they can leave with plenty of fun facts.
We really can’t think of a better dream job to swap our 9-5s for.
Those interested in a position with SALT Beer Factory should contact the business themselves to find out more information.
Feature Image- The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
Leeds Christmas Market is getting two brand-new themed bars for 2026 – including a Scottish Highland Lodge
Organisers of the Leeds Christmas Market have announced it will host two new bars for 2026.
Yes, we know it's only October...but is it too soon to be getting excited about Christmas? We think not.
The Leeds Christmas Markets are going to look a little bit different this year, as the owners of Thor's Tipi will be running the festivities at City Square for 2026.
Completely new for this year, the market on City Square will introduce two bars with different themes - a Scottish Highland Lodge and a Folie Ski Bar.
Image: Supplied
Firstly, the Highland Lodge will welcome visitors into a spacious tipi filled with snug seating, twinkling lights, roaring fires and plenty of tartan.
Designed to welcome large groups, the lodge will have space for 280 guests inside and a further 100 outside, whilst the drinks menu will feature Highland favourites including Scottish beers and ales, a selection of whisky and even Iron-Bru.
Over at the Folie Ski Bar on Quebec Street, expect a relaxed festive retreat with the feel of an alpine chalet, complete with rustic wood detailing, fairy lights, faux fur throws and roaring fires.
The bar can accommodate 180 guests inside and 50 outside, serving mulled wine, boozy hot chocolates, Kirkstall Brewery beers and a selection of low and no-alcohol drinks.
Image: Supplied
THORS’s director, Amanda Monaghan said: “We’re excited to bring two new bar experiences to Leeds Christmas market this year. Having hosted THOR’s tipi in the city for many years, we’ve had plenty of practice creating festive spaces and entertainment, so we know what customers love.
“We’ve listened to lots of feedback on what people would like to see at the market and we want to make sure we give visitors and residents of Leeds plenty of reasons to stay with us long after they’ve finished their shopping or a day at the office.
“The new venues have been created to cater for all ages and tastes and will be perfect for passing visitors, after work drinks or planned Christmas get-togethers. From the lively Scottish spirit of Highland Lodge to the cosy alpine atmosphere at Folie, there’s going to be a spot for everyone to settle in and enjoy drinks by the fire and plenty of festive fun.”
Beloved Leeds Malaysian cafe known for its authentic home cooking announces sudden closure
Clementine Hall
A much-loved independent restaurant in Leeds has announced it will be closing its doors.
Kuala Lumpur Cafe opened its doors in Headingley in 2019 by Bart and Hirman, who wanted to bring authentic Malaysian cooking to the city of Leeds.
Throughout the years, they'd built up a reputation for their beautiful curries and vibrant street food dishes, all of which were made using Hirman's family recipes.
So much so, that in 2024 they opened a kitchen inside White Cloth Hall in the city centre when the Grade II listed food hall first opened.
Their kitchen sadly closed a year later, but their Headingley restaurant remained open serving the students and locals with their famous beef rendang, nasi lemak and more.
Sadly, Kuala Lumpur Cafe have taken to social media to announce that they will be closing their doors for good as of this Saturday 17 October.
Their statement reads: "Thank you to all our customers and team that made Kuala Lumpur Cafe possible across the last few years. After a long consideration, we have decided that our last trading day will be Saturday 17 October.
"If you have a booking after this date, we'll be calling you over the next few days to try to move it to an earlier date before we close.
"It's been our pleasure to serve Malaysian food to the community. Best regards, KL Cafe."
Of course, in true Leeds fashion, local businesses and customers flocked to the comments to express their sadness and show their support.
One comment reads: "Such a shame. This was genuinely the best Malay food I had outside of Malaysia. Will be missed greatly", whilst another thanks the cafe for "all the delicious food over the years".
If you want to visit Kuala Lumpur Cafe one last time, then you have until this Saturday to do so. Go and wish them a proper farewell.
Sophie Smith -
31st May 2022 
