Number nine on the Otley Run has some great boozy options for non pub crawl weekends.
Anyone who has popped their head into the Hyde Park pub, will know its a student paradise. There's pool tables aplenty, cheap drinks that come with a discount if you're in education and nobody bats an eyelid if you rock up in fancy dress.
If you've ever taken on Leeds' famous Otley Run, you'll recognise this stop as one of most atmospheric with Indie classic tunes and disco lights that bring the small pub to life for the weekend. Now, there's another reason to visit the popular watering hole, and you don't need any fancy dress outfits.
Instead of downing fourteen pints at different pubs, Hyde Park is offering you the chance to reserve a table (no squeezing yourself between bar stools) and sit down for two whole hours before the Otley runners come flying through the door, whilst treating yourself to unlimited pints, gins and drinks galore.
Expect a full array of alcoholic options like Prosecco, Gordon's pink gin fizz, draught pints of Amstel and Peroni and soft drinks as well as sweet-tasting cocktails like Passionfruit Bellinis, Aperol Spritz, as well as Virgin Mojitos and Espresso Martinis.
For just £5 extra, you can upgrade your bottomless options to a wider range of beers (essentially any craft beers on tap) as well as selected gin and tonics, served as 25ml single servings. Hyde Park hint that there's more to their fiver upgrade stating on their website that you can ask a bartender for the full range of options.
The food options are just as exciting with a choice of either a: brekkie, burger or pizza on offer.
On the breakfast menu, there's your classic full English breakfast, as well as a vegetarian alternative as well as avo on toast, French toast sticks with raspberry coulis and the breakfast stack: a toasted bread bun layered with cheesy beans, crispy bacon, a poached free-range egg and Hollandaise sauce.
Over on the burger menu, there's cheese and bacon on either chicken or beef patties, as well as a vegan Moving Mountains B12 burger for those tempted to opt for a plant-based option.
The pizza menu is loaded with meat, so expect the likes of spicy pepperoni, slow-cooked hickory-smoked BBQ beef burnt ends, streaky bacon and chicken as your toppings of choice.
All this comes to just £25 per person and we can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend without the hangover of the Otley Run. Just make sure you don't sleep in, this one's only available until 1pm on the weekends.
Get ready to enjoy a taste of the Caribbean as Jerk Junction is gearing up to open in Leeds.
The street food favourite has made waves in the foodie scene over in Manchester and Liverpool, so it's only right that its making its way into Trinity Kitchen.
Jerk Junction specialises in authentic Caribbean flavours, from dumplings and jerk chicken to curried goat and rice and peas, it's all flame-grilled and packed with island spices.
It is expected to open this spring.
Image: The Manc Group
Steven Foster, Centre Director at Trinity Leeds, said: “We’re so excited to be welcoming Jerk Junction to Trinity Kitchen and we’re sure it will prove very popular. Bringing an authentic Caribbean flavour to Leeds, it’s the perfect new addition and complements our already stellar line-up of street food vendors.”
Jake Shaffi, founder at Jerk Junction, said: “Jerk Junction is all about real Caribbean food and culture. Everything we do is rooted in Jamaican tradition, from bold spices and authentic cooking to dishes that bring people together.
“For us, food is family. From our kitchen to every person who comes to our counter, we want people to feel the warmth, the energy and the spirit of the islands. We can’t wait to bring those authentic flavours and good vibes to Trinity Kitchen.”
The announcement follows news that the UK’s largest independent boutique bowling brand Lane7, and footwear retailers schuh and Footasylum, would be opening at Trinity Leeds later this year, whilst the LEGO Store will be relocating to a larger space within the shopping centre.
Posting to their social media, The Maven said: "When news broke The Maven could close its doors at the end of March, the reaction across the city was immediate. The response from customers, bartenders, and hospitality operators showed just how much this bar means to Leeds.
"For nearly 15 years, The Maven has been one of the city’s most loved cocktail destinations and a true institution within the local bar scene.
"When we told you about its potential closure we were flooded with support and interest from across the hospitality community. In the days that followed, several Leeds-based operators stepped forward with genuine offers to buy the venue and keep the bar alive.
"At a time when our industry is too often filled with stories of closures, today brings a little hope - a story about a community stepping up to protect something it values.
"The reports that The Maven would close at the end of March are now firmly in the past: The Maven Lives.
"Thanks to the passion of the Leeds hospitality community and the loyalty of its guests, the bar will continue to be part of the city’s nightlife story. More details about the next chapter for The Maven will be shared soon."
Sophie Smith -
27th January 2022 
