Katsu sandos, Korean-inspired sauces and the some of the fluffiest bread about.
Shokupan opened its doors for the first time just before Christmas, and has become a must-visit for anyone looking to spice up their lunchtime sandos.
Born out of a passion for cooking at home and travelling overseas, husband and wife team Alan and Alison, swapped jobs in digital marketing and mechanical engineering to bring carefully-perfected recipes to Leeds.
Taking inspiration from trips around the world, including America's west coast where the couple were first introduced to the popularity of Shokupan, returning to normal life after years of being on-the-go seemed like the perfect opportunity to change paths and take a passion for home cooking to a commercial level.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Image: The Hoot Leeds
The couple spent time trying and testing the perfect shokupan recipe at home before sending samples to a bakery, who now deliver bespoke batches of the Japanese milk bread to their cafe.
For those unfamiliar with Shokupan, it's a style of Japanese milk bread known for its light, fluffy texture, golden crust and a subtly sweet flavour- and it's truly delicious.
The bread itself is cut to order and toasted on one side to ensure that all sandos are as fresh as can be before filling with a combination of traditional and unique sauces dreamt up by the owners.
The K-Town is the latest sando on the menu, launching today for the very first time- and it's perfect for those looking for a fusion of Korean and non-traditional flavours for their lunchtime sando.
The K-Town is the latest addition to the menu. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
Think panko breaded Katsu fillet, with a choice of chicken, pork or celeriac between the fluffiest thick cut slices of shokupan bread, shredded white cabbage, freshly sliced red onion, house-made Japanese mayo and Shokupan's signature Korean style chilli sauce.
This is complemented with a side serving of Korean chilli pickled cucumber garnish, a deliciously tangy treat that coats your mouth with sweet, sticky goodness.
Alternatively, there's the classic Katsu sando, with the same panko breaded pork, chicken or celeriac options, drenched in a wonderful, you guessed it, katsu sauce - plus options like Tonkatsu rice and portions of Furikake fries for those looking for alternatives to a lunchtime sarnie.
The lunch menu runs each day from 11.15am, with a host of hearty breakfast options like spam and sausage sandos to fuel the day serving from 7.30am - 10.45am.
Continuing the Yorkshire-meets-Japanese brekkies, the Okonomiyaki Hash with eggs or bacon, which sees the usual fritter-like pancake served up in a traditional potato hash style, and with a cup of North Star coffee in hand, you really can't go wrong.
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Sophie Smith -
21st February 2023 
