Chunk Cookies has got to be one of our favourite success stories in Leeds.
From baking inside her student shared house to opening her very first bakery, the last few years have been a whirlwind for owner Amy Bennett- and there's really no stopping her now.
The new Chunk Cookies store has been a work-in-progress for the past few months, but today the doors finally open in Burley for the official opening.
Having completely transformed the site by hand, Chunk is a labour of love by both the owner and partner Diego, as well as the local community - with family, friends and even strangers from Instagram getting involved in the project.
And it's certainly paid off.
The beautiful store features the signature terracotta colour on the outer walls, whilst the inside is decorated in a serene cream, with wooden benches, complete with handmade notes, seasonal bunting and of course, a huge array of cookies and bakes to choose from.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Each cookie comes with the knowledge that you're not just supporting a small business, but one that's really working hard to be as sustainable as possible: being vegan is just one step of this.
The Chunk Cookies website explains that "running a vegan and sustainable business is not without its challenges! It can be difficult to balance sustainability with profitability- vegan and sustainable ingredients/packaging are usually more expensive, but we still need to keep our prices low so that people buy from us, AND make a tiny profit so we can stay open!"
"We try to balance affordability with sustainability, and aim to provide amazing cookies, that are great value and kind to the planet" and the bakery has taken steps like no same day deliveries; using EcoFlo to pack out boxes, reducing waste wherever possible and switching flour supply to Shipton Mill 100% organic British grown flour, this year to continue on its green mission.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Chunk Cookies has been three years in the making, and whilst the original recipe is still used today, there's a wide variety of flavours to choose from: Biscoff, Mince Pie, Birthday Cake - you name it, there's probably a cookie version of it.
Opening a cafe site also allows Amy to serve a host of hot drinks too. Oat milk comes as standard, naturally, but there are dairy options to add into your coffees and hot chocolates.
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.”
The Swine That Dines announces the official opening date of its brand new restaurant
Clementine Hall
Much-loved Leeds Bistro The Swine Bistro, formerly known as The Swine That Dines, has moved to a bigger space in Headingley.
Although it’s gone through a few name changes over the years since launching as The Greedy Pig cafe in 2012, this independent spot has long been a firm favourite for Leeds locals for some time now.
Run by chef couple Jo and Stu Myers, they’ve been operating out of North Street where it’s all about cooking seasonal produce simply and with an added ‘little bit of sunshine’.
But now Swine Bistro has moved up over to Headingley, taking up a unit previously occupied by Jam hairdressers on Otley Road.
Image: Supplied
And the time has finally come for them to open their doors, as they announce their first service will take place on Friday 4 April with bookings open from today, Thursday 20 March.
The Myers will be welcoming head chef Kirsty Cheetham, who won Observer Food Monthly’s Best Sunday Lunch award in 2018 and 2022 when she ran The Queen o’t owd Thatch in South Milford, Leeds.
The expanded space in the restaurant has allowed the team to curate a bigger wine list which will include natural wines from Wayward Wines and Latitude Wines as well as local beers from Ilkley Brewery and Horsforth Brewery.
Image: Supplied
The team remains passionate about locally sourced ingredients and has partnered with a variety of Yorkshire suppliers including R&J Yorkshire for its fresh meat, Tarbetts fishmonger, cheese from George & Joseph cheesemongers and beans from micro roaster, Chipp Coffee Co.
Jo Myers, co-owner of the Swine Bistro said: “It’s taken a huge amount of time and effort to realise our dream to revamp what was previously a hairdresser into a fully functioning kitchen and restaurant. It’s been a wild ride but we’re excited, and slightly nervous, to finally open our doors.
“We love the vibe in Headingley and the time out has allowed us to have fun with our menu as well as take part in lots of essential taste testing of ingredients and drinks from our brilliant local suppliers. We can’t wait to welcome guests into our new restaurant!”
Sophie Smith -
15th December 2023 
