Popular Leeds arts and foodie venue The Tetley closed its doors at the end of last year.
Originally, the plans were to continue its artistic programme this year, but will move off the site.
The team behind The Tetley announced that they had "been working hard to identify a new home in Leeds with several partners, collaborating on what seemed like very promising outcomes – but due to the financial climate these plans have not materialised".
And this means that the plan to open a new venue in Leeds City Centre are no longer viable.
In a heartfelt statement the team explained that "The Tetley building made all sorts of things possible for us. We welcomed over a million visitors, presented Yorkshire’s only Turner Prize winning exhibition, supported artists in developing their careers and reached thousands of children and families through our Tiny Tetley Studio and workshops. We’re immensely proud of everything we’ve achieved".
Confirmed projects like Inside Out, ‘a new participatory art project designed to facilitate children’s play in collaboration with communities and partner organisations in Beeston and Beeston Hill’, are still taking place and there's also a play project in collaboration with Hamara Healthy Living Centre and Rowland Road WMC, and Town Island, a artist Benaiah Matheson’s presentation supported by us to go to the Venice Biennale to look forward to.
Some of the confirmed 2024 projects are still going ahead. / Image: The Tetley
The Tetley says it is working closely with Arts Council England and Leeds City Council and prioritising its "mission as a charity as we search for a new home".
"To mark this new chapter, we’ll announce a new name and identity later in 2024."
"We believe in the power and importance of contemporary art – and it’s what we’ll continue to champion, support and make happen.
"So, we’ll see you soon. Not at The Tetley, but perhaps at the train station; in your nearby community centre; your local park; or across the streets of our city."
Vastint UK is the developer behind the plans for the 92-year-old building, which will be a part of Aire Park – the 24-acre, multi-use district on Leeds’ South Bank.
Image: Vastint
The new proposals of The Tetley include roof terraces, a new cellar bar and restaurant as well as the retention of many historic features, including the war memorial and the boardroom.
The Tetley building will be the focal point for the Aire Park district which includes up to 1,400 new homes and 85,000 m2 of office space.
Image: Vastint UK
The proposed plans include:
The basement level being transformed into a bar and restaurant area and opened up to the public for the first time in the building’s history
The ground floor to feature a new food hall as well as new amenities including Changing Places facilities
The first-floor plans show an event space and business lounge
Office space will appear on the second and third floors of the building
An extension will be added to the eastern façade of the building, which has traditionally always been connected to other buildings within the brewery complex
You can find out more about the history of The Tetley building and why its become such an iconic Leeds landmark here.
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 -
14th March 2024 
