Thor's Tipi, a popular name in Yorkshire already, is set to open a huge pop-up bar in Leeds right in time for the summer.
With a big screen, outdoor seating, and (of course) a tipi, the huge space is set to open in City Square in just a few weeks' time.
Thor's Tipi - which also recently announced a bar in Sheffield - will be serving up a selection of cocktails and street food, and punters can get stuck in to giant outdoor games, easels, and loads of events including performances from local bands.
On that big screen they'll be showing everything from Wimbledon to The Olympics, part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
And that's not all for City Square - a new monthly artisan village from Little Bird Made is set to start in July, completing the recently-announced market on Briggate.
The massive space in Leeds city centre has been undergoing some major improvement work in the last few years, creating an impressive new pedestrianised space.
There are plans to host even more events and activities here once Leeds City Council gauges people's opinions after a busy summer on the square, including the installation of a new artwork, the Yorkshire Sustainability Festival as well as Light Night Leeds and Christmas events later in the year.
Thor's Tipi is set to open on 14 June and will remain in Leeds until 8 September.
Thor's Tipi is opening a pop-up bar in Leeds City Square. Credit: Supplied
Amanda Monaghan, director at Thor’s, said: "We’re so excited to have our first ever Thor’s Summer residency in Leeds.
"We’ll be hosting brilliant summer parties, showcasing the best of sport on the big screen and entertaining families - all within our tipi wonderland on City Square. It’s going to be a glorious Summer in Leeds!"
Jackie Crozier, managing director of Little Bird Made, said: "Having previously lived in Leeds for 10 years and having organised a number of events in the city, it feels like coming home.
“Bringing people together by creating a fun space where they can hang out, eat and shop has been our mission ever since I founded the company in 2018 and what better place to do it than City Square."
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council's executive member for infrastructure and sustainable development, said: “When we set out on the journey to transform City Square, the long term vision was to create a modern, welcoming, pedestrian friendly gateway to the city where people could come together and enjoy the best of Leeds.
“We also wanted City Square to be a symbolic and stand-out example of our ambition to transform the city’s transport network, reduce congestion and improve air quality.
“This summer, we will see all that work come to fruition, when the square welcomes a programme of events for all ages and we take another huge step toward a cleaner, greener and more sustainable city centre.”
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!”
Daisy Jackson -
22nd May 2024 
