Ossett Brewery is set to host the eleventh edition of its huge waterside food, drink and musical Wharfest 11 next weekend.
Taking place at one of Leeds most tranquil city centre spots, by the waterside of Granary Wharf, organisers are promising an unforgettable afternoon of live music between free-flowing drinks and plenty of good food.
Organisers have promised an electric mix of soul, motown, funk, chart and party music from live performers, DJs and a saxophonist each taking the stage at three bar venues down by the waterside.
The free to attend festival will take place across newly-opened Salt Craft + Falafel, The Hop and Archies on Saturday 26 March, with live singers playing out well-loved tunes from 3pm from Salt and The Hope, whereas Archie's will play host to a DJ and saxophonist from 6pm in the evening.
Amongst the musical lineup is Dylan Brierley, an alternative/indie guitarist and singer-songwriter from Leeds; Him & Her Duo, a husband and wife team performing 70s to present day hits on the ukulele, guitar and piano and Sarah Widdup, a wedding performer that does a beautiful rendition of Christina Perry's A Thousand Years.
Also performing at Salt Craft + Falafel is Bangin' Tuesdays a band dubbed "an energetic duo who can perform a huge range of popular upbeat covers guaranteed to get you on your feet".
There’s a whole range of craft beers available to taste, as well as some incredible cocktails on tap. 2 for £12 all day, every day on all your favourite concoctions, as well as quality craft beers on offer and a super speedy service. Think Aperol Spritz, Espresso Martinis and Strawberry Cosmos, amongst other draught options- and we can confirm they taste as good, if not better, than the hand-crafted versions.
Situated to the left of the bar is a nook for all things Falafel Guys where the chefs are serving up chunky grilled halloumi, beautifully flavoured (and presented) pots of hummus, falafels and chicken shawarma.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Over at The Hop, who have one of the best selections of local ales in the north, with plenty of favourites from award-winning brewery Ossett due to be pulled on the day, another four performers are set to jump on the stage and fill the afternoon with plenty of upbeat tunes.
The Dandy Lions, a high energy 'Glam Rock' band will be sharing the stage with Brothers of the Slide, After Party and swinging rock 'n' roll band, Get Back Beats.
The Hop will be serving a small but highly regarded menu of hearty local pies, peas and mash up to help you wash all that beer down.
Down at Archie’s, a live DJ will be dropping a crowd-pleasing mix of soul, Motown, funk, chart and party tunes with a live sax from 6 pm onwards. Known for their calorific pizzas, sides and desserts, this is the spot to soak up all that alcohol and recoup with a spot of sugar.
With free entry and a wealth of activity hitting Granary Wharf next weekend: this really is going to be the best spot in Leeds to hang out with loved ones, pint in one hand and a slice of something good in the other.
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 -
17th March 2022 
