The 'Launderita' cocktail mixer is the first of its kind and will make its first ever appearance in Leeds.
Celebrating National Margarita Day this week has been a great excuse to pull out the bottle(s) of Jose Cuervo Tequila.
Bartenders up and down the country have been subject to organising mass salt-rimmed glasses and slices of lime for the occassion, but thanks to an incredible new invention, Leeds' version of National Margarita Day has been stretched out- we're getting until Thursday 24 February to get our annual dosage of Margs in without any judgement.
Bringing a whole new meaning to 'shaken not stirred' is the latest cocktail invention from Jose Cuervo: the Launderita.
According to reports, a team of engineers and makers appointed by Jose Cuervo spent hundreds of hours designing the one-of-a-kind contraption that turned a washing machine into a cocktail maker, and it's now finally ready for its debut.
It works in the same way a washing machine would too. Simply add your tequila and lime where the washing powder would usually go and then press 'spin' to mix it all up. To avoid any mess, there's even a tap to pour out your perfectly-mixed Margarita.
Image: Jose Cuervo
Leeds is the first stop on it's mini UK tour, making the grand unveiling all the more special. Guests at Cuckoo this Thursday will get to be the first to watch the machine dispense free cocktails.
The bar crawl for the Launderita machine will see the invention visit The Wash House in Manchester, a hidden bar inside a laundrette where the contraption is sure to feel right at home on Friday 25 February. The washing machine margarita mixer will then travel to London and appear at Barrio in Shoreditch on Saturday 26 February.
If you can't make it to the unveiling in Leeds and don't fancy a trip across country, you can still enter to win one of 50 Jose Cuervo Citrus Bliss Margeritas mixed by the Launderita itself, as well as a limited edition Jose Cuervo glass.
Image: Jose Cuervo
To get all the details you need to enter, visit the Jose Cuervo Launderita pop-up website. You'll be asked to enter your shipping address, incase you're a lucky winner, but note that this does not guarantee you the products themselves.
For inspiration on where to grab a Margarita any day of the year, we shared our tribute to our favourite spots on Instagram to celebrate National Margarita Day.
Feature Image- Jose Cuervo
Eats
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
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 -
23rd February 2022 
