Cocktails made from Skittles, Pancetta and Haribo: this is the cocktail menu you never knew you needed in your life.
Pastel is a new cocktail bar with a lot of never-seen-before drinks on the menu- and we're obsessed with the concept.
Rattan chairs, pineapple tables and decorative features in pink, mint, cream and a teal green: this pastel paradise is going to be an Insta-worthy bar that brings that summer feel-good feeling to the everyday.
Opening on Saturday 12 March to the public, Pastel will be serving up beautifully decorated cocktails and handpicked spirits to Leeds in a rather decorative setting.
Located in the beating heart of Leeds metropolis, Kirkgate, Pastel is combining the euphoric feeling of day drinking with the playful romanticism of evening tipple.
Their cocktail menu is all that the company have chosen to reveal at this stage, but it's more than enough to get us down the moment the doors open.
Essentially, you're looking at classic cocktails with imaginative twists and carefully-decorated glasses. The Pastel Fizz, for instance, is a delectable concoction of Bacardi Raspberry, raspberry liqueur, fresh lime juice with cream, egg white, soda and topped with 'Pastel Dust' that gives it a rather frothy appearance.
Image: Pastel Leeds
The Wray of Sunshine is likely to be our drink of choice. El Jimador Tequila, Wray & Nephew with Sunshine Syrup, fresh lime, basil, pineapple juice and Skittles: this is going to be the perfect post-work drink once the sunshine returns and we're basking in the rays mid-heatwave.
Then there's some rather unusual combinations, just like the Curd Your Enthusiasm cocktail. Portobello Road Gin, fresh lemon juice with lemon Curd and topped with pancetta and a single Haribo Egg. Yes, eggs and meat on a cocktail: not for the faint-hearted, or vegetarians.
Image: Pastel Leeds
Speaking about their cocktail bar concept, Pastel said: "We are a venue inspired by a playful and fun drinking culture and aim to deliver a fun and unique drinking experience to push the boundaries of wet-led service standards."
"From daytime hustlers to nighttime goodtimers we have the perfect oasis of pastel hues and laid back atmosphere for both work and play. The core of what we do is to take all guests on a journey from early to late, serving cool signature cocktails alongside classic cocktails, handpicked spirits and Monmouth coffee."
More information will be released closer to the opening of the bar. To keep up to date with all the exciting revelations, you can nosey on the their Instagram page.
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 -
3rd March 2022 
