The office is busier than ever in Leeds thanks to recent development in the city centre.
Like thousands of other commuters around the country, Leeds workers are flocking back to the office in their masses this morning.
The influx of new opportunities within the hustle and bustle of the city centre is thought to have been made possible thanks to the likes of Channel 4, Platform and 34 Boar Lane all opening their doors over the past twelve months to new creative and tech talent.
Platform. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
A spokesperson for Knight Frank, the UK's leading independent estate agents, stated this week that the knock on effect of bringing national TV giants Channel 4 to the city has allowed Leeds to become "a magnet for bright, young tech, media and creative companies".
This comes after a challenging year of turbulent orders from the government in a bid to tackle the coronavirus pandemic from spreading through places of work. 2021 was a year of messages to work from home, then back in the office, then from home again- yet it was office space that thrived in places like City Square.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 85% of workers would still like the opportunity to work from a physical office or co-working space for at least part of the week- even when 100% of all jobs can be completed from home.
Platform, next to Leeds Railway Station is home to Leeds' only dedicated Tech Hub, but like so many other spaces popping up around the city, they're offering the opportunity to collaborate in a thriving co-working space with some of the latest SciTech experts.
Platform. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
Knight Frank predict a 5% increase in rental overhead costs this year, suggesting that 2022 is set to be another busy year of development in office space in the city. This would take £34 per sq ft prices to around £36 and thought to come as a result of "high standard of some of the new office space which coming on to the market".
Platform. / Image: Bruntwood SciTech
For others, the arrival of new spaces over the past year has been an opportunity to progress and climb the career ladder. Channel 4 in particular have brought a huge opportunity for media creatives and this is only set to increase into the new year with a wave of new positions available.
The organisation is currently searching to fill roles in everything from TV production to Design Assistants, HR Operation Leads and Social Analysts.
The Guardian previously reported that the move from London to Leeds was fuelled by a fight against privatisation and that the huge office space on City Square opened in September as a workspace for around 200 of their 900+ employees.
Whilst the majority of these roles state that Leeds is the job's location, those interested in the vacancies will need to check individually which roles will involve commuting to their huge headquarters in the city centre.
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 -
4th January 2022 
