Now it's not everyday that you get to celebrate a huge milestone birthday, even less so when it belongs to a local business, but Aagrah's 45th birthday comes as no surprise to anyone that's tasted their menu.
The restaurant has been kept in the family for a whopping 45 years and has been passed on through the generations to keep that authentic Kashmiri cuisine tasting fresh and flavoursome.
Director Naeem told The Hoot Leeds that the big birthday made him feel "very old", but was excited about hitting the milestone.
Aagrah was first started by Naeem's parents and uncles to bring home-style cooking to Yorkshire- and it's safe to say that the family has left far more than a lasting impression.
These days there's a total of nine restaurants spanning across Leeds city centre, Garforth and Chapel Allerton, as well as further afield in Doncaster, Tadcaster, Wakefield, Midpoint, Shipley and even Skipton to choose from.
Aagrah is celebrating 45 years of business. / Image: Aagrah
To celebrate their huge birthday, Aagrah is thanking their returning customers that have supported them through the past 45 years with an impressive 45% off the bill on their birthday.
The offer will be valid in all Aagrah restaurants on Tuesday 5 July 2022 on food only.
In addition to this, Aagrah will also be offering 25% off food Monday - Thursday throughout July and if it is your own 45th birthday you will get to eat for free and your party will get 25% off food (at Aagrah Leeds only).
What a way to celebrate 45 years of business.
Onion Bhaji starter. / Image: The Hoot Leeds
If you need any recommendations, every curry from the Masala to Makhani served three different ways oozes with spices and flavours, and all dishes come as huge portion sizes- even the onion bhajis come as huge circular rings.
Whilst there's plenty of soft drinks and beers to choose from to accompany your meal, the stand-out option here are the cocktails on tap.
Grab a seat underneath the flower-covered ceiling at the Chapel Allerton venue and you're set for an Instagrammable Kashmiri cuisine packed with flavour.
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.”
Leeds Tattoo Expo to return to the First Direct Arena for 10th anniversary
Clementine Hall
The tenth annual Leeds Tattoo Expo will showcase some of the best in tattooing both local and internationally.
If you fancy getting yourself a fancy new bit of ink, then look no further than the iconic Leeds Tattoo Expo that will be returning to the First Direct Arena this June.
Taking place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June 2025, over 200 tattooists and 70 traders will be flocking to the city to show off their skills.
And not only that, but there’ll also be a whole host of market traders for you to browse as well as live music to have a boogie to.
The artists will be tattooing with options for both pre-booked appointments and walk ups available throughout the weekend.
Image: Leeds Tattoo Expo
There will also be a piercer, tooth gems and a henna artist ready to adorn your body.
Alongside getting tattooed, there’s plenty to do and to see over the whole weekend; there'll be an alternative drawing class, an illustrators market with kids’ workshops provided by Art Gecko, an art fusion event on the main stage, burlesque performances and competitions, a small vintage clothing pop-up, fire breathing and break dancing demonstrations in the square outside the arena.
The annual tattoo competitions will also be taking place each evening, where tattooists showcase their work to a panel of judges, sponsored by Killer Ink!
To celebrate Leeds Tattoo Expo's tenth anniversary, they'll be hosting a Pre-Party at Belgrave Music Hall on Thursday 5 June which is a completely free entry event complete with live music and free pizza.
You can find out more about the event and book your tickets here via the First Direct Arena's website.
Sophie Smith -
1st July 2022 
