Leeds Indie Food Festival 19 is now well under way and the events so far, such as Somme v Cicerone at Bundobust, LIF19 Collaboration Menu at Fettle, Little Bao Boys Beer Launch at North Brew Co Leeds Taproom and Plant Styles x Laynes at Laynes Espresso, have all been a resounding success.
A review of the latter by my esteemed colleague Thomas Chalk is available by following this link.
A lot of the remaining events have sold out. Strangely, they seem to be the ones where booze is involved – who’d a thought it – but here is a heads up on some of those still available, although limited:
On Friday, 17th May there is one boozy do which still has spaces, although goodness knows why after its success in previous years – The North Bar Magical Mystery Tour. The idea is that you begin at the iconic North Bar in New Briggate at 6.00pm for a swift one before a pub crawl to all of the group’s establishments in Leeds Centre, Otley, Harrogate, Chapel Allerton, Oakwood etc. Don’t worry; there is a bus laid on for the journey so you don’t have much walking to do, except to the bar and back. There might even be an extra brewery tap thrown in for good measure. To help you last the pace, there will be snacks available, but you won’t be given shovelfuls of spaghetti. Tickets are £48.50 including booking fee, not to sup your way into a profit! The food and ale are there to be enjoyed, not abused. For details and booking form please go to http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/the-north-bar-magical-mystery-tour-5/
Also on 17th May is something called Hands On Sensuality – calm down Tiger. It is described as a pleasure-inducing ten-course tasting menu and a celebration of female sensuality. It is part dinner, part theatrical production and part a journey of discovery curated and presented by Kaye Winwood and Christie Hill. The ten mouthfuls are served, not on plates, but on fingers, hand and wrist giving the experience a wider sensory appeal. General Admission is £38.50 and Pairs Booking £57.50, both inclusive of booking fees.
http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/hands-on-sensuality-2/
Friday 17th seems to be a very popular day and to add to the above there is the option for vegans and health conscious eaters in general to experience a meal made entirely of raw food at The Bowery on Otley Road, Headingley, for the Rawsome Vegan Supper Club – see what they did there? There is a three-course set menu combining fresh ingredients to show that raw food does not just mean salad. It begins at 7.30, with the first course being served at 7.45. Don’t be late! You don’t want it going cold, do you? The price is £27.50 including booking fee and is a bring your own booze event, so that helps keep the price down.
http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/rawsome-vegan-supper-club/
On to 23rd and 24th May Leeds Cookery School in the Old Gipton Fire Station on York Road is running courses entitled Around The World: A Taste of Leeds Cookery School. The event is an interactive meal beginning with nibbles, after which you prepare, cook and eat three courses from around the world, under the supervision of the school’s chefs. There is also a drink pairing with each course included. The four-hour courses start at 6.30pm on 23rd May and 5.00pm on 24th. Prices are £71.50 including booking fee or £64.90 for LIF19 Passport holders.
http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/around-the-world-a-taste-of-leeds-cookery-school/
Finally, on 26th May there is the Whitelock’s Fish Supper Club at – go on, take a guess – correct, Whitelock’s Ale House, beginning at 6.00pm and running until 11.00pm. This is not your typical Haddock, Chips, Mushy Peas and Scraps fish supper, but a seven-course tasting menu of Yorkshire fish, shellfish and seasonal vegetables devised by Head Chef Chris Dennett. In the 1930s and 1940s, Supper Clubs were informal dining experiences where people would get together for a special meal and a good schmooze, a sort of pre-war networking event. Who knows who you might meet at a do like this – quite possibly a world-famous writer and contributor to Leeds Living, or then again it could be me! See you there. Tickets £49.50 including booking fee.
http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/whitelocks-fish-supper-club/
You need to be quick to secure a ticket for these and the other events in the Festival which still have some spaces left. For a comprehensive list of the remaining attractions, please visit http://leedsindiefood.co.uk
All that is left for me to say to you, and especially the chef at Whitelock’s Fish Supper Club, is ‘Get your skates on.’ Sorry.
All photographs by Ben Bentley.
