Sunday 7th July and not only was the biggest and most diverse brunch in Leeds awaiting us at Assembly Underground, but also a warm and friendly management and staff.
The brunch event, which was organised by Leeds Brunch Club (an Instagram meet up group) and the managers of Assembly Underground, was fab.
It was held on the Assembly Underground premises, which is an uber cool basement space on Great George Street serving some of the best street food available in Leeds. I have been to Assembly a number of times for dinner and have always come away satisfied and with a smile! This occasion was no exception.
I attended the brunch with a friend, on behalf of Leeds Living. We sat at the media table and so were able to sample almost all of incredible food on offer (as well as take some pics of the offerings to share here). We came hungry to the event and we were glad we did. From the moment we arrived we were fed and watered by all of the vendors who have taken up residence in Assembly.
Brunch began with cool Mimosas and a generous platter of Slap & Pickle’s loaded tater tots. We loved the tot mountain with its crispy potato piece base, and lots of creamy avocado, blue cheese dressing and a sprinkling of smoky bacon bits. We had to hold back so that we still had room for the rest of the brunch, but still had at least 10 tots each!
Next up was a vegetarian mezze platter from Mediterranean maestros, The Falafel Guys. The platter included homemade hummus, crispy falafel, pickles and sweet potato crisps amongst other delicious bites. We loved the soft flatbreads, which were served alongside the platter, and enjoyed them with the rich hummus selection.
Taking our taste buds on another tantalizing adventure was the Punjabi street food plate served by Jah Jyot, an award-winning food truck now taking up residence in Assembly. The large mixed platters had been carefully developed for brunch, keeping all of the best bits of a Punjabi meal, including a creamy yogurt sauce, a richly spiced aloo tikki patty and crunchy okra fries. We loved the contrasting flavours and cleaned the plate!
Then came bowls of meatballs served alongside a generous stack of pizza slices from The Pizza Authority, an Italian street food vendor which makes everything from scratch using Italian ingredients. The pizza was perfectly crisp, with a rich tomato base and soft mozzarella topping, and the meatballs were moist and doused in a beautifully balanced sauce. Each bite of this authentic Neapolitan food sent us to the sunny streets of Naples.
Taking us to the other side of the world we next enjoyed a Brazilian grill plate offered by Bread & Butter BBQ. The chicken skewer was a real highlight for us since the meat was moist and packed full of flavour. Partnering perfectly with the chicken was a fresh tomato salad, and cassava fries which I loved. The fries were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with a texture not dissimilar to a parsnip. I will certainly be heading back to Bread & Butter for more.
All of this just highlights that the food on offer at Assembly is simply delicious. Sunday’s event was the first brunch held at Assembly, but it won’t be the last. I am already looking forward to next weekend.
Great George Street
LS1 3ED
Sunday to Thursday 12 noon until 9 p.m. for food. Drinks until 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 12 noon until 9 p.m. for food and until midnight for drinks.
All photographs by Gemma Bridge.
