Since mid-November, the Winter Village has been welcoming everyone with festive spirit to its permanent home at Temple Arches.
Summertime no longer has the monopoly on warm days and nights for fun and food with family and friends. At the Winter Village, there are fire pits, heaters, winter snugs in the Chow Down Ski Lodge, and mulled wine and cider. Windbreakers, plants and more heaters welcome you into the Winter Garden. The venue offers winter sport, with rooftop curling and a games room. Headline DJs, live bands, bar service and booths add to the comfort and the entertainment.
Christmas Tipis host atmospheric Santa Breakfasts and a range of family activities on Sundays, all against the backdrop of ultimate cosiness. Après ski nights, drag and disco brunches, winter cocktails, boozy hot chocolate and familiar street food traders alongside some new faces all add to the attraction of the Village.
Over the eight weeks, Chow Down will welcome headline DJs Norman Jay, Friendly Fires, Horse Meat Disco, Graeme Park, Raw Silk and DJ Paulette. And for fans of live music, the line-up will include a triumphant return from Mr Wilson’s Second Liners with Back Chat, as well as New York Brass, New Freedom Gospel and the very special Chow Down House Band.
Leeds’ first proper taco restaurant comes in the form of Tortio, which is set to offer a range of classic dishes and more innovative flavours, including Carne Asada Tacos and Smoked and braised Ox cheek Birria quesadillas, to Masa fried Chicken. Mostly cooked over open flames.
Jimmy Macks’ incredible cheffing career might have seen him travel the world and work in some of the most acclaimed kitchens around – but now he’s back in the UK with an exciting new offer, applying his restaurant skills to the craft of street food. In the run up to the opening, Jimmy said: “We’re super excited to be trading at the Chow Down Winter Village this year. What the team has done to the site looks epic, and we can’t wait to be part of the action with our festive menu!”
More winter food comes from British Street Food Kitchen’s Posh Street Food and Archchis, as well as returning favourites Summer Sticky Beaks, Bento Box, OnaRoll, Pizza Bus, Nasi Lemak and Luigi Street Food. All that plus a range of new foodie faces, including Korean Grub Club.
Lucy Renshaw, Strategic Marketing Manager at CEG: “After a fun-packed summer schedule, we can’t wait to see what Chow Down has in store for its first winter line up at Temple Arches. CEG is delighted to partner with New Citizens at Temple, and we look forward to them bringing some festive cheer to the local community and helping to put Temple Arches in Holbeck on the map as a place to visit and enjoy.”
One of the Founders of Chow Down, Stu Butterworth says: “We are incredibly proud of the programme for Winter. The whole team has worked around the clock to bring something for everyone, whether a corporate Christmas Party booking, a couple on date night to a night out with friends, we also have a new area which you can just pop in for a drink. The entertainment has been stepped up with some incredible DJ slots and a mix of house bands and returning live bands. The food element has also been raised with our new residency kitchens, which we hope to take into next year. Leeds hasn’t seen a taco restaurant like this and our festive menu by Jimmy Macks will include some exciting warming staples (and yes, bone marrow dumplings with pigs in blankets?). Who needs the Leeds German market when you can put something like this on?”
Chow Down Night Themes:
Thursday Night – Apres Night Friday Night – DJ Nights – Brunches and local DJsSunday – Santa Breakfast 12:00 – 15:00
20th November – Garage Brunch 12:00 – 15:00 27th November – Drag Brunch 12:00 – 15:00 28th November – Mr Wilson Second Liners – 15:00 – 19:00 10th December – Norman Jay (MBE) – 19:00 – 22:00 18th December – Xmas Drag Brunch 12:00 – 1
