The North’s best indie food and drinks traders, alongside music and activities for children, will be there to help you enjoy a feast and fun, hopefully in the sun, at the cost of just £3 entry for three days – and for under 14s, there’s no charge.
Loud Noises brass band will be there, and DJs all week-end long. Kids Storytelling and Pop-Up and Play should occupy the young family members, whilst all generations will have a huge choice of food and drinks from around the world. Eighteen traders will offer Malaysian, Italian, Canadian and U.S. style food, catering for just about every taste.
It’s not only about eating; it’s about supporting local traders to take the next steps. Little Bao Boy is an example: Their first pop-up was at Chow Down in 2018, and they now have premises with North Brew Beer in Leeds.
Little Bao Boy founder James Ooi is a Festival fan “Chow Down is one of our biggest outdoor events,” he said, “and the crowd is class. The Piece Hall is such a beautiful building; this sort of event really enhances the town”.
Froconut Elly Joy’s vegan ice cream is also making a name, having opened in Sheffield since their last Chow Down. Elly said ‘The thought and process that goes into the event is admirable and makes our job easy; we can just turn up and serve our ice-cream to the people of Halifax’.
Newcomer to Chow Down, Luigi, told us “I am so excited about going to The Piece Hall, and showing off my authentic pasta bowls.” Arancini and pasta lovers will no doubt welcome Luigi’s very happily.
Chief Executive of The Piece Hall, Nicky Chance-Thompson said:
“Despite some typical British summertime weather for the first Chow Down of 2019, it was wonderful to see so many visitors, regular customers and tenants enjoying the fantastic food, live music and activities in the courtyard. We are looking forward to welcoming even more visitors, and hopefully the sunshine, back again for more of the same at the end of the month.”
Chow Down has been at Lincoln Castle in 2019, with enthusiastic crowds regardless of the mixed weather.
Opening Times:
(Make sure you collect a wristband when you pay your £3, so that you can return free of charge over the week-end.)
Friday 26th July: 11am – 10pm (Free entry before 11am till 5pm)
Saturday 27th July: 11am till 10pm
Sunday 28th July: 11am till 8pm
………and in August, its 23rd to 26th, including the bank holiday.
Here’s a list of the traders for July:
The Pizza Bus
Go Get Stuffed (stuffed naans)
Get Wurst
Nasi Lemak
Knaves Kitchen (vegan)
Knuckle Sandwich (hot sandwiches)
Little Bao Boy
Love is Churros
Wagyu Lookin’ At? .
The Ball Box (meat and veg balls)
The Middle Feast (mezze and barbecued meat)
Froconut (vegan)
The Gravy Train Poutine
Luigi Street Food
Lekkereatdutch (pancakes and waffles)
Manzuko (Asian-inspired)
The Dilla Deli (quesadillas)
Ruby’s Street Kitchen (Mumbai-inspired)
Laynes Espresso
Chow Down is run by New Citizens and Leeds Indie Food:
New Citizens
New Citizens are one of the north’s leading music, food & drink event operators. They are an industry leader with a respected reputation in consistently delivering high-quality, well-managed events through an eclectic portfolio of boutique brands and venues.
Leeds Indie Food
Leeds Indie Food run the eponymous annual Leeds Indie Food festival in Leeds each year, as well as weekly #EatNorth events and Chow Down. Run by independent food PR guru Simon Fogal of Chapter 81, LIF focusses on showcasing and celebrating the best independent food and drinks vendors the North has to offer.
The Piece Hall, one of the world’s few remaining cloth halls, is run by a small charity. Since 2017, it has welcomed over 3 million visitors, hosted the Tour de Yorkshire, Father John Misty and the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow as well as countless school children who learn about the North’s industrial past.
Money invested in The Piece Hall Charitable Trust helps to protect its future and supports its role as a catalyst for wider regeneration.
Photographs by Stan Graham unless otherwise captioned.
