Headingley Stadium is a delightful events space. I was privileged to attend the Food Moments Showcase and the launch of their Christmas video.
Headingley Stadium is a unique events space. It is the only British stadium with a hospitality space, the Howard Suite, overlooking two world class sports fields. On one side you can admire the Rhinos Rugby pitch and on the other Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s ground. Walls of glass flood the space with light and give magnificent views.
Our evening started with prosecco, canapés and music in the bar area. The canapés gave a promising taste of what was to come. I particularly enjoyed the porcini mushroom arancini with truffle mayonnaise.
A wandering sax player and gold dancers mingled with the crowd, entertaining and posing for photos. We entered the Howard Suite at dusk, last light highlighting the grass below. Round tables for eight enabled conversation and easy passing of food and drink.
We received a warm welcome from MC Clare Brooke, who talked about her journey from growing up in Leeds council housing to managing sports centres in the City. Throughout the evening, there were reminders that sports can provide opportunities for the disadvantaged. Chef Darren Kelly told us about his roots at catering college in Sheffield. He worked in hotels in London and Yorkshire before becoming executive head chef at Headingley in 2021. He spoke about his commitment to provenance, sustainability and in house cooking. 95% of the food eaten at Headingley is produced in-house, including the bread and ice cream. The kitchen has a nose to tail approach to using meat.
Then it was on to the food. We began with the home-made bread and some exceptionally good Yorkshire rape seed oil for dipping. Starters included hot smoked salmon, teriyaki glazed pork and heritage tomatoes with burrata. Beautifully presented dishes had a good balance of flavour and texture. A second course of cold starters included a Greek salad and rice salad, giving us insight into what sharing buffet dishes might look like.
The food offering at Headingley is flexible and diverse. At the Food Moments presentation our sumptuous and filling meal only offered a glimpse of the stadium’s catering. Breakfasts, lunches, buffets and bowls are all available to meet the needs of different groups and events.
The standout dish of the night was the fillet of beef with buttered spinach and boulangère potatoes. Kelly had told us that this is their most popular dish, and I could see why. The Beef, cut into hearty slices, was perfectly pink and wonderfully tender. Great local produce in the hands of good cooks. The lamb, salmon and vegetable tart-tatin were also good, but the beef was some of the best I have ever tasted.
The evening was a fund-raising event for Stop Hunger. Set up by Sodexo, the company that manages hospitality at Headingley Stadium, Stop Hunger works with national and local charities to donate time, skills and money to tackle food insecurity and its root causes. All money donated goes directly to financing activities and sustainable solutions for disadvantaged communities to exit food insecurity. Raffle tickets raised funds, and one lucky winner will enjoy a table for four at a match day event.
Bob Bowman, pictured above, CEO of Leeds Rhinos Foundation, told us about the work done to support vulnerable groups and their mission of ‘changing lives through the power of sport.’ The Rhinos are a small part of the sport taking place here. There are women’s and men’s teams at all levels, netball teams, learning disabled, physically disabled and LGBTQ teams sponsored by the foundation. People with Parkinson’s, MS and Alzheimer’s are enabled to take part in sport.
Sport should be for everyone, and Bob was clear that despite wanting the Rhinos to win, it should not just be about competition, the gifted or winners and losers. A video, featuring Kevin Sinfield and narrated by Lindsey Burrow, reinforced this message and highlighted the diversity of the work undertaken by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.
Our evening finished with dessert and the Christmas video. A broad selection of cheeses sat alongside crème brûlée, panna cotta and chocolate brownies. The addition of Irish cream to the brûlée gave it a nice Christmas twist. I couldn’t manage a brownie but the one I took home tasted great the next day. I can see that Headingley Stadium would be an exciting place for a Christmas event and a variety is on offer in their brochure and on their website.
Headingley Stadium has reached out to offer our readers an exclusive 10% discount when using the following code: LEEDSLIVING10. This code can be used when booking, via their website, on the four events listed below and is valid until 1st November 2025.
Shared Christmas Party Night – HDY – 6/12/25 – Saturday 6 December 2025, 6:00pm
Festive Party Bingo – HDY – 11/12/25 – Thursday 11 December 2025, 6:00pm
Shared Christmas Party Night – HDY – 12/12/25 – Friday 12 December 2025, 6:00pm
Christmas Lunch with Santa – HDY – 14/12/25 – Sunday 14 December 2025, 11:00am
Whatever the time of year, Headingley has a lot to offer events organisers, whether you are looking to organise a meeting, conference, wedding, party, or arts event. The venue boasts 8 hospitality suites, 15 meeting rooms and can offer a capacity up to 450 people. It even boasts a lodge with 36 hotel rooms for those who would like to stay the night.
