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Food Review Rib Shakk, Corn Exchange

Anthony's open a brand new – and very different – second restaurant in the basement of the Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchangein Leeds city centre has become home to an excellent variety of boutiques, eateries and stalls in recent years. Since its renovation and reopening in 2008 the range of businesses under the stunning domed-roof has grown into something which feels classy, yet somehow retains a grassroots, homemade finish.

The latest eatery to spring up in this self-contained mini-mall is Rib Shakk. It doesn’t require an enormous leap of imagination to figure out what the USP of this small cafe-cum-diner is. With mains ranging from £7.95 up to £36 for the largest sharing platter, the small establishment…

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News Leeds International Film Festival Announces Award Winners

Audience favourites and more announced as the festival draws to a close

The award winners of the 25th Leeds International Film Festival have today been announced. LIFF, which has been pronounced eligible to enter the Academy Awards process of the 2013 Oscars, declared the winners of the 10 sought-after awards at the close of this year’s festival.

THE GOLDEN OWL AWARD in Official Selection was presented to 22nd May, directed by Koen Mortier. The Golden Owl jury, made up of Laurence Boyce, Renata Clark and Tony Jones, believes the film deserves a chance at UK distribution. The jury said: “The film is a powerful and evocative tale of guilt and…

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Feature Northern Art Prize

Sophie Haydock profiles the candidates for the prestigious honour this time around

It’s back and better than ever. Following on from its success over the last four years, the Northern Art Prize is launching again on 25th November, whetting our appetite for all things artistic.

The Northern Art Prize is an award for contemporary artists of any age, working in any media. The only caveat is that they live or work in the North of England.

This year’s shortlisted artists are a very diverse and talented bunch: Liadin Cooke, Leo Fitzmaurice, James Hugonin and Richard Rigg. They will be exhibiting new and recent work at the exhibition at Leeds City Art Gallery,…

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Food Review Pinche Pinche, Chapel Allerton

Pinche Pinche me, I’m dreaming, says Rob Wright as he tucks into a Mexican feast

It is an unsurprisingly dismal November night in Chapel Allerton. It’s cold, it’s wet and I can feel a sniffle coming on, and as I step into the warm burgundy interior of Pinche Pinche, I’m thinking "this Habanero Salsa better be as hot as they make out".

We’re greeted with a smile and a so-laid-back-I’m-horizontal attitude by our waiter, Josh, who sees us safely stowed at our table before cluing us up to the specials. "They’re not on the board," he says, conspiratorially tapping his head, "they’re up here". I really like the Mexican tapas approach these guys have to…

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News Does Leeds need a gay quarter?

Martin Carter from GayLeeds.com looks at the future for Leeds' LGBT community

A recent campaign for an area in Leeds city centre to be officially named Leeds’ ‘Gay Quarter’ has sparked debate throughout the Leeds gay community, and beyond.

The campaign, led by GayLeeds.com editor Sarah Carmondy and local entrepreneur Terry George, aims to have the areas of Lower Briggate, Bridge End and The Calls named a Gay Quarter, following in the footsteps of Manchester and, more recently, Liverpool. The campaign has gained national coverage, and meetings with Leeds City Council have begun.

Lower Briggate and the surrounding area have long been known to house gay and gay friendly venues -

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Food Review Create Restaurant Leeds, review

We visit a restaurant with a conscience that believes in 'doing business for the best reasons'. But what's our verdict on the food?

Create isn’t a typical restaurant. Much like Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen project, it offers training opportunities to people who need a fresh start. People who haven’t enjoyed the easiest start in life, perhaps, or have found themselves homeless or in a vulnerable position. It’s a social enterprise giving individuals a fair chance to do those basic things we all take for granted: to carve out a career; to build a life of financial independence, of dignity. In a nutshell, if a more important restaurant opens in Leeds this year, we’ll be surprised.

But of course the restaurant will only help its…

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