Leeds Loves Food 2011

This weekend, Leeds city centre hosts it’s sixth Leeds Loves Food festival celebrating food producers – and of course restaurants from Leeds and the surrounding areas.

This year’s is the biggest so far with demonstrations, stalls and other events in the Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Markets, The Merrion Centre, Victoria Quarter and many others. Millennium Square is hosting the main “Yorkshire Food and Drink” event, with a marketplace with over 100 stalls featuring local producers and restaurants from around Leeds. The event is free to attend and is open from 11 – 6 each day.

A Taste of Spain is also visiting Leeds for the first time this year where they will be promoting Spanish music, tourism and even cooking an authentic paella by people from the region of Valencia for 1000 people on both Saturday and Sunday.
 

Sampling the restaurant's food at Leeds Loves Food

 
This year, there are over 20 restaurants with stalls at Millennium Square offering dishes from their menu. With prices generally around £5 it’s a great way to try out a restaurant you haven’t got around to visiting yet.

• All Bar One – A bar on the edge of Millennium Square serving bar meals all day.
• Brasserie Blanc – Owned by Raymond Blanc serving traditional French food.
• Casa Mia – Italian Restaurant overlooking Millennium Square that has a vast array of cakes.
• Dough Bistro – In the suburbs of Leeds serving locally grown, fresh, seasonal food.
• Fish& – Serves a selection of fish usually down at Dock Street Market.
• Jamie’s Italian – Situated in an old bank on Park Row, Jamie’s Italian sticks to the chef’s ethos of quality, seasonal produce.
• Lahore – In Bradford this modern Pakistani restaurant stands out from the crowds.
• Mango Vegetarian – Based in Wetherby offering traditional Gujarati cuisine.
• Oracle – Large waterfront Restaurant serving gourmet burgers.
• Red Chilli – Award winning Chinese Restaurant.
• Revolution – Based in Millennium Square serving a range of bar meals with outdoor seating.
• Salt’s Deli – Sandwiches, freshly baked goods and a deli counter on Swinegate.
• Smoothie Mania – Who serve breakfasts and lunches alongside their freshly made smoothies.
• Spice Quarter – Buffet restaurant serving Chinese, Indian, Italian and Thai food for a set price.
• Sukhothai – An award winning Thai restaurant.
• Tampopo – Pan Asian Restaurant just off The Headrow.
• Teppanyaki – Japanese food cooked at your table.
• Thai Edge – Modern Thai Restaurant.
• Viva Cuba – Tapas Restaurant on Kirkstall Road.
• Zouk – Family run Indian Restaurant in Bradford with a fortnightly changing specials board.

Pad Khing (stir fried beef with ginger, spring onion and mushroom) from Sukhothai

Patatas Bravas from Viva Cuba

 
A number of restaurants and producers are also offering free samples of their food – such as this charcuterie board from Jamie’s Italian:

Charcuterie board from Jamies Italian

There is also a kitchen theatre, where local chefs and suppliers will be showing off their cooking skills. On Friday, David Lishman of nearby butchers Lishmans in Ilkley brought his campaign to create a “Yorkshire Sausage” to sit alongside the likes of Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausages. He has created six recipes which which he thinks are good candidates, and is putting them to taste tests around Yorkshire. Visitors to Leeds Love Food are invited to sample them and cast their vote.

The contenders for the title of Yorkshire Sausage!

 
LeedsLovesFood is taking place from the 1st-3rd July across Leeds city centre and is free to attend. You can follow @LeedsLovesFood on Twitter for the latest news and updates.

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