Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen: Meet the owners behind the Leeds bar as it celebrates its 10th anniversary

And co-owner Simon Stevens has plenty of reasons to look back on the last decade with pride. The 300-capacity venue has acted as a launch pad for such great artists as Stormzy, Jorja Smith, Little Sims, Jungle and Yard Act while also acting as a space to enjoy great drinks, street food and the electric atmosphere.

Simon was working as the music programmer at former venue The Cockpit while co-owner Ash Kollakowski was working at the A Nation Of Shopkeepers when the two decided to combine their love of live music and hospitality to introduce something new.

Simon said: “The music scene has always been excellent in Leeds but it was the venues than anything else. We wanted somewhere that you could end up two, three or four times a week.

"I’ve got a love of for The Cockpit but it was just a dark black box during the day.”

The two had their fingers firmly on the pulse of up and coming bands having regularly attended new music festivals such as South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. As a result, when the building – which was left derelict when they took it on – was given a makeover to include the venue, two bars and roof terrace the opening weekend of music included a raft of stellar names including Simian Mobile Disco, Wet Nuns and current arena fillers Royal Blood.

The spot quickly became a cornerstone of the Leeds nightlife and became famed for its reputation for good food, enhanced only further when it became the host of what is now the UK’s longest running street food festival, The Belgrave Feast. On the venue’s meteoric rise, Simon said: “It’s been great and everyone’s taken the venue to their hearts since we opened. It’s gone from strength to strength. It’s crazy really.

"It’s nice that it feels like it’s already got heritage status. It’s been around long enough now to have new groups of university students come and go and it still feels as fun as it always did.

"We would not have been able to do all of this though without the various people that have worked there over the years. I think that’s a big part of what’s made it successful.”

The duo has since gone on to open Headrow House in 2015 followed by Water Lane Boathouse to distinguish themselves as one of the city’s most distinguished portfolio holders. Simon said: “With all of them it’s been about finding as many reasons to keep people coming back to give yourself as good a chance of surviving as possible.”

Simon said recent years have been “particularly testing” due to the coronavirus pandemic and cost of living crisis but a string of events throughout 2023 to celebrate the 10th anniversary gives plenty of cause for optimism.

One of those events will be two shows from the brilliant UK artist Loyal Carner, who will take time away from headlining much bigger venues to pay homage to the Belgrave. Simon said: “The fact that these bands and acts choose to come back is really touching.”