Assembly Underground: Northern Monk and Falafel Guys to takeover vacant Leeds city centre hotspot

The new venue, called The Northern Market, will feature a food market, beer hall, and a range of frozen cocktails, with a fully stocked bar pouring the freshest Northern Monk beers from 10 tap lines and on-site beer tanks, including Faith, the brewery’s flagship Hazy Pale Ale, as well as wines, and spirits.

Located on Great George Street in Leeds city centre, The Northern Market is the brewery’s second venue in Leeds after The Old Flax Store on Marshall Street, which has been home to Northern Monk’s original brewery and Refectory taproom since 2014.

Russell Bisset, Co-Founder of Northern Monk, said: “At Northern Monk we’re on a mission to create incredible beer experiences. If we do our job right, hopefully some of the best in the world. We’ve long harboured dreams of more Northern Monk venues where we can do just that, but the pandemic sadly pushed those back.

“Our two current tap rooms are based in former textile mills where we’ve really celebrated their heritage and role in the North. The Northern Market sees us take on a 140-year-old Grade II listed building, directly opposite Leeds Town Hall in the heart of the city’s civic quarter. We can’t wait to give the building a new lease of life as the Northern Market, alongside our food vendors, while acknowledging its history and place in the city.”

Food vendor, Falafel Guys, is run by brothers and co-owners Abdalla and Ahmed Gouda.

Abdalla said: “When Covid pushed Assembly to close we felt that us and Leeds lost something special, and we wanted to make it our mission to bring the venue back to life. So, we partnered up with Northern Monk to proudly bring to Leeds the Northern Market. Having worked on this with the guys from Monk for some time now, we are confident we are going to deliver something amazing.

“The Northern Market is a space where people can gather, socialise and eat amazing food. When we started with Falafel Guys, our goal was to bring people together using food, and the Northern Market is an extension to that. What everyone can expect is great food, in a super welcoming and fun space.”

Assembly Underground, confirmed its closure last December after popular vendors including Slap & Pickle Burgers and Vocation & Co announced their departure from the site. The news came as a shock to devastated locals with many voicing their upset via social media. One user said: “Gutted, I love this place.” Another added: “Bit of a shame, I like this place. Don’t get to go as often as I’d like.”

The Northern Market will feature a host of quality of the vendors with something for everyone from wraps, salad bowls to burgers and pizzas, including familiar brands like Falafel Guys, Bigs Buns and Six Slice Pizza. It is due to open by early November, with more announcements on food vendors coming soon.