Piglove by the River: Leeds brewery relaunches pop-up beer garden near city centre

Piglove by the River is back open in the Climate Innovation District (CID), on the banks of the River Aire in Hunslet. The seasonal al fresco pop-up bar and tap room was launched in 2021 by Leeds-based micro-brewery, Piglove Brewery Co.

The brewery was co-founded by Jesus Moreno, who was reported missing in August before his body was tragically found eight months later. Piglove thanked its customers and the public for their support during the challenging time, which it said “meant the world”.

The brewery has established a reputation for creating bold and fragrant beers using exotic ingredients from all over the world. Its riverside beer garden has now welcomed more than 24,000 customers, with a surge of 8,000 visitors since the arrival of warmer weather in April this year.

The increasing popularity has enabled the company to expand its premises, with further plans to deliver a year-round food and drink offering in the near future. Last month, the bar officially opened ‘The Sty’, a new indoor space which can seat up to 50 people.

Piglove by the River is running a programme of music and food events which puts the spotlight on the best upcoming home-grown talent and the rising stars of the city’s street food scene. The beer garden is open Wednesday-Friday, 4pm-10pm, Saturday 1pm-10pm and Sunday 1pm-8pm.

Piglove’s co-founder Marcos Ramirez said: “We are thrilled that Piglove by The River is here to stay at the Climate Innovation District. We are grateful for the support of CITU and the thousands of visitors who have made Piglove a cherished destination along the riverbank.

"Piglove translates in Venezuelan to ‘when you really love something’ and it’s great to see people loving our venue. We look forward to creating more memorable experiences for our patrons and continuing to contribute to the incredible community spirit of the Climate Innovation District especially as we have now improved our facilities to keep up with demand and greet customers in the summer and winter months – rain or shine.”

The Climate Innovation District is the flagship development and headquarters of sustainable property company Citu. When complete, the district will include 955 houses and apartments, workplaces, leisure, retail, and a net-zero, multigenerational building which will incorporate a primary school, care home and apartments in one building.

Outdoor trampolines have now been added to complement the well-received public basketball court which opened last summer, alongside new green spaces which are now in full bloom with fruit and vegetable gardens ready for visitors to sample.

Phoebe Nicol, Development Manager at CITU’s Climate Innovation District, said: “Piglove is now the heart and soul of this community, and the company also aligns with our sustainable ethos and is working towards becoming a carbon-zero business. The pop-up bar is the first tenant here at the CID, and this is just the start of us opening more commercial spaces to help us realise our vision of creating a sustainable and connected neighbourhood which revitalises the riverside.”