Team behind Leeds Indie Food create new directory to showcase independent traders in the city

From the people behind Leeds Indie Food, ‘Support your local Indie’ is a virtual directory where people can search for local businesses to support.

A similar directory was created in March at the onset of the first lockdown with a list of independent food and drink businesses who were still trading.

It has been split out by suburb and features sub-categories so it easier for people to find everything they need from indie cafes through to fresh produce and sustainable homewares.

The new website has been funded by Chapter 81 and designed and built by Hungry Sandwich Club, with further support from the Brudenell Social Club, Playful Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club and Duke Studios. The hope is that the site can develop into a city-owned space and the information hosted on it adapting and evolving, showcasing all that Leeds has to offer both during and after the lockdown.

Alongside the directory, Leeds Indie Food has launched a bumper shop of products from local indies and are stocking three different Christmas hampers full of locally sourced goods. One is tailored towards coffee lovers, one towards foodies and the other for those who enjoy Leeds’ great brewery scene.

The hampers, available to pre-order until December 4, will each showcase items from Leeds, such as coffee from local roasters Chipps, Shiloh, Echelon, North Star Coffee Roasters and Maude; hand-crafted produce from Porterhouse Cake Co, spice mixes from Spice & Green, Marmalade by Mama Bear, Chocolate from Lauden; beer and glassware from Northern

Monk, as well as key brews from North Brewing Co, PigLove and Kirkstall Brewery.

A brand new gift card service, operated by Open, can be purchased via the website to use at a favourite café, restaurant or shop and is working towards signing up as many indies as possible.

Speaking about the project, Simon Fogal of Chapter 81, said: “After creating a mini directory in the first lockdown and helping signpost people to small businesses, we decided to create something a bit more useful and user friendly that opens the net wider, and ensures a longer shelf life. Christmas is normally a very good trading period for small businesses, so this year, in particular, we need to be sending as much trade their way.

“The new directory is free for indie businesses to sign up to and aims to help get them noticed and, more importantly, people shopping with them. We saw how these businesses adapted to the lockdown restrictions and spotted an opportunity to really showcase them via our newly launched shop. We have included makers and producers in the directory to enhance the offering and because there is some great emerging talent that deserves to be recognised. Our hampers are a limited edition trial, but we hope to roll them out more frequently as we move into 2021.”

Jack Simpson, Hyde Park Book Club, added “Leeds has an amazing community of businesses, community-minded folk, creatives, with people from across the public and private sector. When people spend locally, businesses and staff invest locally and your spending goes further, and helps to support the city in which you live. You can help preserve jobs in Leeds.”