Concepts and cocktails for Leeds chameleon bar

Bruce Lerman - one of the trio behind The Hedonist concept.

Gin bars, cocktails bars, champagne bars and rum bars.Leeds has got them all but one bar has itself been a bit of all of these in its time.

Still yet to reach its third birthday, The Hedonist Project has tried out every conceivable concept in a first for the Leeds bar and drink industry.

It has recently re-launched and follows yet another concept – but one which the owners feel is right to roll out to other parts of Leeds and eventually beyond.

After spells as a summer surf shack, winter ski lodge, spring gin bar and a summer rum bar, The Hedonist has settled on one theme which itself can be mixed up as fast as a Champagne Pina Colada.

A winter whiskey parlour in 2015.

A gin kitchen in the spring of 2016.

Think mythical, worldly, heady and botanical or as a passport to the world through drinks.

The current theme is Spain, so a drinks menu has been influenced by local history of Madrid, roaring crowds at the Nou Camp, early morning excursions to Seville and sultry nightlife in back streets.

And if the three owners fancied going Greek, it can be done without a £10,000 refit.

Bruce Lerman explains: “Instead of being confined to do one bar, we decided to see what the opinion was for different styles, and bars change menus every season anyway.“It worked well and we learned a lot. We wanted each bar to be better than the previous one but it is a drain on resources and somewhere down the line something will give and it was stopping the innovation of the menu.”

And in a city of flash bar fitouts, neon signs and big brands, Lerman and his business partners went back to basics.

He said: “Our customers have really bought into the drinks. We still want to be known as a gin bar, we have 20, but we are really fortunate, the cocktails are smashing it.“And it gives us time to think ‘is this right’ and instead of ripping the bar out, let’s not be worried about the finer detail and focus on the menu.”

There is now more time to perfect the gin and cocktail options.

Lerman and co, three mates who met at uni while doing bar work to support their studies, have 30 years of experience between them of the Leeds food and drink scene and as an independent operator say they have to rely on this knowledge in the face of big bar operators.

When they started bar-tending at the likes of Revolution, Jake’s and what was the Hummingbird at Chapel Allerton, the nightlife scene in Leeds was a very different one.

“Because more venues open now midweek it is so hard and there are about 40 more bars now than three years ago and how many are coming and going? They spend £1m on a fit-out and we spend £10,000. They probably just spend that on the chairs. We are just really happy to still be here.”

He questions whether Leeds has the population and drinking demographic to soak it up compared to Manchester and with one eye on London, which Lerman says is still around three years ahead of the Leeds scene, he reveals that they are looking to expand in and are currently working on a business plan.

He said: “We want to find a space to fit the concept. We understand Hedonist is a niche and needs to be in a highly populated area for it to work.“We believe in trying to increase and improve the hospitality industry and are constantly looking at other cities where we feel we can make an impact but do want to stay in Leeds.”