White Cloth Hall Leeds: Meet the owner behind the new all-day food hall 'bringing something new to city centre'

White Cloth Hall, in Crown Street, is opening on Friday, August 23. It is one of the city’s most anticipated new openings, as a Grade II listed building with more than 200 years of history.

Behind the venture is the managing director of Whitelock’s Ale House, the oldest pub in the city centre, Ed Mason. 

Ed, who also owns the Meanwood Tavern, told the Yorkshire Evening Post that he had been looking for a venue to launch a food and drink hall - something he believed the city was lacking. 

He explained: “I think if you go to most other major cities in the north, like Liverpool or Manchester or Sheffield, they've all got more than one food hall. 

“And Leeds hasn't really had one in the same way, in terms of showcasing a variety of different independent, standalone food vendors and we were keen to bring one to the city.” 

White Cloth Hall, just behind the Corn Exchange, was formerly home to three businesses. For many years, it housed a Pizza Express which opened in the 1990s, the city’s first Brewdog and a hair salon and tattoo parlour. 

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But in recent times, it had been lying vacant, which Ed said was a “real shame”. 

Ed added: “I have very fond memories of going to the building, walking past the building. I knew it well. I went to Pizza Express many times in the 90s and noughties.

“It seemed a real shame that this iconic building, and key part of the fabric of Leeds city centre for 250 years was pretty much lying derelict and empty. 

“And as soon as we looked at it, we just fell in love with the space and the potential for the space.” 

The team visited the property for the first time two years ago but secured the keys last summer and threw themselves into fleshing out the concept, recruiting the food traders and staff, while completing the design of the space. 

The venue went under refurbishment just three months ago. 

The Pizza Express forms the main food hall while the former hair salon and tattoo parlour has been transformed into an all day coffee shop. 

The old Brewdog site is set to hold a range of new world and natural wines.

Ed said: “What were the three separate independent commercial units being Pizza Express, Brewdog and the hairdressers, we've interconnected them and brought them all together so there's a soft sense of interconnectedness between each space. 

“But at the same time, each one of them is still going to have its own distinct hospitality offer, look and feel.

The team behind White Cloth Hall has been announcing the businesses moving in via the official social media channels. 

Customers can expect a sandwich bar Morty’s Focacceria, from the team behind Pizza Loco, which announced closure in Oakwood earlier this year as well as Malaysia small plates from Kuala Lumpur Cafe, a much-loved restaurant in Headingley. 

Lupton’s Chop House, a grill and oyster bar from the Whitelock’s Ale House team, will also be launching alongside Salma, a brand new Mexican and South American street food concept. 

“The venue caters to a wide range of different people with a range of different offers, and hopefully to something for everyone, whether it's the type of cuisine or whether it's the coffee shop and the soft drinks or the wine bar and the craft beer.”

“It's a combination of excitement and nervousness inevitably. We've spent a tremendous amount of time, energy, passion and money, of course, investing in the site. And we want it to be successful, and we want people to love it as much as we love it.”