From street food to wine debates: Popular Indie Food Festival returns to Leeds this week

From May 10-28, Leeds' thriving independent food and drink community will once again put on a mouthwatering feast at the annual Leeds Indie Food festival.
Leeds Indie Food Festival is now in its fourth year, with even more events and collaborations than ever before (Photo: Tom Joy)Leeds Indie Food Festival is now in its fourth year, with even more events and collaborations than ever before (Photo: Tom Joy)
Leeds Indie Food Festival is now in its fourth year, with even more events and collaborations than ever before (Photo: Tom Joy)

This will be the festival's fourth year, with even more events and collaborations than ever before

The 19-day celebration will play host to around 80 innovative events spread over three festival strands named Eat, Drink and Do.

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This year’s festival also focuses on the importance of sustainability with more and more independent businesses now committing to mission statements, working towards zero waste policies.

Events include collaboration menus, exhibitions, a PAYF supermarket, latte art throw-downs, coffee schools, beer markets, tasting menus, street food markets, wine debates and much more.

This popular food festival will see old favourites, such as Chef: The Experience, School Diner and The North Bar Magical Mystery Tour, alongside new faces such as vegan junk food from Knave’s Kitchen, Real Junk Food Emporium’s PAYF supermarket at 34 Boar Lane, and a cooking demo with Rafi’s Spicebox, with tea pairing courtesy of North Star Coffee Roasters.

There will also be the welcome return of Leeds Indie Food and North Brewing Co.’s weekly street food fair every Saturday: Eat North

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Alongside the Real Junk Food Emporium’s PAYF Supermarket and their fine-dining evenings, which will use surplus food, and the Food Waste Exposed Ramen Pop-up event at Hyde Park Book Club, following on from the Leeds Indie Food press launch earlier this month, renowned chefs Ben Davy (Ox Club, Patty Smith’s, Dough Boys, Small Victories) and Adam Smith (Real Junk Food Project), have challenged each other to go head to head in a cook-off. They will do this using surplus ingredients, with the public voting for the best dish.

In the run-up to the start of the festival, Leeds Indie Food have also re-launched a new event named Eating Your Own Mind, which will see Chef Jono from XO Supper Club serve a five-course vegetarian dinner, supported by Andrew Critchett of Fish&, and a team of volunteers in support of raising money for and awareness of mental health, specifically in the hospitality industry. All profits will be donated to Leeds MIND.

The popular Festival Passport scheme is also back with a bang, giving festival-goers the opportunity to get exclusive discounts on event tickets, food and drink, alongside collecting unique passport stamps. This is with the hope of encouraging users to explore Leeds’ unique independent scene and hopefully find new places to both eat and drink.

Festival Passports are priced at £11 (including booking fee) and £1 from every passport sold will be donated to Action Against Hunger, a charity which works with chefs and restaurants across the UK in order to raise funds to support their work to end child malnutrition in over 49 countries around the world.

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As with every year, you can also collect inky stamps from indies across the city and be in with a chance of winning free merchandise! You can even purchase a re-usable Coffee Cup, which will get you discount on coffee in coffee shops across the city.

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