Tag Archives: Yorkshire

Lately

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When I got started with this blog, one thing that never occurred to me was the opportunities it would bring or the wonderful people I would meet through it. I love seeing familiar faces comment here (thank you for keep coming back, it really does make my day!) and I’ve discovered some of my favourite blogs via having you visit me. Remarkably my analytics tell me visitors have come to the site from one hundred and twelve different countries. That’s pretty wonderful.

On the other end of the scale, I’ve had opportunity to meet some incredibly talented and creative bloggers in person – here in Leeds, across Yorkshire and further afield. That was definitely something I didn’t expect to get involved with but I am so glad I have.

On this subject, I wanted to let you know about a couple of projects I’m currently involved in and to urge to take a look at them and get involved too.

Vegan WallVegan WallVegan Wall is a brand new online community for vegans and anyone interested in veganism. Users can share recipes, photos, videos, interesting links and anything else they think will be valuable to the community; these posts are then moderated through an up/downvoting system.

There is also a map that shows where users are so you can find your local vegan community. A restaurant map is coming soon which I’m looking forward to using for travel planning.

I was invited to test out Vegan Wall just prior to its beta launch to give feedback so they could get everything just right. It was fantastic hearing all about its founders’ motivations and the long months they had already spent on coding and building the site purely out of their passion for creating something useful for the vegan community. The beta version has kicked off so I’d highly recommend popping over, signing up and getting involved here.

Yorkshire BloggersVery much in its infancy, Yorkshire Bloggers is a little project myself and a few other Yorkshire-based bloggers have set up. Our Facebook page (with this beautiful banner created by Jen over at Little Birdie) is a hub to share post from ourselves and lots of other bloggers all about the gorgeous county of Yorkshire.

We also plan to hold regular blogger lunches and meet-ups, not least as an excuse to check out plenty of local restaurants! It’s also enjoyable to just get together with like-minded people, informally, without any PR agenda.

Please hop on over and like our
if you’d like to see more and if you ever blog about Yorkshire then please send me your links to share!

What have been your biggest surprises about blogging?

P.S Did you know I’m now on Instagram?

Eating Out: The Brown Cow, Bingley

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Being someone who regularly eats out (albeit a bit too frequently) and lives in a city that just gets better and better when it comes to restaurants, I’m a little disappointed in myself at how few restaurant reviews are on here. To be honest, the main barrier for me is a strong case of “behind-the-camera shy.” I can’t help but cringe getting my DSLR camera out and snapping my food before tucking in. I feel slightly less conspicuous using my phone’s camera but usually end up feeling the photos aren’t high enough quality and scrapping the review.

It’s been a bit of a relief to discuss this with other bloggers lately and discover I’m not the only one who worries about this kind of thing. The best advice I’ve had from everyone, of course, has been to just do it! Well, it makes a lot of sense so I have been endeavouring to brave getting my camera out in restaurants more often and, though there have still been too many missed opportunities where I haven’t taken any photos, I am slowly building up a to-blog list… which brings us onto a gorgeous pub lunch I want to share with you all now.

The Brown Cow, BingleyThe Brown Cow Pub, BingleyTo blow out the cobwebs and enjoy some country air, a few weeks ago I went out to the beautiful St Ives estate in Bingley for a long Saturday morning walk. It already felt like I’d achieved something great just being up and out of Leeds so bright and early but the walk itself was fantastic with gorgeous views and wonderful company and a chance to get my camera out.

The Brown Cow Pub menuThe walk around St Ives came to an end, somewhat conveniently, at back in Bingley town. We were warmly welcomed in and got down to the business of perusing the menu. With five veggie options on the menu and one more on the daily specials board, it was a tough choice but I opted for the bubble & squeak cakes with watercress sauce. Bubble & squeak isn’t something you would expect to see on a pub menu so I was intrigued to see what they would do with it.Bubble & Squeak at the Brown Cow, BingleyAs you can see, the bubble & squeak cakes arrived beautifully presented with the watercress sauce in a milk bottle. It couldn’t have been any more photogenic, right? The cakes themselves were encased in crunchy breadcrumbs that contrasted delightfully with the soft potato and cabbage inside and accompanied with roasted cherry tomatoes.

Bubble & Squeak at the Brown Cow, BingleyEveryone else was suitably impressed with their mains and the other two veggie dishes on the table; the mushroom risotto and the goat’s cheese and beetroot tart looked equally delicious. Even as more standard veggie dishes you would expect to see on a menu they both had extra flourishes that showed more thought had gone into them than usual.

After we had all taken a little time for our mains to settle, some more time to choose our desserts (also not an easy choice…), and lots of time for conversation, we ordered our next course. I opted for the treacle tart served with fresh cream and raspberry coulis. Once again, the presentation was stunning with coulis arriving in its own tiny jar. In fact the presentation was gorgeous for all of our desserts so I’ll give you a peek at some of the others too, namely the chocolate fudge cake and jam roly poly!Desserts at the Brown Cow, BingleyOverall, I was very impressed with the quality of the food and the reasonable prices. The atmosphere and décor was very much of a country pub but the food was a step above! I’ll definitely return next time I’m in the area!

You can find out more about the pre-lunch walking route I did in Bingley on the Walk in Yorkshire website and see my photos of the walk itself featured on the Turtle Mat blog.

How do you feel about taking photos in restaurants? Any tips for getting over the fear?!

Little Vegetarian Treats: Mininibs from Ripon, Yorkshire

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Something I love about living in Yorkshire, aside from all of the beautiful countryside, is the creativity and artisanal flair you find here. One of the wonderful things about having adopted the county as my home is the chance to discover many of them first hand, whether it is from living and working in such a vibrant neighbourhood as Chapel Allerton or from exploring the surrounding towns.

NibNibs is one such company. Located up in North Yorkshire, they create handmade nibbles fresh from their bakery in Ripon using only the finest locally sourced ingredients. Their vegetarian snacks contain Yorkshire-milled wheat and British Cheddar (they even list Yorkshire water as an ingredient) making the food miles that go into these remarkably low. Since hearing from NibNibs, I have been, well, nibbling my way through their yummy range of mininibs.

NibNibs MininibsThe cheerfully packaged mininibs come in three exceptionally cheesy flavours: Cheddar Cheese, Cheddar & Spicy Chili, and Cheddar &Cheeky Onion. The first thing to hit you with each variety is undoubtedly the Cheddar, but what I really love is how the accompanying flavours – be it chilli or onion – develop after the initial cheesy hit. After my first mininib, I wasn’t too sure but as soon as it was done with I couldn’t wait to reach for the next one; the strong flavour combined with the crunch makes these beyond moreish!Mininibs 2NibNib’s Salt & Pepper Jumbo Peanuts were another pleasant surprise, and dare I say it, equally as moreish.Mininibs 3The pots are all foil sealed when they arrive with a handy little lid to keep them fresh after opening. It also makes them ideal to pop into your bag for a snack on the go.

This giveaway has now closed – thanks to the 3511 of you who entered!

And finally, the all important question, where do I nibble mine? …At my desk to keep me going through the afternoon! Where would you nibble yours?

Leeds in the Limelight – Finding Nature in Leeds

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months (read: year), no one in Yorkshire can possibly have failed to noticed that this year’s Tour de France Grand Départ is kicking off in Leeds. But of course, for anyone outside of the county or indeed outside of the country, Leeds is unlikely to be on your radar.

I’ve been a Leeds resident myself for almost three years now after having moved here to do a MA at the University of Leeds in 2011. My sister has been a Leeds local for twice that; making my decision to move here a pretty simple one. It would have seemed unfathomable, however, to my three-years-ago-self that I would still be here now. Compared to Seoul, my former home (of three out of the four years prior), this city is small and, sometimes, it sleeps at night.

Leeds is often written-off as just another grim Northern city. And certainly, it can be a bit “rough around the edges” and you might get your post-Saturday night out takeaway knocked out of your hands by a passing ruckus, but Leeds has its own unique charm and a lot on offer. It also has a surprising amount of green spaces. In honour of the spotlight being on Leeds this weekend, it seemed the perfect opportunity to show off what Leeds does have on offer with my personal picks of some of the best things to do outdoors in Leeds (all unintentionally in North Leeds!).

Roundhay Park & Tropical WorldRoundhay Park LeedsRoundhay Park is one of Leeds’ best known parks and for good reason. Covering more than 2.8 square kilometres, it is one of the biggest city parks in Europe. The park boasts two lakes, woodland, plentiful green open spaces, and an impressive mansion house.Tropical World Leeds Tropical World LeedsLocated in Roundhay Park, you can also find Tropical World. Very reasonably priced compared to similar attractions elsewhere at only £3.40 for an adult ticket, Tropical World is home to meerkats, birds, butterflies, reptiles, and much more.

The details: Roundhay Park is located in North-East Leeds. Catch buses 2 and 12 from Leeds city centre. For more information visit the Roundhay Park Leeds website.

Golden Acre Park & Adel DamGolden Acre Park LeedsAnother beautiful and surprisingly large park on the outskirts of Leeds is Golden Acre Park. Well-kept paths snake around the park which features a lake, ornate gardens, and a cherry tree orchard.

Adel Dam LeedsBehind the park, you can enter Adel Dam Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve has various bird watching sheds, including one situated over another smaller lake.

Details: Golden Acre Park is located in North Leeds, between Adel and Bramhope. Catch buses 780, 784 and X84 from Leeds City Centre. For more information visit the Leeds City Council Website.

Hetchell WoodsHetchell Woods Leeds Hetchell Woods LeedsA tranquil stretch of woodland, Hetchell Woods is a nature reserve featuring rare species, craggy rock faces, and wonderful views over the undulating farmlands around. A network of paths runs in and around the woods, along a babbling stream and out into the surrounding fields. The area is relatively small but makes for a lovely country walk.

Details: North East of Leeds. Best accessed car but buses 98, 98A, 99 and X98 can be taken to nearby Bardsey, around a mile away. For more information visit the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Website.

Harewood House

An imposing country house located in the village of Harewood seven miles from central Leeds, there is much more to Harewood than simply the house. A bird garden, lake, wildflower gardens and tea rooms are just a handful of treats waiting here. The Himalayan Garden is a hidden gem replete with stupa and prayer flags. The house and gardens are encircled by gorgeous rolling pastureland.  Harewood House LeedsHarewood House LeedsHarewood House LeedsA visit is a bit on the pricey side, with an adult ticket being £14 including the house and £10 for only the grounds, but if you take the bus to Harewood then you can benefit from a 50% reduction.

Details: Harewood, North of Leeds. Bus 36 runs from Leeds city centre through Chapel Allerton, can also be caught if you are coming from Harrogate – or want to continue on to there after (highly recommended!) For more information visit the Harewood House website.

Do you like getting out and about in your own city? What gems have you discovered?

This entry was posted in Travel and tagged Adel Dam, Golden Acre Park, Harewood House, Hetchell Woods, , Outdoors in Leeds, Roundhay Park, Things to do in Leeds, Topical World, Tour de France, on by .

Eating Out: Handmade Burger, White Rose Leeds

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Some days, every now and then, all you want is to be indulgent and wolf down a satisfying burger. Today was one of those days.Handmade Burger at White RoseI first visited Handmade Burger early last year in Wakefield – in fact my sister and I made the journey over especially to visit the restaurant there as she loved it and wanted me to try it. We were then delighted when one opened in Leeds, but I have to say I haven’t been as much as I thought I would because it can be such a hassle getting into the city centre just to eat (and there are so many amazing places out of town). Well, as if to answer my prayers, a brand new Handmade Burger opened up at the White Rose Centre, about fifteen minutes out of central Leeds, only a couple of days ago.

Handmade Burger is a small chain that began in Birmingham and has since grown to nineteen restaurants across the country. Priding themselves on only using traceable, fresh ingredients, they have an imaginative menu that regularly changes. Far from the token veggie burger you find on a lot of menus, the menu here boasts an impressive seven – including one vegan burger (the chickpea & quinoa – yum!). I always appreciate a restaurant where the veggie dishes have taken as much thought as the rest of the menu, and think this makes Handmade Burger a really good option for dining out with meat-eaters.Handmade Burger MenuHandmade Burger There were no queues when we arrived (there was as we left) so we were seated very quickly before ordering at the counter. The food took around twenty-five minutes to arrive but we figured it was only their first weekend since opening so I’m sure it will speed up a bit. On this particular visit I opted for the three cheese & baby leek burger with no mayo. The outside of the burger was very crisp (only an ear away from being burnt but still on the right side), perfectly complementing the moist slightly gooey inside. It is served with an apple and sultana chutney, adding a slight sweetness. The bun was soft with fresh tomato, lettuce and red onion to round things off. My boyfriend, the non-veggie around here, ordered the peppered burger. He said it was excellent but not really peppery enough to warrant its title.Handmade Burger - Three Cheese & Leek BurgerOn the side we went for peri peri chip with a chipotle dip to share. The portions of chips are pretty huge so I definitely recommend sharing. Thick-cut and almost like (less greasy) chip shop chips, they were covered in an amazing “fresh” peri peri seasoning – rather than a ground powder, this was chilli flakes, herbs and black pepper. The chipotle dip had that trademark smokey flavour but was very fresh tasting and balances out the spice perfectly. This was all rounded up nicely with bottomless drinks – I did say we were going for indulgence! Handmade Burger - Peri Peri ChipsHandmade Burger - Peri Peri Chips SeasoningThe food, sides and drinks came to just shy of £25 for the two of us, which isn’t too bad given the quality. I’ll definitely be back to try out the other new vegetarian options!

Where is your favourite place when you fancy a burger?