Hop City 2021 - Live in Leeds
- Dan
- Aug 1, 2021
- 9 min read
We were all pretty miffed when Hop City 2021's original date was moved because of Covid restrictions, travel plans had to be rearranged, annual leave re-shuffled and most annoyingly of all it meant that we would have to wait just a little bit longer to mingle with our fellow craft lovers and knock back a few too many.
However, the One4theRoad crew decided that it would be a shame not to take advantage of a weekend in one of the UK's most exciting craft beer cities, beer festival or not. We fell on fair Leeds with an appetite for adventure, good food and even better beer, all of which we found in good supply.
So, if you're headed to Hop City 2021 and you need some suggestions for great places to get a quick bite or a pre/post-festival schooner, we've got you covered!!
Dan: just a stone's throw from the station, Bundo is your place for some outstanding okra fries, a bodacious bhaji burger and a can of craft. The beer selection is fantastic although be warned, the pricing of the cans if you go off-draught is a little outlandish!!
Jack: As I recall (my recollections from our time in Leeds are a little hazy), Bundobust was the first place we popped into after venturing into the city centre. The restaurant part of Bundobust had a dozen or so tables with a few groups chowing down on some of the fine-looking Indian inspired street food Dan alluded to above, but we were shown to a small covered seating area in the adjoining alley which had a few long wooden tables, a perfect spot for groups of five or six.
We planned on only stopping in for a cheeky third of something but the selection was so good we extended our stay for a couple more. As Dan said, the prices were on the steeper side of what we were expecting, but the can selection made up for that. I would highly recommend stopping in, but book in advance, we got lucky however, my feeling is that this place fills up quickly.
Dan: I have been a friend of Ham for 31 years now and this place certainly does the pig justice. Excellent cheese and meat sharer platters (we opted for the build your own each selecting a couple of items) and an equally impressive rotating draught board and beer fridge!! Can't go wrong.
Jack: We hit up Friends of Ham for lunch on our second day in Leeds. Our expectations for Friends of Ham were pretty high, I mean, who doesn't like a charcuterie plate and this one was outstanding. The menu features a wide selection of pre-set platters and also the option to build your own to suit your tastes. We opted to create our own board and it didn't disappoint. The meats made a fine accompaniment to the beers, I recall that we each got a can of Even More Pigs by Verdant, which felt entirely appropriate. The restaurant has about a dozen tables upstairs and a large dining hall in the basement, so it should be pretty easy to get in.
Dan: I was really impressed with the set-up here. Do yourself a solid and take a pew outside and let the world pass you by whilst supping a half of yella and tucking into a fried chicken bao. My only criticism would be that the draught list was a little congested with about 8 thousand NEIPAs in the 5.6 to 6.8% territory but all the more reason to try them all and pick a fave I guess...
Jack: North Brewing Company's city centre location is a little patch of paradise, it's almost as if they designed the place with me in mind. The interior space feels bright, clean and airy, its double-height ceiling making it feel like a much a larger space than it really. They have a large tap line, a pop-up kitchen and a few high tables which fill the space but without making it feel crowded (a hole in the wall dive bar this place ain't). The outside seating, however, is where this place comes into its own, on a sunny day like the one we had, there is no greater pleasure than sampling as many North beers as you can while chatting away with the other customers. I agree that the tap list was slightly too NEIPA heavy, but the service here is amazing, the staff know their shit and are happy to make recommendations. The baos and deep-fried gyoza are super affordable and pair amazingly with the beer. If you only go to one other place while you're in Leeds for Hop City 2021, this should be it.
Dan: Bit of an odd location for this one by the side of House of Fraser in a spot that seems to attract all the loons. We will forgive the location given the draught and fridge offering is superb, the pricing very fair and the staff were wonderfully welcoming and chatty when we had acquired a buzz and were minded to chew ears. We also got the world's biggest bag of Snyder pretzel pieces for £2 which had to have been a pricing error.
Jack: Odd location aside, the selection at Little Leeds Beerhouse is spot on. They have three or four fridges crammed with a can selection that you could easily spend fifteen minutes staring at before making a decision. If the weather is decent, try and nab one of the outside tables. Little Leeds Beerhouse do table service for their draft lines and cans so settle in and watch some of the local drama unfolding while you wait for your beers to arrive. The staff here were super-friendly and ready with recommendations (if you need them) as well as plenty of good banter. We spent an hour or two here and made it through three or four rounds. I was expecting to have to take out a second mortgage for the bill, but it was surprisingly good value. If you are looking for some cans to stock your hotel room or just one for the road (hey, that's good name for a website), definitely stop by Little Leeds Beerhouse and check out their wares.
Dan: anyone who knows Jack and I will, unfortunately, have been subjected to our ramblings about how great Taiwan is and particularly, the cuisine. We couldn't pass up the option for a ji pai and this place served up the best I have had to date in the UK. Take your pick from a vast array of spices (the plum was a knockout!!), grab your little wooden skewer and tuck into some slices of freshly fried chicken cutlet!
Jack: If you are unfamiliar with the majesty that is the Taiwanese Ji Pai, do yourself a favour and get acquainted. You might think you like totally get fried chicken, I mean, you've been to KFC, right? Well you don't! Ji Pai is like a hybrid of chicken schnitzel and southern fried chicken, but manages to transcend both of those. The tapioca starch coating stays crispier than your regular southern fried poultry and the marinade and high heat frying mean that it's a hell of a lot juicer than a schnitzel. Go along and grab one then let us know what you think - get the spicy flavour and thank me later.
Dan: not one for a light bite, this place is all about burgers, dirty fries and a milkshake (or hardshake, let's be honest) if you have the room. They also do a great pickleback (shot of bourbon with accompanying shot of pickle juice) if you are looking to get the eye in with a couple of looseners.
Jack: MeatLiquor's location makes it look like you're in for a TGIFriday's kind of thing. It's in the basement of a shopping complex, but don't let that fool you. MeatLiquor's offerings are more like the brain child of Guy Fieri and that guy from Man vs Food, if you don't know why that's a good thing, you need to reassess your definition of a good thing. The burgers are a juicy experiment in hedonism that will leave you basking in a combination of meat-sweat and blissful shame. The beer selection is great, the picklebacks are definitely worth a go and the manager here is a total legend, seriously if you're in need of any recommendations for places to go, this guy will sort you out!
Dan: we didn't take specific bar names but this is the place to head if you have smashed out the HC night session and are ready for a G&T and a spot of people-watching or even a boogie/flirt if you are single and looking to mingle. You can guarantee this street will be bustling with people looking to cut loose and have a good time.
Jack: When we were asking around for places to go after we got beered out, everyone told us that Call Lane was the place to go. It took us an unnaturally long time to find it, but that speaks more to our state of minds at the time, rather than Call Lane being hidden away somewhere out of the way. Basically, all sin lives here and you're going to love it.
Dan: bit of a mixed bag this, they have a large draught list that presumably rotates but about 4 fifths of the list were lagers or session IPAs with nothing that really called to us. Saying that, given they are owned by AB InBev, as is Goose Island, you can get bottles of 2019 and 2020 County Bourbon Brand Stout in there to satisfy any chubby stout cravings.
Jack: When a bar is pedalling itself as a craft beer joint and Guinness is the first beer on their tap list, you have to be wary. Don't get me wrong, I love me a good pint of creamy G but I'm not willing to pay craft prices for the world's most produced stout. Definitely grab a Goose Island County Bourbon Stout and drink that at one of the outside tables, but then pay the bill and go elsewhere.
One we didn't love...
Dan: this wasn't our cup of tea but if you have convinced a mate to come to HC who is less of a craftie, this is your spot for "entry level" craft (think Tiny Rebel, Adnams, Oakham Ales, Magic Rock) or a jar of something CAMRA-esque.
Jack: I think you'd be better off avoiding this place. For me this felt like a cynical attempt to jump on the craft beer bandwagon, rather than somewhere with a real passion for beer. If you were in Leeds on a business trip and wanted to take some colleagues out for a few drinks, maybe come here, otherwise this is a glorified sports bar with little to no atmosphere and pretty crap beer.
If you want a change of brew...
Dan: bit of a departure from our norm but if you are just fancying something non-beer and struggling for options, you can do worse than to visit what surely must be the UK's biggest and most intricate branch of Botanist. Relaxed outdoor seating in the courtyard overlooked by Holy Trinity Church and tonnes of seating indoors, go on... get that espresso martini you've been craving after seeing your mates instagram earlier in the evening.
Jack: This was an unexpectedly fine way to finish off our Leeds trip, by the time we made it here we were well and truly past the point of wanting anymore beer - yes it does happen. Why not give Ryan Reynold's some more cash and try his Aviator brand of gin to end the night? If you're driving the next day, as I was, I would suggest not having quite so many of them as we had, unless you want to take an impromptu disco nap in a cemetery car park and spend the drive home feeling like you're about to crap your pants. Other than that, make sure this place is on your list.
Last, but not least...
Jack: If, like us, you are booked in for the late session at Hop City 2021, and you don't think you're likely to get enough Northern Monk in the evening, head along to the Old Flax Store. This place is massive, there are at least three floors to the building and copious amounts of outdoor seating where you can take full advantage of the extensive tap and can list and scoff down some street food. The location is a little bit out of the way, a slightly convoluted walk around the back of the train station, over a bridge and through an industrial estate, but it is worth the trek. Stop by Little Leeds Beerhouse before you head along and keep yourself hydrated for the walk.
We are going to be at Hop City's late session on Saturday 7th August, if you see us there, come and say hi!
Follow us on Instagram for all of our latest news and updates: @lushhops @jakbooker
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