New project: Moods, and giving new life to the building where Leeds began

There are some projects you say yes to before you’ve even finished hearing the brief. Moods was one of them.

We’ve started work with Will and Hayley Moody on the launch of Moods, a relaxed-luxury all-day cafe, bar and events venue opening at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July. It’s a project that ticks every box we care about at Chapter 81: a genuinely independent Leeds story, a building with extraordinary history, and a founding team who refuse to do anything by halves.

A building worth getting right

Part of what makes this one special is where it’s happening. First White Cloth Hall was built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth — this is quite literally where the commercial story of Leeds began. Some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s. For more than twenty years it sat on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, before a major restoration by Rushbond brought it back from the brink.

Moods will occupy the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building, giving a public purpose back to a space that’s been closed off from the city for far too long. When Will describes it as “the kind of building you don’t get a second chance with,” you understand exactly what he means — and you feel the weight of getting the storytelling right.

A family-led vision

Will and Hayley met while studying at Leeds Beckett and have been building things in this city ever since: Buzz Club Tattoo, which opened in Hyde Park in 2018, and the hair and beauty brand self., launched in 2023. First White Cloth Hall now brings everything together under one roof, with Buzz Club and self. on the upper floors and Moods completing the ground floor. Across the three brands, it’s home to a 70-plus person independent team, with Moods alone launching with a team of 30.

Hayley has led the design and fit-out across the whole building, and her instinct — “special without feeling stiff” — is the thread that runs through the entire project. Luxurious and full of detail, but still somewhere you can drop in for a coffee, a pastry or a cocktail depending on the day you’re having.

Serious food, no snobbery

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, who trained within Simon Rogan’s Michelin-starred group — including time at L’Enclume and Fera at Claridge’s — and who was named Chef of the Year 2023 at the Oliver Awards. What excites us about Craig’s approach is the ambition behind it: fine-dining technique and exceptional British produce, but served in a warm, all-day setting rather than a formal restaurant. Think a wild mushroom crumpet with Old Winchester and black truffle honey, or a fried chicken brioche with elderflower and pickled cucumber.

That same care runs through everything, from a supplier list rooted firmly in Yorkshire and the North — Swaledale Butchers, Kirkstall Brewery, Dark Arts Coffee with Leeds’ own RAW joining as guest roaster — to a cocktail programme built around flavour, feeling and the first summer sun.

What’s next

Doors open at 6pm on Friday 31 July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1 August. A fuller restaurant and private dining offer follows in autumn 2026.

We’ll be sharing plenty more as launch approaches. For now, we just feel lucky to be working on a project with this much heart, in a building this important, with a team who care as much about the details as we do.

Moods opens at First White Cloth Hall, 98–100 Kirkgate, Leeds, LS2 7DJ. Find out more at moodsleeds.co.uk or follow along at @moodsleeds.