December 10, 2019

Introducing C81 – Meet Rosie

Words by: Phoebe Ryan

Chapter 81‘s Meet The Team is back, and here we get to know the lovely Rosie…

Q: Describe yourself in a couple of sentences

I’m Rosie! I spend most of my time looking for new places to eat and trying to make friends with any animals I meet along the way. I have just finished a Master’s degree in International Events Management at Leeds Beckett University and wrote my dissertation on street food festival experiences, which is where Chapter 81 comes in…

Q: Give us the lowdown on how you got to freelancing for C81

I had been to (and had a great time at) Leeds Indie Food events over the last couple of years so I contacted Simon when I was looking for work experience this summer, especially as I knew I wanted to base my dissertation on food festivals. I saw him a lot at food events over the summer so when he asked if I wanted to be involved with events at Chapter 81 obviously I said yes.

Q: What other work do you do?

As I finished my Master’s recently I have been taking it easy after being pretty flat-out all of last year. I do work as an events assistant at a local wedding venue which I really enjoy. Having some extra free time means I can finish the stack of books (and my Netflix queue) waiting for me at home and I can try all the new places that have popped up in Leeds recently.

Q: Why work for Chapter 81?

When I moved back to Leeds in 2016 I was introduced to #EatNorth and absolutely loved it. I was working in hospitality management at the time and was getting really excited about what was happening with the independents, as well as things like Leeds Indie Food. I love what Chapter 81 does and the team is great – not to mention the opportunity to get to know the people who are making exciting things happen in the city.

Q: What do you do at Chapter 81?

I am working on the events side of things so I help with the ideas, contact food traders and work with venues to help bring events together.

Q: Where do you hope to see Chapter 81 in the future?

I haven’t been here long but I’m really excited about the future for Chapter 81 as there’s always something happening – I hope to see that continue with some more great projects.

Q: What does Leeds mean to you? Do you like the city?

I love Leeds. I grew up in a village about an hour away so it was always like the ‘big city’ to me. I moved away when I was 18 for university and to do some travelling, and when I came back six years later it had definitely changed. Now there are so many great things in the city. I love that (almost) everywhere is a walkable distance, so I can just plug in a podcast and go.

Q: What does the future hold for Leeds’ food, drink & lifestyle sectors?

I think there’s a lot of exciting things to come. At the moment there’s work going on to develop areas of the city and I think that makes everything a little bit more connected, so hopefully there will be more and more opportunities for success for Leeds’ independent businesses.