Our favourite Leeds food events this Spring

We have basically spent most of Spring salivating, as we get revved-up for our very own Leeds Indie Food festival, #EatNorth events and Chow Down, and also the Leeds International Festival, which happens to have a couple of foodie events in tow too!

Here’s a list of the foodie faves we’d highlight, to make sure none of them have flown under your radar

Our top five favourite Leeds food events this Spring, May onwards:

Chow Down

May Spring Bank holiday (Halifax), Lincoln Castle end of June

Okay, this one is a bit of a cheat, because it is ALL the food, in one place, at once! After last year’s success at Halifax’s Piece Hall, Chow Down is on tour with two dates at Lincoln Castle – the first was the Easter weekender, which kicked-off the Chow Down summer. We had an amazing range of diverse traders onboard, from Wagyu Lookin’ At?’s amazing Yorkshire Wagyu beef burgers to Los Antojitos’ colourful and flavoursome gluten-free and vegan tacos, Luigi’s freshly made Italian delights to Nasi Lemak’s Malaysian street food, and Fat Annie’s hot dogs to Lekkereatdutch’s Belgian waffles and mini pancakes. And that wasn’t even the full line-up. Consider yourself well and truly full. For details on where to find Chow Down this summer, tickets and more info:

https://chowdownevents.co.uk/

All That Lives, Feasts presented by The Grief Series, a L19 event

6-11th May, 11 Merrion Way, Unit 6, Merrion Centre. Meal: 18:30-20:30

This is a solemn few nights of celebration, as The Grief Series unite Leeds and Mexico for a food- and art-based celebration of those loved and lost. Leeds’ Ellie Harrison and artists from Mexico’s The Faro De Oriente will create a feast, and reveal a sneak-peek of their latest collaboration.

Day of the Dead colour and music comes to Leeds, alongside a menu which combines the best of Mexico and Leeds, so get ready to raise a glass of Mezcal and eat up as you gaze upon the exhibition of brightly coloured sculptures. The feast is a culmination of a two-week long residency, as artists from Leeds and Mexico City have been working collaboratively to remember and honour those loved and lost, from superstars like Bowie to your own beloved nan. For tickets and more info:

https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/event/all-that-lives-feasts/

What’s Eating Reality? A Food Justice and Digital Arts Forum, a L19 event

7th May, Sheaf St, 18:00-20:30

We’re massive food lovers here at Chapter 81, but it’s getting more and more crucial to us to properly understand the journey our food and drink takes on its way to our plate, cup or glass.

This event, run by artist Maya Chowdry, is set to properly explore our relationship to two crucial morning tools in our office: coffee and sugar. The forum explores how digital art can be used to examine issues around food justice, opening our eyes to inequalities in the global food system, all to encourage us to support changes in policy and public opinion.

Food justice campaigners, academics, technologists, and artists both culinary and digital will come together to examine the use of art as a mechanism for inspiring, entertaining and informing us in our choices. Two short, immersive works for your smartphone, and an ethically-sourced drink and snack, courtesy of Liverpudlian chefs FoodSketz, await you

For tickets and more info:

https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/event/whats-eating-reality/

#SeaNorth, an #EatNorth special LIF event

11th May, North Brew Co., 12:00-22:00

Leeds Indie Food’s year-round mini-festival sibling #EatNorth is having a special festival makeover, and turning seaward for the weekend!

#EatNorths are always a chilled weekend celebration with foodie pop-ups, craft beer and DJs, but expect this weekend to get nice and nautical with a salty twist, bringing you the best catch of the day and some pirate vibes (possibly). #EatNorth brings the LIF feel-good spirit all summer long, but we’re expecting this sea-focussed instalment to go down a storm.

For more info:

http://leedsindiefood.co.uk/events/seanorth/