White Cloth Hall, the new all-day food and drink hall for Leeds city centre, opened its doors this Bank Holiday Weekend.
Showcasing the best local, independent food traders and suppliers, the hotly-anticipated venue opened to the public at noon on Friday 23 August. Open all weekend, the family-friendly venue has all you need for your Bank Holiday plans, no matter who you’re spending it with.
White Cloth Hall is located on Crown Street, just behind the Leeds’ Corn Exchange. Built in 1775 as a place of trade for Leeds’ cloth merchants and now Grade-II* listed, the iconic White Cloth Hall was once one of the North’s most important market places and now hopes to become one of the city’s most interesting food and drink destinations.
White Cloth Hall launches with four kitchens that bring together Yorkshire foodie favourites such as Pizza Loco and Kuala Lumpur Cafe, alongside a debut kitchen concept from Lupton’s Chop House.
Pizza Loco from north Leeds launches a new concept - Morty’s. Morty’s Focacceria will serve its city-famous panuozzi sandwiches alongside Sicilian-style sfincione pizza slices and sfizi small plates.
Kuala Lumpur Cafe also arrives at White Cloth Hall with a growing reputation, having been a staple Malaysian restaurant in Headingley since 2019. Now moving to the city centre, Kuala Lumpur Cafe will feature flavourful small plates and traditional dishes, including their signature Nasi Lemak, Rendang Curries, and Roti Canai.
Also set for the food hall is a grill and oyster bar, Lupton’s Chop House. A new venture from the kitchen team at Whitelock’s Ale House, Lupton’s will showcase premium quality, interesting meat cuts and the freshest seafood. Inspired by traditional Victorian Chop Houses the menu will celebrate the diversity and quality of Yorkshire produce.
And it’s not just about the four food kitchens - White Cloth Hall will host an all day coffee shop, opening from 8am on weekdays, serving artisanal coffee supplied by Meanwood’s Echelon Coffee Roasters and a range of pastries and brunch dishes.
For drinks, the main bar will boast a wide range of independent craft beers, including Kirkstall Brewery and Five Points, alongside continental lagers and classic cocktails. A separate dedicated wine bar will offer curated quality wines from interesting suppliers and a timeless selection of expertly crafted cocktails. Complementing the drinks offer will be an artisanal British charcuterie and antipasti menu.
Ed Mason, owner of White Cloth Hall and Whitelock’s managing director, commented: “We are really excited to finally be launching this latest addition to the Leeds food and drink scene - it’s been a long time in the planning, and we hope we’ve done justice to this beautiful building!
“We are committed to working with interesting, innovative and independent suppliers and food partners. We have a brilliant line up of kitchens - and we hope that people love what we are doing with the different areas of the venue, from the coffee shop to the wine bar to the main food and drink hall.
“We have really opened the space up and connected what were once three separated-out areas - we want to create a welcoming, buzzing, family-friendly hospitality destination, with something for everyone. This amazing building has had a varied history over the past 250 years - we hope we have created something that the city can be proud of for this next chapter in its life!”
