Leeds and the surrounding area boast some of the finest food in the UK, with restaurants like The Man Behind The Curtain at the very cutting edge of culinary cuisine. However, you might not know that the foodies in Leeds are also firmly on the ball when it comes to working together to support worthy causes.
Here's a brief guide to some of the best examples of this in and around the city:
The Granary Restaurant, Crag House Farm
Granary Restaurant
Just a five minute hop from Adel, Horsforth, and Cookridge, there's tasty food and a wonderful selection of local produce to be found at Crag House Farm in North Leeds. There's also a buzzing open kitchen, and the waiters are some of the friendliest you're likely to encounter in the city.
The caramel cake is to die for, the lemon drizzle oozing with sweet tones, and the bacon sarnie's a real winner – but the best thing about Crag House Farm is its focus on helping vulnerable people in society. Waiters donate tips to the schemes that run from the farm and there's an overall sense of feel-good that permeates this gem of a foodie haunt.
Crag House Farm, Otley Old Rd, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS16 7NH
Real Junk Food Project Leeds, City Junk-tion
City Junk-tion
Having previously opened up in Armley, the Real Junk Food Project has moved to the city centre to offer its 'pay what you want' dinners to Leeds folk. Using only food that has been deemed unworthy of being sold (but is still very much edible), the City Junk-tion offers a great response to the awful levels of food waste that occur in the UK.
Such is the talent of the people running this project that you really don't feel like you are getting a raw deal, so you should be able to give generously for your food.
1-3 Grand Arcade, Leeds, LS1 6PG
Jamie's Ministry of Food
Jamie's Ministry of Food
Located in Leeds Kirkgate Market, Jamie's Ministry of Food offers people the chance to learn how to cook great meals on a budget.
Largely aimed at individuals and families who are struggling to get by, the cooking lessons are two hours long and last for up to eight weeks. By offering tips on how to make healthy meals from scratch, you'll come out of the courses feeling a more confident cook and with a more in-depth knowledge of healthy eating.
Leeds Kirkgate Market, 34 George Street, Leeds, LS2 7HY
Leeds Bread Co-op
Leeds Bread Co-op
Not every foodie place that is looking to do good does so in the most obvious way. At the Leeds Bread Co-op, the people who work with the group are paid a decent wage and have a say in the way the group is run.
In addition to this, bread making classes are priced sensibly, making them available to a wider range of individuals. Offering people a skill for life at such a reasonable price point really does make the Leeds Bread Co-op stand out as a sustainable, ethical business model.
Penraevon Street, Penraevon Industrial Estate, Leeds LS7 2AW
Fodder
Fodder
You'll have to trek to Harrogate to sample the delights of Fodder, but it's well worth the journey. It has a simple mission: to support local farmers and producers, providing them with a straightforward route to market. As it stands, over 300 farmers and producers benefit from the hard work of the folks behind Fodder.
This is obviously great news for the producers, but it's also good for the customer; the Baileys chocolate cake is a sweet treat packed full of naughtiness, the deli offers fantastic local cheeses, and the butcher counter is stuffed full of meaty delights (we recommend the peri-peri spatchcock chicken).
Great Yorkshire Showground, Railway Rd, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 8NZ
Read more about The Real Junk Food Project.