tamatanga: trail blazing indian eatery set to spice up the Leeds food scene

Following the success of their Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham eateries, Indian restaurant tamatanga, beloved for its hearty, home-style Indian food, has announced its fourth opening. Building on their strong loyal following in the Midlands, the concept will be bringing the same successful recipe to Leeds.

Scheduled for early summer, tamatanga’s next eatery will be located at The Light on The Headrow in the heart of central Leeds. The new restaurant will feature fun, eye catching interiors similar to the vivacious designs seen in their other award-winning locations, all of which take inspiration from the vibrant streets of India.

The mouth-watering food menu offers a mix of both the familiar and the slightly less expected and many classic dishes updated with a modern twist. Everything is made using real, homely Indian recipes served up with speed and minimal fuss or fanfare. The tamatanga thali has become something of a signature dish – this large variety platter offers the choice of one or two different curries from the menu whilst the rest of the dishes are created and changed daily by an expert all Indian kitchen team using local, seasonal ingredients.

Another menu must try is the moreish tama chips, famed for their perfectly crisp coating and a secret blend of tamatanga spices which have made them a firm favourite since 2008.

The menu has been carefully crafted to include a wide variety of meat, veggie, vegan and gluten friendly dishes. The salads and grill plates pack a punch and come loaded with healthful ingredients such as butternut squash, quinoa, avocado and chickpeas.

A provocative range of carefully crafted cocktails is on hand to cool things down, ranging from the fruity and fabulous Peachy Blinder to the adventurous Wray’s Sorbet which blends tequila, strawberry cream soda and Wray and Nephew overproof rum to great effect.

As well as enticing customers with its refreshing take on Indian food, tamatanga has built a loyal and diverse following based on its laid back, fun vibe, and exceptional value. Daytime deals on food until 4pm and two-for-one cocktails every day from 12-7pm have allowed the brand to appeal to everyone from students to families and couples.

Children are also well looked after, with highchairs, balloons, crayons, colouring, and puzzles to make the family experience as much fun as possible. The kids menu has been carefully designed to appeal to even the fussiest of eaters.

Cool vibe

tamatanga Creative Director, Mona Kular, had this to say ahead of the launch:

‘We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing our food to a city as vibrant as Leeds. Our fresh, homely, and very real approach to cooking is perfect for lunch, dinner and anything in between. From warming curries to flavourful salads and heavenly small plates, there’s something for everyone.’’

‘’And with incredible cocktails, great music, and a seriously cool vibe, tamatanga makes any occasion a great one. We’re really looking forward to welcoming our first Leeds diners. tamatanga is the place to eat and drink Indian style.’’

The new restaurant has 160 covers (40 in the bar and 120 in the restaurant) and will create 50 new jobs. Keep an eye out on tamatanga’s social channels for details of their launch date, bottomless brunch, and other events.

New head chef appointed to switch things up with towering burgers, sharing starters and a quick bite

Local hangout nestled on Leeds Dock, The Canary, has switched up its food offering with a new head chef and a “no fuss, just the good stuff” menu – with sticky chicken wings, stacked-to-the-max burgers, and super-saucy mac ‘n’ cheese bites on the menu.

The dock’s bright yellow container, stroke bar & kitchen, which opened in 2021, has appointed new head chef, Joe Kamsose, formerly of Dock 29 and All Work and Social, to put his own tasty twist on classic grub.

Flipping the former Mexican offering on its head, The Canary, has announced a new “good stuff” menu direction which encourages casual dining, last mac ‘n’ cheese ball grabbing, sticky BBQ finger licking, great times with friends, without the fuss.

On the sharing eats menu, The Canary is servin’ up the likes of fiery jalapeño poppers, mac ‘n’ cheese bites, and crispy chicken tenders with spicy mayo, chipotle mayo or house sauce - perfect for dipping! Or choose from 6, 8, or 12 chicken wings served with sticky BBQ or tangy buffalo sauce – straight up, good stuff.

AND six new burgers, sandwiched between soft brioche buns, dripping in homemade sauce, topped with Swiss cheese and served with house or spicy fries. Veggie option, the mushroom burger, is served with a juicy portobello mushroom, loaded between a pretzel bun and topped with vegan cheese and a delicious mayo alternative.

Looking for something lighter? Now on the menu is a selection of BIG bowl salads, including the spicy beef salad and the halloumi and avocado salad. PLUS everyone’s favourite quick lunch bite, the filled panini (and wraps) served from 11:30-15:00 everyday of the week.

Paired perfectly with picturesque waterside views and locally brewed beers including Northern Monk and Kirkstall, The Canary, is split over two floors and offers a seated outdoor terrace area, perfect for soaking up the sunshine. Plus signature cocktails lovingly created with local spirits including Leeds Gin and Libations Rum, as well as coffee from North Star Coffee.

The Canary also hosts a new interactive quiz night every Wednesday from 19:30 with prizes to be won, plus Sunday Sessions featuring live acoustic sets with local musicians.

Available for private hire, The Canary’s terrace space is bookable with two set menu options for either £22.50 or £28 per person, with lots of sharing options.

Alice Hendrys, General Manager at The Canary Bar said: "Over the past year, The Canary has become the go-to spot for Leeds Dock locals and beyond, offering a space for lunchtime bites, after-work drinks and laid-back weekend socialising.

“Our live music performances and weekly quizzes are now staple nights on the dock; this year we aim to create an even better experience and events schedule for the local community.

“We've just launched a brand-new food menu, an after-work drinks social, and are very excited to welcome new and familiar faces back to the bar."

The new menu is now available at The Canary, bookings can be made here

New creative workspace concept will turn convention on its head

A new managed workspace concept is opening its doors, this February, to Leeds’ most exciting creative, media, tech and digital businesses, promising to redefine the way we view work.

Department Leeds Dock, situated in the former waterside casino has been transformed into a community for modern businesses that need more flexibility, amenity and experiences from their working environment. The design-led workspace is a place for work, wellbeing and social to coexist under one roof, and rewrites preconceptions of what a workspace is.

The four-floor location offers individual professionals, start-ups, and SMEs up to 200 people, space where people feel fulfilled from their working environment and businesses have the means to success. 

Department Leeds Dock will offer hot desks, resident desks, private studios, premium suites, and a bespoke enterprise floor, as well as meeting rooms, breakout areas, content studios, a podcasting suite and space to host events for business and leisure.

The inventory of Department has been carefully considered to extend beyond the parameters of work, ensuring members’ wellbeing and work life balance are not just valued, but encouraged. On the ground floor, Department Store is an experiential social space with a bar, kitchen and lifestyle pop-ups, open to members and the public.

A destination to dine, drink, work, meet and connect with the creative community, which sets the workspace apart from any other. The first resident retailers are announced as Commonsense clothing and 2 Many Wines. Department Store will be celebrating its launch on Saturday 18th February with a day of brunch, lunch, dinner, DJs and masterclasses.

Department also offers members access to Condition, a premium fitness and wellbeing concept based in the Leeds Dock district, offering training studios, multidisciplined classes and personal training for individuals and groups. Members can fit workouts around their work commitments, while businesses can support their teams by offering membership as an added perk.

Those wishing to see inside the brand-new space and experience all that Department Leeds Dock has to offer are invited to come along to the open day on Thursday 16th February for complimentary hot desking, creative workshops and the opportunity to meet the team or tour around the available workspaces. Visitors can reserve a space via the Eventbrite listing.

Anthony Powell, managing director at Department, commented: “The way we work has changed considerably over recent years and that means our workspaces should too. Life is too short to be unfulfilled by what we spend the majority of our waking hours doing. So, we have created a destination for people to feel enjoyment from their place of work and where businesses can thrive.

“We bring human nature to business and with that an understanding of how modern businesses and their teams work. Leeds is home to many exciting businesses in the creative, media and tech industries, and we want to welcome them to Department Leeds Dock to join the likes of We Love This, Bobble Digital, Living Walls and Glean who we’re delighted to have join our community already. Our hospitality-led approach is at the heart of our workspace experience, with exceptional service, dedicated Community teams and member events to connect and inspire.”

The new workspace concept will also be home to Exchange, the tech scale-up support programme which is supporting the next generation of Yorkshire tech businesses, after three years of success in Manchester.

Applications are now open for the first Exchange cohort set to launch in April 2023. It will be based amongst hot desking members in Department Leeds Dock. The scheme has supported more than 450 people from over 102 tech businesses, creating over 140 jobs and raising more than £11m in funding in its three years and four cohorts. It is now setting its sights on achieving the same successes on the other side of the Pennines.

Alice Pickersgill, Exchange programme lead will also be in attendance at the Department Leeds Dock open day on Thursday 16th February, where she will host a Q&A and drop-in session for entrepreneurs interested in joining the scheme.

Leeds Dock’s district is already home to leading creative, media and digital companies, including Sky Digital, Channel 4 and Journey Further, and allows businesses to tap into the talent, infrastructure, and amenities the area offers.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a member of Department Leeds Dock or apply for the first Exchange cohort based in Leeds, please visit:www.departmentuk.com. To book a place on the Department Leeds Dock launch opening weekend, visit:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/department-leeds-dock-launch-tickets-520398063617.