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The Olive Tree Brasserie arrives in Leeds this December, bringing their modern take on Greek cuisine to the city. The Leeds restaurant will be the fourth Olive Tree joining branches in Lytham, Chester, and Stockton Heath, with the brand planning further expansion across the North.



The new Leeds venue will mark a new iteration of Olive Trees vision, following a £700,000 investment on South Parade. The interiors are typically, modern, and highly Instagrammable, but the Leeds launch channels a slightly new direction and transporting you to the perfect Mediterranean destination.


Expect light-drenched interiors, as warm rays flood the neutral palette. Decorated sparingly with, downlighting, raw wood, plaster walls, and plentiful foliage continue to conjure the relaxed feel of the venue. It transforms this traditional South Parade assurance building (previously Stockdales) into something more – It’ll be stylish, bohemian, and the perfect backdrop to a glorious brunch, lunch, or dinner.


On weekends, Olive Tree will welcome their resident DJ’s playing melodic, soulful sounds whilst you enjoy dining and drinks from their extensive, creative cocktail menu. As well as both table and booth seating, The Olive Tree will also offer a private dining area for special occasions, meetings and corporate events, a perfect place for your Christmas Party.


Greek Gastronomy with modern Med inspo


The food has Greek inspiration at its core, with a focus on sustainability and a large range of veggie and vegan options with 40% of their menu being plant based. They also prioritise local sourcing and quality ingredients – alongside fantastic service.


Meze and Main Course items include Mediterranean favourites such as the famous Gyros, Lamb Kleftico, Moussaka, Kebabs and Dolmades, but also include lesser-known Greek dishes such as Honey Pastourma (a Greek cured beef sausage). A variety of menus will be available, from the A La Carte and a Prix Fixe to the bottomless brunch ensuring it’s the perfect choice at whatever time of day!


Brilliant Bar combining traditional and modern


The Olive Tree are proud providers of Greek beers, coffee, and rare spirit’s such as Mastiha. The highly skilled team have created must try cocktails including their mouthwatering Mastiha Mojito (a spirit created from the resin of an evergreen Greek tree), the Olive Tree Espressotini (featuring the warming nuttiness of hazelnut liqueur), and the Cranberry & Clementine Sangria (the Spanish classic, given a Greek twist - think red wine and Metaxa spiked with the flavours of cranberry, orange, rosemary, and blueberry).

Executive chef Aaron Thomas said:

We’re so excited to bring our modern Greek food experience to Leeds. Thirty new staff members will ensure we settle into our new Leeds home nicely, alongside our long-standing, passionate team.

Greece is a part of the Med renowned for its back-to-basics focus on the best tastes, served up with simplicity and warmth. Combining this with our focus on stylish decor and relaxed vibes, we think Olive Tree Brasserie is the place to be. Let us whisk you away from a rainy Autumn day and bring some summer to your soul!”


Bar & restaurant group The Botanist, famed for its botany-inspired cocktails, has launchedits first own-label draught lagerand fans of craft beerwill want to get excited about it – asession lager infused with botanical notes and fruity aromas,it doesn’t get much more refreshing. The 4%ABVbrewis available exclusively across all 24 of its bars in the UK now.



The award-winning brand has joined forces with independent brewery Tiny Rebel to produce the unique and aptly named ‘The Botanist Lager’, a creation which brings together The Botanist’s expertise in botanicals with Tiny Rebel’s renowned flair for pushing the boundaries of beer creation.

We all know there’s nothing better than an ice-cold pint you didn’t pay for, so to celebrate the launch of the lager, the bar is giving away an entire year’s supply to one lucky fan. The winner will receive a personal branded black card, granting them one pint of The Botanist Lager completely free of charge for 365 consecutive days, redeemable at any The Botanist bar in the UK, so a refreshing pint will never be far away.

How do you get your hands on the good stuff? To be in with a chance of winning, lager lovers should head to The Botanist’s Instagram page and share its recent The Botanist Lager post to their Instagram story, as well as tagging a friend in the comments section and following both The Botanist and Tiny Rebel on Instagram. The competition closes on Friday 24th November at 12pm and one lucky winner will be selected at random and contacted directly by The Botanist.

On a mission to craft a fresh taste, the two brands selected Columbus hops, a citrus aroma combined with an earthy background, together with Hallertau Blanc hops, with floral and fruity notes, combining the flavours to produce an elegant, light tasting lager representative of adventure, exploration and nature.

Kelly Harrison, Head of Bars at The Botanist said: “We came together with Tiny Rebel over a shared love of doing things differently. Our innovative cocktail list explores unique combinations of fruits, florals, herbs and plants and we wanted to combine this expertise with their innovative craftsmanship to produce a great quality 4% lager, unique to us. What we’ve created is a refreshing light liquid suited to anyone who enjoys a cold pint!”

Alex Smith, Head of Wholesale & Field Sales at Tiny Rebel said: “This lager is the result of things we both know and love – good beer, good food and great hospitality. A true collaboration, unique to The Botanist, which encapsulates style, flavour and good times. I for one cannot wait to grab a cold one at our local Botanist!”

Competition terms and conditions apply. For full details, visit: https://thebotanist.uk.com/tiny-terms?preview&id=710

To find your nearest Botanist venue visit: https://thebotanist.uk.com

Landmark Leeds building brought to life, with British actress Celia Imrie to voice over stunning new city centre animation.



With the festive season fast approaching, LeedsBID (Leeds Business Improvement District), in collaboration with the renowned Barcelona-based creative studio Onionlab, is set to captivate the city with a magical Christmas projection on the iconic Queens Hotel in Leeds. This awe-inspiring event will be the first of its kind in the UK for Onionlab, and will take place from December 15th-December 23rd, 2023.


The landmark installation, entitled Magical Night at The Queens, will showcase the arrival of Christmas at The Queens, taking spectators on a tour around the iconic hotel with the help of one very special guest - The Gingerbread Man. Unique and innovative, the extravaganza will showcase festive themes and stunning visuals using the elegant architecture of the hotel as a canvas, giving audiences a tantalising glimpse through the doors of The Queens at Christmas. Through state of the art technology combined with world class design, passers-by will witness the true magic of Christmas take over Leeds.


To further enhance the experience, Hollywood actress Celia Imrie CBE is set to narrate the story of the visual piece. The Olivier-award winning actress is best known for her roles in Bridget Jones, Nanny McPhee and Calendar Girls.


“Hats off to The Queens Hotel in Leeds – I have very happy memories of staying there during the filming of The Darling Buds of May,” Celia said. “I was always impressed by its welcoming recepion, and I am excited to be working alongside them this Christmas. I love how the ravishing art deco designs have been so lovingly preserved and can’t wait to see what LeedsBID do to enhance these further. I am delighted to be revisiting this entirely unique hotel and the wonderful city it’s in,” she said.

LeedsBID is delighted to be working with the digital art powerhouse Onionlab on this one of a kind project. Onionlab is celebrated for their expertise in designing installations, audiovisuals, and interactive experiences, tailored for institutions that aspire to bridge technology, design and art. Their groundbreaking work has garnered acclaim worldwide, and this collaboration with LeedsBID marks their UK debut in the field of projection mapping.


Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive, LeedsBID said: “We are thrilled to be working with Barcelona agency Onionlab in what will be a first for Leeds and the UK. They’ll take us on a journey through the magic of Christmas – leaning into the art deco characteristics of the iconic Queens Hotel – transforming it into a large-scale gingerbread house. Narrating the show will be a very special guest who is no stranger to icing! Christmas, as for all places, is a key trading period but also a time for community, so over these nine nights we hope to bring some festive cheer to all.”


Alistair Campbell, General Manager, The Queens Hotel, said: “We are delighted and filled with joy at The Queens to announce our collaboration with LeedsBID during this festive season. It brings us immense happiness to join hands with the city’s business improvement district to showcase an enchanting festive projection onto our iconic hotel, creating a magical spectacle for the entire city of Leeds to enjoy. The projection, created by Barcelona design house Onionlab, brings to life key aspects of The Queens, including our iconic red lift and famous ballroom. It’ll without a doubt spread festive cheer and contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of our community. We look forward to sharing this joyous experience with everyone and making this festive season truly special for the city of Leeds."


As the festive season approaches, LeedsBID and Onionlab's Christmas projection promises to be a visual spectacle like no other, adding a touch of magic and wonder to the heart of Leeds. Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to come and witness this enchanting display and share in the joy of the holiday season at The Queens Hotel from December 15th-December 23rd.


Also brought to the city this Christmas by LeedsBID are a number of festive lights sprinkled across the city centre including the return of the elegant drape lighting adorning the historic Trinity Church and festive lights tree at St Peter’s Square.


New Winter Decorations are to be hung over Briggate - a series of dynamic suspended light sculptures bringing warmth, colour and movement with a contemporary, innovative light show to help illuminate the winter months.


Its Welcome Hosts can also be found out and about in the city every day, in Leeds Station and in key retail locations, on hand to help visitors discover the delights of Christmas to be found in Leeds city centre.


Magical Night at The Queens

Dates: 15th December - 23rd December 2023

Times: 4:30 - 8:30pm - every 30 minutes (film lasts 10 minutes)

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