The historic White Cloth Hall is revived by the distinguished Whitelock’s and Meanwood Tavern team
It was mid-afternoon on the 4th December 1786 when the basket of Vincent Lunardi’s hot air balloon struck a hedge near Bramham Park House. The ascent was witnessed in awe by 30,000 people from the central courtyard of the Third White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate in Leeds City Centre. Built to rival nearby textiles merchants in Gomersal and Wakefield, this was just one of the many spectacles the hall hosted to draw in crowds on a weekend.
Over the August bank holiday, once again, queues weaved down the cobbles in anticipation for the grand unveiling of a brand-new all-day dining destination for the city; a three-hundred cover food and drink venue from the team behind Whitelock’s Ale House.
Paying homage to the varied history of the Grade II listed building, the triangular branding reflects the shape and style of the Raine Bros plumbers’ front signage. The iconic Pizza Express chandeliers have been restored and powder coated in a modern matte black. A framed peacock perches next to the window, referencing the emblem of Leeds United Football Club.Tucked inside the door, a long circus bill describes performances by Pablo Fanque’s Equestrian Wonders, Rope Dancers, Acrobats, and ‘The Best Clowns in the World!’ Look up, and you’ll see the blue and white stripes of a big top painted along the ceiling, studded with fluorescent globes.
The sense of grandeur and theatricality runs through the entire concept. From the ring lighting,to the high-end glassware, the marble table tops and edible flowers crowning the breakfast granola. Dishes arrive, as if by magic, ordered without even leaving your seat. “Come to our offer, and we’re never going to give you a cardboard box or a plastic fork,” Marketing and Community manager Adam Warner explains with pride. It’s a cut above the street food concepts on the market, the grab and go finger buffets churned out at festivals and seemingly every disused cellar and back alley in the country.
For Adam, the role is a homecoming of sorts. “It’s fortuitously my fate coming here,” he admits. Having seen this area of Leeds grow and develop over the years, there isn’t much he doesn’t know about the brick archways surrounding White Cloth Hall. He remembers heading out with a fake ID as a fifteen-year-old at The Townhouse around the corner. Hectic nights outside Cuban Heels and Fudge Nightclub. His gaff of seven years, The Corn Exchange, is literally ten yards away.
After a brief and loveless stint in London working for property developers Hammerson, Adam’s smile once again radiates around timbers of a local Victorian pile. “Where else are you going to find a shell like this?” he enthuses. Indeed, the Whitelocks Group know how to breathe life into a relic. The oldest pub in Leeds, with its shining tiles and ornate stained glass, is still a hotspot for punters of all ages.
“It has been important for us when thinking about White Cloth Hall, to make sure that we built something that was for everyone, but also a venue that reflects who we are as a city. We wanted to champion quality, authenticity, and traditional hospitality. Whether it’s your first visit, or your hundredth, you feel special.”
Citing Duke Street Market in Liverpool, and Time Out Lisbon as inspiration, mouthwatering plates from independent chefs and breweries, celebrating the diversity and quality of Yorkshire produce, are devoured at long communal tables. A shared excitement, akin to the days of Pablo’s Grand Allied Circus.
Managing director Ed Mason remarks, “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!”
Balloon rides pending…
