I've lived in Leeds pretty much my entire life, despite a brief 12-month sting in the South. I've explored the city's many restaurants and places to eat but never thought of trying Kirkgate Market for a bite. The Market, which is the largest covered market in Europe has over 800 stalls, attracting hundreds of thousands of people per week.
I'm ashamed to say that I haven't utilised the market and all of its benefits anywhere near as much as I should have. Being quite the foodie, having fresh fruit, veg, meat and seafood on the doorstep it's a wonder I didn't visit more.
However, the market itself was not why I went, it was the food court inside that caught my attention, following a recommendation from a friend. I needed lunch and so I took five pounds to see what I could get.
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The court is located at the back of the market behind the stalls and straight away you are hit by multiple aromas, all complimenting each other nicely. There are a number of food stalls, including Turkish bakeries, Vietnamese street food and traditional classics such as fish and chips, it was nice to see a lot of modern takes compared to when I used to visit markets in Manchester when I was little and it was very much hot potatoes in a bag, black pudding and pies (I'm not complaining).
With absolutely no pre-amble I decided to just pick a stall and grab something from the menu that I liked the look of. I chose a place called 'Chop Chop' a Far East fast food joint, and let me tell you, there was an emphasis on 'fast'.
I chose to get fried noodles with sticky, chilli beef, I placed my order paid my money and literally two minutes later I had it hot in my hands ready to eat. Straight off the bat, I was impressed, especially as it was peak lunchtime and my social anxiety couldn't handle holding up a queue.
The food itself was really pleasant, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have reservations about the food served in a market but I'm happy to admit they were all washed away. The thing I look for in good food is simplicity, flavour and service, something I will happily shout about here.
The price was right as well, getting lunch and a decent portion at that, for a fiver was perfect. This might be my southern bias coming in but down in Watford where I just came from I would have paid double that.
The place was abuzz with a nice atmosphere; it's clear a lot of workers across the city come to the Kirkgate food court for lunch and having now been myself I can understand why. With people now back in offices and maybe not having that free reign of home-working lunches the one thing everyone wants is food and fast.
I can't speak for the other stalls but based on the fact that every few seconds I was hearing an order number shouted across the room, I can assume the service was efficient across the board. I will be testing this theory soon again because I have many the intention to return.
As I mentioned there was a whole range of foods, another that took my eye was an Istanbul Bakery selling little pastries and hot treats which is perfect for those who are really in a rush and maybe want to avoid the more costly prices of high street chains.
Kirkstall Market is a gem, by no means hidden but potentially underestimated by some. I would highly recommend trying out the food court at least once not only to support local independent businesses but also to appreciate a market that has stood for over a century changing with the times.
