For a mere £18 you can buy a sought-after pint in one of Leeds’ “bougiest” bars, and mix with a crowd of the city’s trendiest and coolest punters.
Friends of Ham, on New Station Street, offers some of the world’s “finest beers” along with a range of charcuterie, cheese and wine, just a stone’s throw away from Leeds Train Station. The rustic-looking bar opened in 2012, and has been a hit with fine-drinking locals, couples, stag dos and young professionals, ever since.
Assistant Manager Andy McLaughlin, originally from Reading, is immensely proud of the bar which he says has a demographic of “young trendy people, cool people, like ourselves.” “We like to call it bougie!” he chuckles, and then backtracks with a wry smile and a wink, "Well, we don’t really call it that."
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He adds: “We like to think we put a lot of thought into our menu, both in food and drink. We have some of the finest beers that the country can produce and in fact Europe and the world at times.”
This is a point that is hard to contend as Friends of Ham (FoH) stocks a beer which costs £18 a pint. This is a “big sweet malty stout” all the way from Poland called Knight Moves Churro Biscuit Pastry Imperial Stout, brewed by Browar Stu Mostów.
“It’s unbelievable,” says Andy who just loves the drink’s “really thick viscous oily” texture. Andy admits it hasn’t been bought as a full pint very often, he’s only ever sold it as a pint twice.
He said: “One was a stag do and the other was a man just having a tough day!” The stout, like most of their beers, is generally sold in thirds of a pint at £6. The bar even offers a selection of tasters, where you can get three different types of beers on a tray for £18.
The bar is also a magnet for couples on first dates, making Andy feel like somewhat of a beer-pulling Cupid as couples return for their anniversaries. He says: “We get a lot of couples in. We’re a cosy bar, a good date spot.”
There are beers on offer under more “competitive prices”, such as the popular Kirkstall Pale Ale at £4 a pint and FoH’s own house pale, brewed with local brewery Anthology, at £5.50. Asked if the niche bar had taken a hit during the cost of living crisis, the bar manager said their food sales had, but their drink sales are still going strong.
“So it turns out the British public will still drink whatever they want,” quips Andy. The city-centre bar is very busy, even spawning a second bar in Ilkley, and customers are often turned away as it fills up.
Ever since the pandemic, they’ve switched to becoming a seated bar so it’s no longer a “wrestling match to try and get a drink”. Andy has encouraged more people to come and visit. He said: “Quality speaks for itself, so come in and try it and it’s not going to be for everyone. Certain beers won’t be for everyone’s tastes but that’s how it is.”
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