One Sunday afternoon not too long ago, me and Martin were in the mood for a Sunday lunch. We had been recommended The Tetley by our friends, who said that it was the best that they'd had in Leeds - which is saying something, because there are some fantastic Sunday roasts to be had in Leeds. We had yet to visit The Tetley since it reopened as a contemporary art and learning[bxA] centre in November 2013. As you may have guessed (or already know if you are familar with the area), The Tetley was formerly the headquarters for Tetley's Brewery and was built in 1931. The brewery itself closed for good in June 2011, which despite the falling demand for beer at the time, was a huge blow to Leeds and the people who worked there. Now, the manufacturing of the beer has been redistributed to breweries across the country, and as such the headquarters were no longer required. Instead of disowning it's heritage, the spirit of Tetley is still kept alive and has now been reimagined to inspire and encourage young people to create art. It is now open to the public, when it has never been before.




I was genuinely surprised by The Tetley, and how it managed to have modern characteristics yet kept the traditions of the brewery headquarters very much a part of the building. The bar and dining room area summed this up perfectly, with wooden flooring, brick walls and metal light fittings. Elsewhere, little touches such as entering the building through the original wooden revolving doors, really made me appreciate all of the hard work that had gone into converting the building from a private, industrial building into a public art space. I think that it was very important to the people of Leeds that the former headquarters were treated with respect, and the heritage that is so integral to Leeds' history was not forgotten about. The people behind the transformation achieved all of that and gave the building a new lease of life, along with helping others and working towards building a new future.






Anyway, back to why we were there that day. We arrived at about 2pm, highly anticipating a delicious Sunday lunch, only to be told that they had in fact run out for the day. Bummer! We toyed with the idea of eating elsewhere, but seeing as had walked quite some way to eat there we had worked up quite the appetite, so opted to stay and find something else on the menu to satisfy us. Well, find something else we did! We started off with a pint each of Tetley's Gold, which we had yet to find anywhere else despite being in so many pubs in Leeds. It was light and dry, with a citrusy aroma and a distinctive flavour of herbs and cloves - perfect to accompany a hearty meal. The menu was quite extensive, surprisingly so, and we ended up going for the first main that was listed; Tetley’s Ale and Beef Stew with Horseradish Dumplings, £8.95. Well, if you're looking for a comforting meal that makes you feel warm and loved inside, this is the meal for you! It was served with a pastry triangle and extra root vegetables (I didn't know what they were but they were incredibly flavoursome), and of course we had to have a cheeky side order of chips as well. The stew was packed full with vegetables and generous chunks of beef, so tender that they just fell apart at the touch of the fork. The ale based gravy really helped to bring all the flavours together and made the meat even more succulent, if that was possible! As for the dumplings, they were crisp on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth soft in the middle, with a slight kick of the horseradish coming through. I'm not usually a fan of dumplings, finding them too stodgy but these were just right. Combining those and the stew together was pretty much a match made in heaven and made for a wholly satisfying meal.




After enjoying our mains, we were tempted by the dessert menu but decided to give it a miss that day. We had intended to get ourselves a free ice cream from the van that was parked outside, but we missed out on that as well! If we'd got there just an hour earlier, then we wouldn't have faced two disappointments in one day. In fact, that is my advice to you as a reader - if you intend to check out the Sunday dinner at The Tetley, get there as early as possible and you will be at less risk of being disappointed. Me and Martin fully intend to go and try again a little later in the year (Perhaps when it's a bit colder, although as I'm writing this there is a storm going on outside!) - I would love to go back in the winter, especially around Christmas time. We will also check out the art gallery next time as well, as we didn't really have the time to do so this time around. There is so much to see in Leeds these days that I feel like I'll never see it all!