Moods, a new all-day café, bar and events venue, will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate tomorrow (Friday 31st July), bringing a new chapter to one of Leeds’ most significant historic buildings and completing a family-led vision to return it to daily public use.
Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo and hair and beauty brand self., Moods occupies the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building, which was built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth. Some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s and, after spending more than 20 years on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, the building has now been restored and brought back into use through a major renovation by Rushbond.
Moods brings together speciality coffee, in-house patisserie, elevated all-day dining, cocktails, wine, beer and events under one historic roof, with a fuller restaurant and private dining offer set to launch in autumn 2026. Doors will open at 6pm on Friday 31st July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1st August.
“Leeds has been our home since university, and First White Cloth Hall felt like the kind of building you don’t get a second chance with,” said Will Moody. “From the moment we saw it, we knew it could become much more than a studio home. Moods is about opening the ground floor up and giving people a reason to use the building from morning through to night, whether that’s coffee, food, drinks, private events or simply a good catch-up with friends.”
The couple met while studying at Leeds Beckett University and opened Buzz Club Tattoo in Hyde Park in 2018 before expanding to Wellington Street and launching self. in 2023. The move to First White Cloth Hall brings both businesses together on the upper floors, while Moods completes the ground floor offer. Across the three brands, the building is now home to a team of more than 70 people, with Moods launching with 30 employees.
Hayley Moody, who led the design and fit-out across the building, said: “I wanted Moods to feel special without feeling stiff. Luxurious, cosy and full of detail, but still somewhere you can drop in for a coffee, a pastry or a cocktail depending on the day you’re having. The building already has so much character, so the design has been about adding warmth, comfort and personality without taking away from the history that’s already there.”
The kitchen is led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, whose career includes roles within Simon Rogan’s Michelin-starred restaurant group, including L’Enclume and Fera at Claridge’s. He has also worked at Manchester House and The Grand in York, and led his own venture, Craig Rogan at The Collective. His accolades include Chef of the Year 2023 and Best Fine Dining Restaurant 2024 at the Oliver Awards.
Craig joined Moods to create an all-day dining destination where fine dining techniques and exceptional produce can be enjoyed in a relaxed and welcoming environment. His menus focus on outstanding British ingredients combined with subtle international influences, producing dishes designed to suit the rhythm of the venue from breakfast through to evening.
Signature dishes include wild mushroom crumpet with Old Winchester cheese and black truffle honey, mead-glazed pancetta with potato rosti and mushroom ketchup, and fried chicken brioche with elderflower and pickled cucumber. When the restaurant launches in autumn, evening dishes will include Violetta potato with ox cheek and bone marrow béarnaise, king scallops with nduja, cucumber and Scotch bonnet, and dark chocolate with raw coffee fudge and peppermint.
Provenance runs throughout the menu, with a supplier list rooted firmly in Yorkshire and the North. Meat is sourced from Swaledale Butchers, seafood from Taylor Foods, beer from Kirkstall Brewery, wines and champagnes from Bodega Movil, and gin and vodka from Roland’s. Coffee is roasted by Dark Arts Coffee, while Leeds-based RAW Coffee will feature as a rotating guest roaster. Wherever possible, menu items are made on site, from pastries and patisserie to the wider all-day dining offer.
The cocktail programme has been developed by Bar Manager David Harding and combines familiar flavours with refined technique and subtle influences from the café. Signature serves include the Peach Melba, a dessert-inspired cocktail featuring caramelised peach vodka and ice cream foam; the Moods Monty, a coffee-infused rum cocktail topped with croissant cold foam; and the Cucumber Shrub Spritz, finished with Crémant. The wider drinks menu includes inventive margaritas and martinis, modern twists on classics, frozen sorbet serves and a dedicated collection of low and no-alcohol cocktails.
“The drinks list is built around flavour, feeling and versatility,” said Harding. “Wines that can work from brunch through to late night, cocktails that capture the feeling of the first summer sun, and a beer selection that feels broad, interesting and approachable.”
The coffee programme is led by Head Barista Molly Trubody, with a focus on delivering exceptional coffee in a welcoming and accessible way. The food menu has also been designed from the outset to cater for a range of dietary requirements, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options throughout.
Moods will initially offer around 124 covers across the café, bar and outdoor seating areas, rising to approximately 170 covers once the restaurant and private dining spaces open in autumn 2026.
The venue will open Sunday to Thursday from 8am to 11pm, and Friday and Saturday from 8am to 12.30am. Walk-ins are welcome, with bookings available via OpenTable.