March 28, 2024

Ham and Friends open Leeds restaurant alongside wine bar and food hall

Ham and Friends is the new kitchen, food hall and wine bar from the team behind the award-winning Friends of Ham (Leeds and Ilkley)

Born out of a passion for bringing together the very best produce for people to enjoy in a relaxed, welcoming environment, Ham and Friends is the latest venture from the team behind the much-loved Friends of Ham and the newest addition to the ever-growing Merrion Street and Leeds’ vibrant Northern Quarter.

Their beautifully refurbished space features a fully-stocked food hall, wine mezzanine, wine bar and restaurant with private dining, all spread across two floors. It also features a walk-in cheese room from Chapel Allerton’s own George & Joseph who will be the first cheesemongers in Leeds city centre. It will also be the new home to the Yorkshire Wine School, who offer wine and beer qualifications, classes and workshops in their own custom-built space.

The unique centrepiece of Ham and Friends is their food hall; fully stocked with products that Ham and Friends love, it’s a way of celebrating provenance, craftsmanship and the makers and producers who they’ve worked with over the years. It’s the perfect way for Ham and Friends to share with their customers, a range of artisan ingredients from ethical sources and products that don’t compromise on quality. Following many visits to local suppliers for sampling, the team bring with them a passion, knowledge and understanding for provenance and methods of production; from making blue cheese with Joe Schneider at Stichelton in Nottinghamshire to visiting Iberico producers in Southern Spain.

There is fresh meat, fruit and veg from local farms and retail products from small independent British producers, as well as small UK distributors who import Italian and Spanish charcuterie, French cheese and wines which are carefully sourced from around the world. As well as a range of beers, there is a magnificent wine shop on the mezzanine where you can browse a collection of 200 bottles of minimal intervention and small production wine, made using traditional techniques with a focus on natural, biodynamic and organic processes. The bar has a list of 20 wines by the glass and customers also have the option to choose any bottle from the wine mezzanine to drink in (for an additional £10 corkage).

Alongside other deli produce and the walk-in cheese room, there is a selection of gifts, hampers, books and homeware available, including Irish wool blankets from NcNutt of Donegal, hand poured Soy candles from Hobo Soy Candles in Lincolnshire and Mug Prints and Pins from HAM Made. It’s the perfect place to stock up on high quality produce, buy gifts or even put together a specially-made hamper of treats for friends and family.

The restaurant has 60 covers and there are two private dining rooms available to hire for an event with 26 covers. The seasonal ingredient-led menu offers regularly changing dishes which showcase modern British food with a nod to traditional Spanish and Scandinavian cooking. There is a mix of small plates along with an à la carte selection of starters, mains and desserts. Highlights include Ricotta Dumplings with Caramelised Cauliflower, Mustard Garlic and Hazelnut, and Wild East Coast Sea Trout with Spiced Potted Shrimp Butter and Sea Vegetables. Separate bar snacks are also available, including seasonal cheese and charcuterie boards.

The new space will also host a range of different speciality events including a Wine vs Beer Pairing with Cannon & Cannon, Chocolate Making with Tyto Leodis, Ham Carving with Brindisa, Cheesemaking with Courtyard Dairy, Meet the Maker with Le Grappin and Food Styling and Photography Workshops – as well as monthly wine and cheese clubs.

Links

Webpage: https://www.hamandfriends.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamandfriends/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamandfriends

Twitter: @hamandfriends

Opening Hours:

Monday

Closed

Tuesday – Thursday

Bar and shop open: 11am – 11pm

Kitchen open: 5pm – 10pm

Friday 

Bar and shop open: 11am – midnight

Kitchen open: 5pm – 10pm

Saturday

Bar and shop open: 11am – midnight

Kitchen open: 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm

Sunday

Bar and shop open: 11am-7pm

Kitchen open: 11am-5pm

Staff

General Manager – Lucy Cheetham

Head Chef – Joel Monkman

Key Bar Staff – Simon Hilton-Smith and Simon Cocks

Yorkshire Wine School – Laura Kent

George & Joseph – Stephen Flemming

Designers – Pure Design Consultancy – PDC – Nicola Moxon

Tom Raffield – lights // Katie Gillies – jesmonite bar front and bar tables // Plaey – wine retail shelving // Coffyn Furniture – other retail shelving // Plant Room – planting


Friends of Ham is located 4-8 New Station St, Leeds LS1 5DL and 8 Wells Rd, Ilkley LS29 9JD. Similar to Ham and Friends, they offer high-quality charcuterie and cheese except there is more of a focus on craft beer compared to wine.