The late Spring and early Summer have already brought with them an array of fab food events to Leeds. With longer days and lighter nights tempting folk from all around to venture out and live it up, organisers across the city have been inviting us in to scoff it all down.

In May and June alone, there was Leeds Indie Food, The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival, Leeds Food and Drink, The Cocktail Experience, Lotherton Hall Food and Drink, Pub In The Park, The North Leeds Food Festival, StreetFest, LS6 Beer Festival and The Great British Food Festival. To name but ten! 

For those who are now addicted and can’t get enough, or for anyone who somehow missed out on it all, fear not, for the city continues to fill itself with food, drink and good times into and through the later summer. Here are an upcoming collection to get your tastebuds and bellies looking forward to in July and August…

Whilst some of the season’s early offerings dipped into Roundhay and Headingley, many of Leeds’ food and drink events so far were hosted in the centre. In July, however, suburban celebrations are happening regularly, particularly northwards.

On the 12th to 14th Wetherby puts on its annual food festival for the sixth year, packed full of street food vendors, local producers, speciality bars, live music, children’s entertainment and happy punters. 

If you max it out on the Friday and Saturday, then a Sunday trip to Otley will take in their food and drink festival, featuring over fifty stalls of quality, artisan, handmade and locally sourced produce, alongside cooking demonstrations and wine and beer tastings. The following weekend, on the 19th to 21st, the eat goes on in Horsforth at the food and drink festival there. Expect a similar vibe to those above – relaxed yet vibrant, grown-up yet child-friendly – creating a triumphant weekend for all tastes and ages. 

In August, the drinking takes over, at a number of splendid get togethers. Starting on the first Saturday of the month, Taco and Tequila does exactly that, as Water Lane Boathouse goes all Mexican for the country’s joyous food and booze duet.

At the end of August, on the bank holiday Monday, Merrion Street Festival is a much loved party that swings between the row of bars on the pedestrianised street, taking in old favourites Mojo, new kids on the block Stuzzi, and plenty more great beers, wines, gins and cocktails throughout.

In between these monthly bookends, on the 9th to 11th, is the Far Headingley Beer Festival, aptly named thanks to an array of ales on show at Headingley’s St Chad’s Broomfield Cricket Club.

Throughout the whole time, a couple of notable events revolve regularly. Eat North is a weekly happening at North Brewing Co. where a selection of street food vendors cook up quality cuisine to a cool crowd in a top brewery.

Belgrave Feast led the way in this field, with years of great gatherings every month filled with people sampling tasty street food and cracking booze at Belgrave Music Hall. Both of these carefully cater for veggies and vegans too, and indeed turn into Veg North and Vegan Feast every so often, with delicious success. 

The joy of all of these events is in the diverse fun to be had in both the mix of people and the range of food. From popular cuisines across the world like Thai, Chinese and Indian curries, Italian pizza, Japanese sushi, and British fish and chips, to rare regional specialities, there’s always something for everyone to eat, drink and be merry.