A new food and drink academy has been launched in Leeds this week with Arc Inspirations, North Bar and Reds True Barbecue among the brands supporting the project.

The Independent Food and Drink Academy (IFDA) is a joint venture between Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Business Improvement District (BID), and the city council to support the growing industries in the area. The IFDA provides support and training for food and drink enterprises, from micro to fully-fledged small businesses.

Guy Lincoln, senior lecturer in the school of events, tourism and hospitality at Leeds Beckett, and one of the minds behind the academy, said: “The number and variety of businesses providing food and drink in Leeds is growing at a fast rate, and the level of competition increases along with it. In recognition of this, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds City Council and Leeds BID have launched the Independent Food and Drink Academy as a way to provide effective and accessible business support – a community in which to share practical advice and facilitate conversation. By bringing together a fantastic network of industry experts and experienced operators, our aim is to share our knowledge and understanding of the food and drink sectors and to support business owners in establishing and growing their businesses to reach their full potential. We hope to create a blueprint for similar national schemes.”

Leeds BID chief executive Andrew Cooper added: “Independent food and drink is a key ingredient in the city’s culinary offer and is vital in driving a unique food offering all year round, putting Leeds firmly on the national food map.”

The official launch was held at the innovative Belgrave Music Hall.

The Willowbank, Smithdown Road, Liverpool

Despite the old saying, ‘You should never go back’, in February I revisited Liverpool, where I spent three happy years as a student in the early 80’s. For two of those years I lived just off Smithdown Road, the boundary between Toxteth and Wavertree, residing in both L 8 and L 15 districts.

Some things don’t change and the driver cheerfully confirmed that the 86 bus to Garston still goes down Smithdown Road, which is amazing 35 years on. We got off near The Brookhouse. It looked like it was still going strong but we didn’t venture in, the only advertisement outside was for beef burgers and nothing said about good beer. If I’m honest, I never went in all those years ago. A bit too full of students for my liking, including one ex with conical appendages, long before Madonna ever cottoned on to the merits of the pointy bra, anyway it was too far down Smithdown in the wrong direction from where I lived.

Walking back up Smithdown from the bottom end, things looked pretty bright around the bit before Sefton Hospital. Only thing is when you get to the ‘ozzy it’s no longer there, having been replaced by a giant Asda.

Like I say, the further back into town we went the more depressing things started to feel, until we got to The Willowbank, which I remember being a really good pub. A favourite Saturday night haunt when the city centre was taken over by mainstream revellers. For the life in me I couldn’t remember what it was like inside though? Surprising really, particularly the saloon bar/snug which looks out through big windows at the front of the pub. There’s a monolithic wooden bar and a huge centre piece, mantel style clock on a pediment above. The rest of the pub sits behind the front bar and is comparatively darker. A broad nutty, woody expanse of a room, which felt familiar, apart from the TV’s showing Sky sports. As well as the awesome clock, there were a lot of other interesting features, including the original cigarette stubbers below the bar and the coat/handbag hooks. The toilets were clean and pleasant too.

There were banners outside proclaiming it to be a community pub. I concur with that. It had a nice atmosphere and there were some friendly locals having a lunch time pint. They do food and quiz nights, etc were advertised. I also liked the notion of no children outside food service times. A bit of online research revealed the pub has won CAMRA awards for it’s community bias. It said somewhere that it was one of the safer pubs in the area, which in some ways is a bit sad, although I’ve never felt threatened in any pub in Liverpool, neither previously or now. That said, there were an odd one or two that you steered clear of.

Willowbank  front bar

The Willowbank was a Tetley Walker house back in the day. I didn’t like their beer much then and I wouldn’t touch it now. Despite it being effectively the same company with the  ‘Huntsman’ logo, it was nothing like the creamy Leeds brew you got in West Yorkshire. I did see a Festival Ale House plaque on the wall, but it’s apparently now owned by a company called John Barras pub company. There’s a varied selection of real ales; Greene King IPA, Brains SA, Marston’s NWPA, Morland Original and Castle Rock Harvest Pale. Prices were around the £2.70 mark per pint. I tried the IPA and the Harvest Pale, both were decent, well kept ales. There was an obvious commitment to real ales and thankfully The Willowbank is still a good pub.

After a pleasant three quarters of an hour we walked a bit further up Smithdown, looking for the house where Mrs C (not Mrs C then) and I lived on Salisbury Road. Neither of us could remember the house number and we’ve no documentary evidence of it, eventually we both thought 103 looked and sounded about right, so I took a picture for future reference. Come to think of it, we never even knew the full details of the landlord, or where he lived. You just left the rent on the table once a week, and if anything went wrong, he could always be found in The Salisbury on Lawrence Road at tea time or you left word for him behind the bar. If anyone local remembers us, it would be because of the incessant noise created by one of our housemates, who looked suspiciously like the drummer out of Kajagoogoo, practicing on his 999 piece drum kit (seriously, I’ve never seen as many drums and cymbals in one place).

What I did remember was a beautiful totally original, late Victorian boozer on Smithdown Road just near the end of our street. Think gas lighting, etched glass, brass, wood and coloured tiles. I couldn’t remember the name of it, just that it was our local for a year, and it was a proper local. Never really busy, never quiet, just nice decent folk.

The, now defunct, Royal Hotel, Smithdown Road.

The Royal was actually fairly easy to find, an imposing building with it’s name embellished in large white letters on two sides. It didn’t look right though, something was definitely wrong. The lantern sign above the splayed front door, a leg on Smithdown and one on Langton Road, proclaimed it’s sad fate: Luxury Student Homes. Proper shame that, because the pub I used to frequent was worth saving.

Now when I lived in the area there had been a recent bit of turmoil and civil unrest, the evidence of which was clear to see. Despite that, there was quite a buzz and much local commerce in what was a real diverse area. It was a little dispiriting to see that many of the shops/small businesses had gone the same way as The Royal. A lot were semi derelict, many had been converted into residential and judging by the handy work (or lack of) the local Building Inspector is not aware of these ad hoc changes of use. You would have expected this part of Liverpool to have moved on from the early eighties and it’s inner city unrest? If anything it hasn’t and certainly the upper part of Smithdown Road felt more depressed than when I lived there, which is a shame.

Beautiful tile detail on the outside of The Royal

Any way, moving back to the pubs, The Mulliner has gone, a brand new school cum academy establishment occupying it’s former position. The Newstead Abbey is still going though,  although it’s nothing like Byron’s ancestral home. I called in quite a lot when I lived on nearby Whittier Street. It was never anything special, just another down at heel boozer. I fancied popping for a quick one for old time’s sake, but Mrs C had given the scruffy, mucky actually, windows and frontage the once over and decreed that we weren’t going in there! And people wonder why pubs are closing down.

The Newstead Abbey, Smithdown Road

I reckon there was another pub on the opposite side of the road to the Newstead before you come to The Boundary at the junction with Lodge Lane but I can’t remember what it was called. The Boundary is still there, it wasn’t one you really went into when I lived there, unless you were interested in the thriving trade in Waccy Baccy. Judging by the extremely diverse crowd stood smoking outside, it looks like the African Caribbean heritage clientele I remember have been somewhat displaced. Again, it could do with a bit of TLC on the exterior, even the sign had slipped down, God only knows what it’s like inside.

The only positive thing I noted was the demise of the dreadful Kwiksave with it’s legendary Mantuna tea bags (I don’t think there was actually any tea in them, just some brown colouring). I just wished the current continental style supermarket with it’s wonderful selection of fresh vegetables, spices and the like had been there when I lived there.

I guess folk are probably right when they say, ‘Never go back’.

As a song, Born Slippy never fails to impress, even after twenty years. The haunting track from the last glory era of Leeds United, before the Whites derailed. I never gave much thought to the lyrics, which take some fathoming if I’m to be honest. Least ways, not until after more than seven days in Spanish territory when I just couldn’t stop shouting, Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager! Shouting, Lager, Lager, Lager, lager, ad infinitum.

Nico

Unfortunately that’s all you can get on Fuerteventura – Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager! (or Guinness or John Smiths smooth).

Sat poolside, drinking – Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager! I recalled a post in a forum about where to find decent beer when you’re on holiday which advised looking on Ratebeer or Untappd. Sounds a good idea so I Googled it instead and found two possible locations.

We had a walk into Corralejo town to find The Fuerteventura Beer Shop, which appears to now be commercial office premises. Undeterred, we wandered around to the only other hit Nico’s Belgian Beer House . Unfortunately at 2.00pm on a Sunday, it was firmly closed, so we reverted to plan B – watch some football and drink more Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager!

If you are ever in Corralejo, then I thoroughly recommend Nico’s Belgian Beer House as the only alternative in the Town, possibly the island, to Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager! If you do visit then be sure to wait until the moon rises as it doesn’t open until late afternoon, at least 3.00pm, maybe later, depending on what time Nico finished the night before.

It’s not a big place, but it’s got a good atmosphere, outside tables on the roadside and a sort of moody, dark reddish gloom inside. Seriously it’s pretty cool, there is some nice wall art and a bit of a surfing thing happening, it’s just not the place where you go to read the newspaper. Anyway, I didn’t go for the first rate ambience, I went for a decent beer that wasn’t Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager!

The Bar

Guess what? They’ve got shed loads, forty four Belgian bottled beers on the menu and some additional, ever-changing specials as well, plus another eight International beers including Wife Beater on draught and John Smith’s Smooth in cans. Oh, and in case you’re interested, the toilets pass the test with flying colours.

As soon as you walk in you are cordially greeted by owner Nico Pintens whose story is as interesting as the bar and beer itself. Originally a professional ‘Precision Driver’ and ‘Test Driver’ for BMW, Mercedes and others, including Top Gear. No he’s not the Stig. he bought the bar about twenty months ago after a tragic life changing experience lead him to seek a more chilled out lifestyle. A Belgian by birth from the Antwerp sort of area you’d think that the easy going Nico would be an expert on Belgian ales. Well, he is, he just doesn’t drink them, in fact he doesn’t drink alcohol. A throw back from his previous profession and outstanding professionalism whilst behind the bar.. He does know about the beers though and the comprehensive menu has tasting notes in four languages.

The first beer I tried was a Delirium Tremens (8.5%), rude not to really, especially at €5 a bottle, somewhere around four quid at my reckoning. Nico was a bit upset at that because he’d only got one Delirium Tremens glass and someone was using it already. Apparently it’s difficult maintaining stocks of the correct shaped and branded glasses and he’s constantly battling supply against breakage/theft. He told me the Kwak glasses run out at €28 each! Despite this he insists that every drink is served in the correct glass and he will look down his nose at chavvers who are low enough to drink the Belgian nectar direct from the bottle.

Top range of Belgian beers

Mrs C tried a Liefmann’s Fruitesse ‘On the rocks’. I’ve never seen this before and Nico reckons it’s the only beer that’s sold as, to be drunk on the rocks. I’m no Belgian beer expert but I’ll bow to his knowledge. What I can say is this fruity, red berries with a hit of sour/sharpness is a very pleasant drink at about 10.00pm when it’s still around 20 degrees outside. My second was a Grimbergen Tripel (9%), again very nice and very strong but so much better than Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager! Prices? €3 a bottle for the (3.8%) Liefmann’s and €5 for the stronger, above 5% beers.

Although it’s a walk out of the town centre, it really is worth it for the all round experience. Nico prides himself on his beers and the chilled out atmosphere. If it’s busy you might have to wait to be served as he is the sole member of staff. But, like he says, if you don’t want to wait there are another 161 bars in Corallejo, which all serve Lager, Lager, Lager, Lager!

Overall verdict: Beer highlight of Corrallejo, Fuerteventura.

Outside seating