Ham and Friends and other delicacies

You’ve heard of the land of milk and honey but let me tell you about  the delicious new foodie find right in the heart of Leeds. Ham and Friends is the third addition to the Friends of Ham empire and brings a fantastic selection of charcuterie, wines, beers and cheese to its food hall and kitchen. 

Ham and friends is also home to the Yorkshire Wine School, where as well taking part in wine tasting events you can also gain qualifications.  

George and Joseph, the first cheesemongers to Leeds City centre were most certainly worth waiting for! The cheese room offers a delectable selection of hard and soft cheeses made from cows, goats and sheep’s milk. Keep an eye out for my cheese tasting blog to follow!

The team from Ham and Friends and Friends of Ham host a selection of workshops and events including “Meet The Maker’ evenings where you can meet the suppliers and really sink your teeth into knowing where their food comes from. As part of the Leeds Independent Food festival Ham and Friends hosted a food photography course with photographer and stylist Victoria Harley (channel 4) 

A clear favourite of the morning that I spent at Ham and Friends was the coffee. The Darkwood coffee is roasted in the West Yorkshire Pennines and was ground for us on site for a beautifully fresh cup. 

The restaurant at Ham and Friends is to open at the end of May/ beginning of June and will incorporate seasonal produce from top quality suppliers who are specially chosen by owner Claire. 

From cured Italian meats to Spanish Chorizo Claire knows all of her suppliers personally and this translates in the way that Ham and Friends is not just about the delicious food but it is about the people too.  

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Coffee Workshops at Casa Colombiana

Coffee workshops are a new thing at Casa Colombiana, indeed the workshop that I attended last night was the first of its kind and what a fascinating insight it was as we learned all about the history of and how coffee is made.

Coffee in its many forms; may it be latte, cappuccino, flat white or otherwise is the staple starter to many people's day but how much do we actually know about the good stuff? Did you know for example that coffee is a fruit; a berry to be precise.

Marta and David (King and Queen of coffee) both grew up on coffee farms so it would be fair to say that that they live and breathe coffee.

Indeed as David shared his knowledge of the coffee plant and the process that the berries go through to get the beans that are so familiar to us all it is evident that coffee is in his blood. 

I won't go into too much depth about what the workshop entails but expect exceptional quality coffee cocktails made at the newly renovated bar, a wonderful insight into the world of coffee production and meet Conchita; the in house roasting machine. You even get a bag of coffee to take home.

Casa Colombiana can be found in the Grand Arcade Leeds and once you stumble across it you won't ever want to leave. With an exceptionally fresh Colombian menu, a seating capacity of 115 people  and of course amazing coffee Casa Col is a home from home with a party atmosphere.

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