Whilst February 14 is traditionally the day of annual amour, LEAF are taking this idea, turning it inside out and expanding it not only across the whole month but also to encapsulate love in all its myriad shapes and sizes across Liverpool and the Wirral with All About Love.
Events include an anti-dating app social night, yoga, special food and drink menus and a brand-new tea. Local celebrant Wendi Surtees-Smith at LEAF on Bold Street will reaffirm all kinds of love in a celebration of unions, from first dates and engagements to weddings and anniversaries, but All About Love is also about the love of friends and family, colleagues – and of course loving ourselves.
Becky Todd, LEAF’s Events Manager, explains: “We wanted to do something different around Valentine’s Day and make the whole month about love. All About Love is for love of any kind; it can be couples or married people but also friendship love, love for colleagues, love for family members. And a big part of it is loving ourselves too.
This often gets overlooked, perhaps even more so during the last two years, so some of the focus is around wellbeing, for example our yoga sessions. It will of course be lots of fun first and foremost, but we hope the spirit of it will go beyond just Valentine’s Day. We hope events like our anti-dating app social night will bring people back together; there’s so much emphasis on online dating and we hope this is the antithesis to that. And we are on the hunt for any love stories which have happened at LEAF.”
All About Love takes place across LEAF’s three venues in February and includes:
Love… DESSERT
A delicious Valentine’s Pudding Club will take place at all LEAF venues:
- Tuesday 15 – LEAF Smithdown
- Wednesday 16 – LEAF West Kirby
- Thursday 17 – LEAF on Bold St
Tickets £16.95 per person, available now on Eventbrite (through www.thisisleaf.co.uk/whats-on)
Love… FOOD & DRINK
Food and drink is a passion for most people. LEAF have created a menu of comforting, soul pleasing dishes which have been prepared with love. What could be more comforting than baked whole camembert with rosemary and garlic, served with crunchy focaccia croutons? For sandwich lovers there is a warm rare beef ciabatta with red onion marmalade and melted gruyere, served with hasselbacks and red wine gravy. And the ultimate treat for chocolate lovers: chocolate fondue – with warm chocolate sauce, fresh fruits, marshmallow, cake bites and cantuccini.
The Love Drinks menu includes a Love Latte made with beetroot, rose and oat milk, and a Deep Relax Latte made from chamomile flowers, honey and oat milk. There is also a duo of cocktails, including the signature All About Love cocktail – an intoxicating concoction of gin, lychee, jasmine tea pearls, rose water, pineapple juice and butterfly pea flower.
Love… TEA
LEAF are launching a brand new loose leaf blend – Love Tea; a mixture of cocoa, black tea and whole rosebuds, created by Tony Dixon, LEAF’s resident tea-ologist. The tea has been specially created for this month-long celebration of love, and also features in LEAF’s new special edition scented candle. This is the latest addition to LEAF’s range of loose leaf teas available in LEAF, Utility, Tate Liverpool and Bean, as well as online.
Love… WELLBEING
This month is all about loving yourself. Yoga sessions will feature upstairs at LEAF on Bold St as well as LEAF West Kirby. An hour to destress and refocus in peace. Booking required – please see [email protected] for details, released at the start of February.
Love… TOGETHERNESS
LEAF’s Anti-Dating App Social Night is all about bringing people back together. With online dating dominant, the chance of meeting a potential beau out and about in the real world is ever more remote. This evening will help to bring people back together in the hope there may be some real sparks found. Date: Tuesday 22nd February at LEAF on Bold St, 7pm – 11pm. Booking required – please see [email protected] for details, released at the start of February.
Love… WINE
A tasting of wines from the Something Different and Something Special sections of the LEAF wine list. The tasting will be hosted by John Budd from Boutinot Wines. Some really interesting wines will feature, including a Japanese Koshu sur lie, a red Lambrusco and a natural wine from Georgia. A selection of canapes will be served to accompany the wine tasting.
Wednesday 23 – LEAF on Bold St / Thursday 24 – LEAF West Kirby
Tickets £20 per person. Booking required – please see [email protected] for details, released at the start of February.
Love… EACH OTHER
Local celebrant Wendi Surtees-Smith will lead a day of love affirmation at LEAF on Bold St. With 15 minute sessions available to book, LEAF’s resident celebrant for the day will lead affirmations for anyone looking to celebrate their love. Date: Saturday 26 February, 11am – 5pm. Booking required – please see [email protected] for details, released at the start of February.
Love… LIVE MUSIC
Promoters Harvest Sun are putting on some fantastic gigs this month at LEAF on Bold St, including Arooj Aftab on the 5th, John Francis Flynn on the 11th and Benjamin Francis Leftwich on the 28 February. Tickets available now from www.skiddle.com
Love… STORIES
LEAF has long since been a place where people have regularly spent time, from day-to-day socialising and co-working, to the big life events such as weddings, and everything in between. They will be putting out a call to those of you with a special LEAF story to share; be it a first date, an engagement, a reunion, or any other moment that’s stayed with you. Keep an eye out on their socials to participate!
LEAF – 65-67 Bold St, Liverpool, L1 4EZ – 0151 707 7747
LEAF – 19 Black Horse Hill, Newton, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 6DS – 0151 558 0521
LEAF – 364-368, Smithdown Rd, Liverpool, L15 5AN – 0151 558 1716
For more information visit www.thisisleaf.co.uk
