The team at LEAF are preparing to celebrate their 15th anniversary in November.
What started as a simple idea a decade and a half ago between siblings Natalie and Graham Haywood has evolved into the UK’s finest collection of independent tearooms, restaurants and events spaces, with locations on Bold Street, Smithdown Road and in West Kirby.
LEAF’s heart has always been about community, working with many of Liverpool’s creatives to offer a kaleidoscopic range of programming along with fabulous food and drink morning, noon and night. The 15th anniversary will be honouring this diversity whilst opening a brand-new location – Little LEAF at ONE FINE DAY.
Approaching their momentous birthday, the team are very proud to announce the launch of Little LEAF at ONE FINE DAY on Monday 6 November on Old Hall Street. Opening for breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday, Little LEAF will distil the essence of its bigger siblings on a more intimate scale, offering many of the iconic dishes, drinks and of course lots of teas available at the other locations. As always, the emphasis is around socialising, sharing and having fun, from intimate catch ups to bigger gatherings.
To usher in this magical milestone, there are 15 dates coming up from Friday 3 to Saturday 18 November. The essence of LEAF grown over the years will be celebrated with a series of events including four Pudding Clubs hosted by Masterchef winner Claire Lara at a special £15 per person, plus a mix of events, music, BODA, craft markets, networking and more with multiple events on each of the anniversary dates.
And not to forget how tea has always been the foundation of LEAF – they offer close to 100 loose leaf teas and as part of the celebrations there’s a brand-new breakfast tea available called Stronger English Breakfast, in honour of LEAF going strong for 15 years. During this time, LEAF has served over 1m cups of tea across all locations. And there’s a brand-new gin, too, as part of the celebrations – a Chai concoction with Tappers.
Natalie Haywood says: “It feels surreal that we are reaching our 15th anniversary in November and it’s the perfect time to open Little LEAF which will be housed in the front area of ONE FINE DAY. And it’s all been framed by two huge years – Capital of Culture in 2008 and then Eurovision this year. Seeing how we have grown with our customers is what underpins who we are and what we do. We take great pride in curating communities under one roof and this is down to the dedication and creativity of our all our staff and the fellow independents we love working with. And of course we love tea, too. LEAF is many things to many people and we’ve never been pigeonholed. We’ve also very proud to be part of Liverpool and what the city has to offer locals and tourists, along with everything we do at OH ME OH MY and ONE FINE DAY will continue to operate for weddings and events in the rear space.”
15th Anniversary Pudding Clubs with Claire Lara – All LEAF locations
LEAF’s Pudding Club is celebrating 15 years. All puddings are homemade by Claire Lara, the founding chef of Pudding Club and a Masterchef winner, with each course washed down and topped off with a perfectly matched cup of tea. All ticket holders receive a complimentary glass of fizz to help celebrate the anniversary and the opportunity to win a baking masterclass with Claire Lara. Dates: West Kirby – Monday 6 November / Bold Street – Tuesday 7 November / Smithdown Road – Monday 13 November / Little LEAF – Friday 17 November. £15 per person – 5 courses, 5 teas.
LEAF’s 15th Anniversary Highlights
Harvest Sun presents Mikey Kenney – Friday 3 November – Bold Street
Mikey draws primarily on his native North West English and Irish heritage to stunning effect.
7pm / first floor / tickets sold through Harvest Sun
Saturday Sessions – Saturday 4 November – Bold Street
Savour the folky-blue vocals of Mike Blue.
7pm / Ground floor / Free Entry
Life Drawing – Sunday 5 November – West Kirby
Life Drawing is back and the chance to get creative with fellow artists of all abilities.
6-10pm / First floor / £10 entry fee
First Listen – Monday 6 November – Bold Street
James Blake – Playing Robots In Heaven – is first. Explore fresh albums and new releases.
5pm / Ground floor / free entry
Ignite – Tuesday 7 November – Bold Street
Ignite showcases Liverpool’s movers and shakers, creators, thinkers, tinkers, innovators and doers, makers and dreamers in a fast paced format designed to inspire.
7pm / First Floor / Tickets from £3 OTD
Harvest Sun presents Willi Carlisle – Wednesday 8 November – Bold Street
The feted folksinger, songwriter, and playwright touches down at LEAF.
7pm / First Floor / Ticketed event through Live Nation
Thursday Challenge Quiz – Thursday 9 November – Smithdown Road
It’s quiz time – general knowledge is put to the test for the chance to win some great prizes.
8pm / £2pp entry fee
Friday Sessions – Friday 10 November – West Kirby
Kick start the weekend at LEAF West Kirby with live music and cocktails offers.
6pm / Ground floor / Free entry
Circles DJ – Saturday 11 November – Smithdown Road
Ease into Saturday night with Circles.
BEN JAMIN
6pm / Free entry
Craft Market – Sunday 12 November – Bold Street
Bloom Markets bring 20+ small business stalls helping the city shop local and independent.
11am – 4pm / First Floor / Free entry
First Listens – Monday 13 November – Bold Street
Explore fresh new albums, new releases and up-coming artists during First Listen Mondays.
5pm / Restaurant floor / free entry
Classic albums – Tuesday 14 November – Bold Street
Golden albums played in full from start to finish.
6pm / Ground floor / Free entry
Open mic – Wednesday 15 November – Smithdown Road
Join in from 7.30pm for the chance to perform on the ground floor. Hosted by Ogo, guests can bring along their own instruments – all levels welcome.
7pm / Free Entry
University of Liverpool – Bridge The Gap – Thursday 16 November – Bold Street
The University of Liverpool is holding a panel discussing the wider vision to provide women with accessible and valuable resources to women from diverse backgrounds who are eager to succeed in their entrepreneurial journeys. There will be a focus on various topics, including building confidence, navigating uncertainty, raising investments and marketing.
Friday sessions – 17 November – West Kirby
Kick start the weekend here at LEAF West Kirby with live music and cocktails offers.
6pm / Ground floor / Free entry
BODA – Saturday 18 November – Bold Street
TWho’s bored of dating apps and ready to take things back old school? Delete the dating apps, bring friends (or rock up solo) and help make dating human again.
7pm / First floor / £20 ticket
*** Info and tickets for all 15th anniversary events can be found at: www.thisisleaf.co.uk
