The Tetley name represents one of Yorkshire’s oldest industries, and ale was brewed from a city-centre factory for well over a hundred years until 2011, when it was announced that production was moving to Northampton. The industrial warehouses were demolished and the iconic 1930s Art Deco office building could have been wiped from the Leeds skyline forever, had it not been taken up by visual arts charity Project Space Leeds with funds from Carlsberg UK to transform the dated space into a hub of culture, art, food and drink. £1.5 million went into rejuvenating the former Tetley brewery, and there’s no doubt within the city that every pound was worth it.
Light, spacious and airy; the Tetley is a welcoming and modern space that hasn’t forgotten its long and storied history. The ground floor houses an excellent and well-priced restaurant serving a solid Sunday roast, and a fully stocked bar with the famous ale on tap, of course, as well as other beers, lagers, wine and spirits.
The venue was designed to host the work of artists who have outgrown the city's grassroots galleries and are yet to make the major leap to the Leeds Art Gallery and Henry Moore Institute. Photographs and paintings are shown alongside sculpture and artefacts, and the gallery takes bold and forward-thinking decisions in bringing in work that can be both challenging and beautiful, and to ensure art remains a focus in the city. Exhibits detailing the history of both the business and the city are great for appreciating the rampant progress of the industrial age and learning that there’s more to Leeds than the Trinity