Best of Leeds 2027

You pick the best of Leeds. Nominate in January, vote in February, winners in March.

Every week someone asks me where the best Sunday roast in Leeds is, and every week I give a different answer. So this year, you're deciding.

Best of Leeds 2027 are The Leeds Brief's reader-voted awards. There are 16 categories: places to eat and drink, shops, gyms, gig venues, and the streets, green spaces and community groups that make Leeds what it is. You nominate, you vote, and in March we tell everyone who won.

How it works

1. Nominations: Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January 2027

When nominations open, I'll send you an email. Just reply with your picks, one name per category, for example:

Best curry: ___ on ___

Nominate in as many or as few categories as you like. Everything must be in the Leeds district.

2. Voting: Monday 8 to Sunday 28 February 2027

The five most-nominated in each category make the shortlist. Your ballot arrives by email. Tap one name in each category and that's your vote. Ballots go out on Mondays through February, with a last call on Friday 26 February.

3. Winners: Thursday 18 March 2027

I'll send the winners to everyone and keep them on this page all year.

Want to vote? Get the free Brief

Nominations and voting happen by email, so you'll need to be on the list. It's free: a 2-minute read at 7am, Monday to Saturday, with what's going on in Leeds.

Subscribe free, and your ballot comes to you

If you're already getting the Brief, you don't need to do anything. Your nominations email and ballot will arrive on their own.

The 16 categories

  1. Best independent café or coffee
  2. Best brunch
  3. Best city-centre pub or bar
  4. Best neighbourhood pub (Headingley, Chapel Allerton, Meanwood, Kirkstall, Horsforth and beyond)
  5. Best independent restaurant
  6. Best curry
  7. Best Sunday roast
  8. Best independent shop
  9. Best Kirkgate Market stall
  10. Best grassroots music venue
  11. Best taproom or brewery
  12. Best gym, studio or class
  13. Best new opening of 2026 (opened between January and December 2026)
  14. Best neighbourhood high street (Chapel Allerton, Horsforth Town Street, Headingley, Kirkstall, Oakwood… you tell us)
  15. Best park or green space (Roundhay Park, Golden Acre, Meanwood Valley, Kirkstall Abbey grounds…)
  16. Best community group or volunteer project

The fair-play bit

  • One vote per person in each category. Only your first tap counts, so if you change your mind, the first one stands.
  • Businesses are very welcome to ask their customers to vote. That's half the fun. Buying, swapping or offering rewards for votes isn't allowed, and nor is signing up made-up email addresses. We'll remove votes that look like that.
  • Sponsors don't influence the results. Some categories have a local sponsor, and they're shown clearly. Sponsors have no say in nominations, the shortlist or the winners, and a sponsor can't be nominated in the category it sponsors. Paying members get the awards emails without sponsor names.
  • Winning is never for sale. Every winner and finalist is named for free.
  • Ties are shared. We publish the winners and finalists, not vote counts. My decision on whether an entry fits a category is final.
  • You don't have to buy anything to nominate, vote or win.

Questions? Reply to any Brief, or email me at fitwcentral+leeds@gmail.com.

Will
The Leeds Brief

Put your name on Leeds's reader-voted awards. About 250 readers get the free daily Brief by email, at 7am Monday to Saturday, plus readers on the web. Open rate around 54%, about 80 opens per issue. Figures from our own Ghost reports, as of 11 November 2026.

The awards run for three months: nominations in January, voting in February, winners on Thursday 18 March 2027. Every nomination and vote comes from a reader with a confirmed email address.

Title sponsor — £200 + VAT

One only. Book and pay by Friday 8 January 2027, 17:00 UK.

  • "Best of Leeds 2027, presented by [your business]" on every awards email to free readers: 2 nomination emails, 4 ballot emails and the winners email
  • Your name on this page from January until the 2028 awards launch
  • Your logo, 60–80 words in our voice, and one link
  • A labelled line in the free daily Brief on nomination and voting days (about 12 issues)
  • First refusal on 2028

Category sponsor — £35 + VAT

One per category, 16 categories. Book and pay by Friday 29 January 2027, 17:00 UK.

  • "[Category], sponsored by [your business]" wherever your category appears: nominations, every ballot, the shortlist and the winners email (free-reader editions), and this page
  • Your logo and one link next to your category
  • You can't be nominated in the category you sponsor

Winner badge pack — £20 + VAT

Optional, for shortlisted businesses only, from Monday 8 March 2027.

  • A "Winner" or "Finalist" Best of Leeds 2027 badge, as PNG and SVG
  • A print-ready window-sticker PDF and a certificate PDF
  • 12 months' use of the badge and the line "as seen in The Leeds Brief"
  • A 60-word profile on the winners page, labelled Sponsored

Sponsors have no effect on nominations, the shortlist or the results. Every winner and finalist is named for free, whether or not they buy a badge pack. All sponsor content is labelled Sponsored. Sponsor names appear on this page and in our emails to free readers only (the free daily Brief and the free-reader editions of the awards emails). Paying members get unsponsored copies of the awards emails.

How to book

  1. Email me at fitwcentral+leeds@gmail.com with your business name and the package (and category) you'd like. Slots go to whoever books first.
  2. I'll confirm and send a VAT invoice from Other Side Marketing Ltd, payable by bank transfer before your slot runs. Your slot is held once it's paid in full.
  3. Send your logo, words and link. I'm happy to help with the words.

All prices are in GBP and exclude VAT at 20% (title £240.00, category £42.00, badge pack £24.00 including VAT). We only take sponsors that suit a local news email, and we can say no.

Download the Best of Leeds 2027 rate card (PDF)

Email to book a slot

Will
The Leeds Brief · fitwcentral+leeds@gmail.com