An ambitious new restaurant opens next week in one of the most historic buildings in Leeds, with a kitchen headed by chef Craig Rogan, son of L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan.
Moods has taken over the ground floor of Grade II-listed First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate, which was fully restored five years ago. Built in 1711 on the city’s oldest street to promote the city’s textile trade, it was so successful in its mission that newer cloth halls were added over the years.
The all-day venue will accommodate up to 170 guests in a restaurant, private dining spaces, bar and cafe with outdoor seating when it is fully operational this autumn. The cafe will be served by an in-house patisserie.
The couple behind the venture are husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Will and Hayley Moody, who launched Buzz Club Tattoo in 2018 and hair and beauty studio Self five years later. These are both moving into the upper floors of New White Cloth Hall, uniting all three businesses under one roof.
Will says: “Leeds has been our home since university, and First White Cloth Hall felt like the kind of building you do not get a second chance with. From the moment we saw it, we
knew it could become much more than a studio home.
“Moods is about opening the ground floor up and giving people a reason to use the building from morning through to night, whether that is coffee, food, drinks, private events or simply a good catch-up with friends.”
Craig trained under his father at L’Enclume and Fera at Claridge’s, and has made a name for himself in Leeds with his own restaurant Craig Rogan at The Collective as well at Banksia restaurant on Lower Briggate.
His brother Daniel is also a chef currently making a splash with AO by Daniel Rogan in Southampton, and Craig has said in the past he is “not bothered” by the family connection: “People love a good story and the fact that my dad has done so well and all of a sudden he has two sons that are following in his footsteps doing their own thing – that’s quite a cool story and people like to hear it.”
Craig’s dishes at Moods will include wild mushroom crumpet with Old Winchester cheese and black truffle honey; mead-glazed pancetta with potato rosti and mushroom ketchup; and fried chicken brioche with elderflower and pickled cucumber.
