Moods to open at First White Cloth Hall, bringing new life to the building where the commercial story of Leeds began

A relaxed-luxury all-day cafe, bar and events venue opens on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July 2026, completing a family-led vision for one of the city’s most important historic buildings.

Moods, a new all-day cafe, bar and events venue, will open to the public at First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate on Friday 31 July 2026, giving a public purpose back to one of Leeds’ most significant historic buildings.

Created by husband-and-wife founders Will and Hayley Moody, the team behind Buzz Club Tattoo and hair and beauty brand self., Moods occupies the ground floor of the Grade II* listed building, built in 1711 for the sale of white, undyed cloth. Some of its roof timbers have been dated to the mid-1470s, and the building spent more than 20 years on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register before a major restoration by Rushbond returned it to use.

Moods brings speciality coffee, in-house patisserie, elevated day dining, cocktails, wine, beer and events together under one historic roof, with a fuller restaurant and private dining offer planned from autumn 2026. Doors open at 6pm on Friday 31 July for drinks and bar snacks, with all-day food service beginning at 8am on Saturday 1 August.

Will Moody said: “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.”

A family-led vision for First White Cloth Hall

The couple met while studying at Leeds Beckett University and opened Buzz Club Tattoo in Hyde Park in 2018, later expanding to Wellington Street and launching self. in 2023. The move to First White Cloth Hall brings both businesses together on the upper floors, with Moods completing the ground floor. Across the three brands, the building is now home to a 70+ person independent team, with Moods launching with a team of 30.

Hayley Moody, who has led the design and fit-out across the whole building, said: “I wanted Moods to feel special without feeling stiff. Luxurious, cosy and full of detail, but still somewhere you can drop in for a coffee, a pastry or a cocktail depending on the day you are having. The building already has so much character, so the design has been about adding warmth, comfort and personality without taking away from the history that is already there.”

Head Chef Craig Rogan brings Michelin-starred pedigree to Kirkgate

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Craig Rogan, who trained within Simon Rogan’s Michelin-starred restaurant group, including time at L’Enclume and Fera at Claridge’s, and has since worked at Manchester House and The Grand in York, as well as leading his own venture, Craig Rogan at The Collective. His accolades include Chef of the Year 2023 and Best Fine Dining Restaurant 2024 at the Oliver Awards.

Craig joined Moods to help create something different for Leeds: an all-day food destination where fine dining techniques and exceptional produce can be enjoyed in a relaxed, welcoming environment rather than a traditional formal restaurant. His cooking centres on exceptional British produce layered with subtle international influences, produce-led, bold and vibrant, and designed to suit the rhythm of the venue from breakfast through to evening.

Signature dishes to look out for 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. When the restaurant opens in autumn 2026, the evening menu will feature dishes including Violetta potato with ox cheek and bone marrow bearnaise, king scallops with nduja, cucumber and Scotch bonnet, and dark chocolate with raw coffee fudge and peppermint.

A supplier list that tells a local story

Provenance runs through the whole offer, with a supplier list rooted in Yorkshire and the North. Meat comes from Swaledale Butchers, which works with small Yorkshire farms and is known for full traceability and high welfare standards, and seafood from Taylor Foods, chosen for its responsible sourcing approach, published sustainability guidance and focus on traceability and welfare across the supply chain.

Kirkstall Brewery leads a broad beer selection on draught and in bottle alongside international options, wines and champagnes come from Bodega Movil, and gin and vodka from Roland’s. Coffee is roasted by Dark Arts Coffee, with Leeds’ own RAW Coffee joining as a rotating guest roaster. Everything is made on site where possible, from the in-house patisserie and pastry counter through to the all-day dining menu.

Cocktails, sorbet serves and serious coffee

The cocktail programme, curated by Bar Manager David Harding, combines crowd-pleasing flavours with refined technique and subtle influences from the in-house cafe, designed to capture the feeling of the first summer sun. Signatures include the Peach Melba, a nostalgic dessert-inspired cocktail reimagined for summer with caramelised peach vodka and ice cream foam; the Moods Monty, a coffee-infused rum serve finished with croissant cold foam in a nod to the patisserie; and the Cucumber Shrub Spritz, fresh, crisp and topped with Cremant.

The wider list takes in inventive margaritas and martinis, indulgent twists on the Old Fashioned, frozen sorbet serves and brunch classics, alongside a dedicated low and no-alcohol collection including the Lemongrass Fizz, Strawberry Marga-Free-ta and Tropicana Twist, so the drinks offer works throughout the day for every guest.

David Harding said: “The drinks list is built around flavour, feeling and versatility. Wines that can work from brunch through to late night, cocktails that capture the first summer sun, and a beer selection that feels broad, interesting and easy to enjoy.”

The coffee programme is led by Head Barista Molly Trubody, with a positioning of serious coffee without snobbery: knowledgeable, carefully made and accessible. The food menu has been designed with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options from the start.

The details

The opening phase offers around 124 covers across the cafe, bar and outdoor seating, rising to around 170 once the restaurant and private dining spaces open in autumn 2026.

Moods opens Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 11pm, and Friday and Saturday, 8am to 12.30am. Walk-ins are welcome and bookings are advised via OpenTable. Moods website.