The Yorkshire Evening Post

29th November 2018

A global street food market has opened in Leeds that is set to rival the independent scene in London and Manchester.

Assembly Underground is the brainchild of commercial property expert Nick Gregory and restaurateur Richard Sweet who have pulled together a line-up of award winning local street food vendors and craft ale purveyors Vocation Brewery.

Vocation will head up the bar and speakeasy with 50 ales on tap - said to be Britain’s biggest selection of craft beers.

The venture is based in the Grade II-listed former Leeds School Board building on George Street which was more previously the Carpe Diem nightclub which closed in 2015.

It has had a £2.5m makeover and is the first project of its kind for the businessmen who chose Leeds over other bigger cities.

Mr Gregory said: “It was a combination of the incredibly mature and pumping street food scene, with a truly world-class and fiercely independent local craft ale sector, which convinced us Leeds was the place for our first project and gave us the confidence to invest. “It’s more vibrant than London and Manchester we believe, which really blew our minds.

”Mr Sweet added: “I have a real passion to provide diverse quality food and drink offers at a reasonable price. The concept is to create a high quality, welcoming bar and street food offer serving customers throughout the day, evening and weekends to a backdrop of ambient music, combined with an evolving events programme of music to film viewings to hosting other themed events.

”There will be 200 seats in Assembly Underground with sit in or food to go options. The chosen traders are alongside Vocation Brewery, Jah Jyot doing Asian food, Falafel Guy’s Middle-Eastern delicacies, Bread and Butter’s South American meat and veg, Pizza Authority, Slap and Pickle with North American burgers and Underground Coffee.

There will be other street food pop-ups and guest slots.