Whitelocks reminds us of why we love a pub

Lockdown has begun to ease and if Leeds on the rainy Friday of this review was anything to go by, people are eager to get back to enjoying a beer, food and social interaction.

Thankfully on said day, TheBusinessDesk.com had a reservation at the city’s oldest pub, Whitelocks and before it was time to arrive found shelter from aforementioned rain in Bundobust, where a cheeky Bundobust x Kirkstall Brewery 2/3 of a pint offered the perfect start to this reviewers first Friday social foray since the pandemic began.

©Instagram.com/Whitelocksalehouse

Back to main event – Whitelocks. There was something truly great about being sat inside a pub again after what felt like an eternity, the chatter from other patrons at socially distanced tables, the taste of a great cask beer and the real reason we were there…a menu of classics – all sourced from local suppliers at Kirkgate Market – that will have your stomach growling.

So to kick off this review of the food I’d love to tell you that we tried two different starters but both of us (Alex Turner and I) opted for the pork & black pudding scotch duck egg and it’s safe to say neither of us have been as quiet as when that plate was set in front of us.

Some – uncultured folks – may claim a Scotch egg is a scotch egg, well I’m sorry but you’re wrong. To compare this dish to one of those two for £1 options found in supermarkets across the country would be like comparing a bottle of Dom Perignon to Lambrini.

For the main course I opted for the ale-glazed halloumi burger with chunky chips, which does what it says on the tin. My carnivorous companion however moved on to the Whitelock’s burger – which includes two beef patties, Monterey Jack cheese, burger sauce, iceberg lettuce and chunky chips. Both dishes looked and tasted nice and acted as the perfect accompaniment to the selection of local beers that were enjoyed.

And as it came time to leave with a full belly and an unashamed slight buzz, the overarching thought of the experience is aren’t pubs brilliant, the British boozer, your local, they’re places where stories are told, discussions are had and company is enjoyed and of the many lessons 2020 taught us, the value of good company is certainly one. But aside from that really what I was thinking as I sat on my train home was… you truly can’t beat a perfectly done scotch egg!

Whitelocks is open Sunday-Thursday 12:00 – 23:00 and Friday-Saturday 12:00 – 00:00 and all details can be found at www.whitelocksleeds.com