New additions to iconic retail destination

Leeds Corn Exchange has welcomed three new additions to its line-up of independent shops, cafes and salons.

Joining the 24 businesses already based at the iconic city centre venue, are independent art gallery, Cole’s Gallery. Specialising in painting, prints, progressive and traditional art works the gallery was founded by award winning artists Joss Cole. It will shows new and established artists from Yorkshire and the UK and has made the move from Kirkgate Market.

Also moving to the Victorian Grade I listed building is The Crafty Bar Steward, which is led by Dean Collinson, whose green ethos has inspired a collection of upcycled furniture created with fallen branches, trees and other items found in reclamation yards and on forays with his aptly named dog, Oak. Altering the natural materials he finds as little as possible, Dean uses organic self-made wood dyes and varnishes, and carries out his work with traditional hand tools to create stunning homewares such as upcycled gas bottle log burners and oak whisky barrel seats.

The final business to locate to the Corn Exchange is luxury leather goods specialist S.Joon which was established in 2017 by Leeds based former choreographer and dance teacher Sahar Asvandi. Featuring products designed in the UK and made in Italy it is based around the philosophy of buy well and buy less, building the brand on the foundations of quality and craftsmanship, using the highest quality Italian leather and constructed by skilled artisans. The business has been selected as one of four hand-picked brands joining The Vanguard, NET-A-PORTER’s long-term development and mentorship program for the Spring/Summer ’20 season and selected Corn Exchange as the location for its first physical retail destination.

Adam Warner, centre manager at Leeds Corn Exchange, said: “We couldn’t be happier to welcome Cole’s Gallery, The Crafty Bar Steward and S.Joon to the Corn Exchange family. It is an incredibly exciting time here at the Corn Exchange as we continue to work closely with Leeds City Council to transform the area around the Corn Exchange to create more public space and to continue to support Leeds’ thriving independent retail scene. We’d like to thank our loyal customers for their continued support this year and look forward to welcoming them to visit our newest vendors this month and into 2022. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”