Pork Pies, Lishman's Butchers, Ilkley
A rival to Wilson's! I think these pies might actually be better. They are damn good growlers. A classic butchers pork pie, nothing fancy but very, very good. As well as pies Lishman's supply a wide range of meats, including some harder to find stuff like a lovely bit of mutton.
http://www.lishmansonline.co.uk/
Boerewors (spicy beef sausage), South African stall, Leeds Kirkgate Market
Photo credit: TempestSA
I ate these at a friend's barbecue and forgot to take a photo, so I nicked this one from Wikipedia. I'm not normally a fan of beef sausages, but these were the business. Densely packed and quite lean but still moist with a lovely spicy kick. They don't twist the sausage into individual links so you buy it by the metre. You can't miss the stall, it's on the Butchers Row and has loads of Biltong (South African dried meat) on display.
British asparagus, available everywhere
The British asparagus season lasts for another month or so. Get it while it's good. You can buy the imported stuff (from Peru or wherever) all year round but I think the flavour is muted in comparison. The local stuff just tastes wonderful; fresh, sweet and green. For me, simple is best. Steam it for a few minutes then serve with loads of butter, salt and pepper or olive oil and parmesan. Maybe a squeeze of lemon but nothing else. I'm holding the stuff in the photo after we picked it in a friends back garden. Lovely.
Beer, Beer Ritz, Headingley
Photo credit: real-ale-reviews.com
Particularly after it recently closed down then re-opened Beer Ritz has had a lot of publicity of late. I thought I'd give it a mention anyway just in case anyone reading this isn't aware of it's existence. It's quite possibly the best beer shop in the North. Located on a side street in Headingley (just across the road from Bryan's chip shop) this little shop is an absolute treasure trove for any beer lover. They have a huge range, including many bottles that I've never seen on sale anywhere else. Prices are a little higher than you might be used to paying, but bear in mind they are obviously sourcing in small quantities from small producers with none of the savings associated with supermarket bulk buying. If you like beer you should go.
http://www.thebeerboy.co.uk/beerritz.html
