The Leeds Guide

The Leeds Guide was a local media brand and monthly what's-on magazine serving Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Established in 1997, it was designed as a practical city guide modeled on the broad editorial approach of London's Time Out. Its coverage concentrated on the activities and venues that shaped everyday cultural life in Leeds, including bars, restaurants, arts events, music, and other local entertainment. The publication was known for being information-heavy, combining listings and previews with reviews intended to help readers choose where to eat, drink, and go out. The magazine began as a compact A5 publication printed in black and white. In 2003, it expanded its frequency and format, becoming an A4 fortnightly magazine. It later returned to a monthly publishing schedule, retaining its role as a recurring guide to the city's cultural and leisure calendar. This shift illustrates the brand's adaptation of its print format and publishing rhythm as it developed. Leeds Guide Limited extended the brand's publishing activities beyond the core Leeds magazine. The company produced Plush Magazine, a free monthly title for Harrogate, and issued two annual specialist guides, Dining Out and Student Guide. It also undertook contract publishing work, producing programmes for local events including Opera In The Park and Classical Fantasia. These activities placed the business across several adjacent forms of local media: consumer listings, destination and lifestyle publishing, student information, annual reference guides, and event programmes. In 2009, The Leeds Guide and Plush Magazine relaunched their websites. The stated purpose was to build broader online guides and community spaces for Leeds and Harrogate, respectively. This digital expansion gave the brand an online dimension alongside its established print products. In February 2012, it was announced that The Leeds Guide had ceased print publication after Leeds Guide Limited entered administration. The associated website was reported to continue publishing, but the available reference material does not establish its later operating status, ownership, or publication activity. The brand is therefore best understood as a historically significant local Leeds media title whose print run ended in 2012, with an uncertain digital continuation.

The Leeds Guide was founded in 1997 as a local what's-on magazine for Leeds, West Yorkshire. Its editorial model drew on the city-guide tradition associated with London's Time Out, but focused on the venues and events of Leeds. The magazine emphasized practical information, with substantial coverage of bars and restaurants as well as previews of arts and music events. This combination of listings, reviews, and previews made it a recurring reference for local entertainment and cultural planning. The original publication was a monthly A5 magazine printed in black and white. In 2003, the title changed to an A4 fortnightly format, increasing both its physical scale and publishing frequency. It subsequently returned to monthly publication. The available account does not specify the reasons for these changes, but they marked important adjustments in the magazine's production and distribution model. The publisher, Leeds Guide Limited, developed a wider portfolio around the core title. It published Plush Magazine, a free monthly magazine aimed at Harrogate, and produced two annual publications, Dining Out and Student Guide. The company also completed contract publishing work, including programmes for local events such as Opera In The Park and Classical Fantasia. These extensions connected The Leeds Guide with food and drink publishing, student communications, local destination coverage, and event production. The brand also pursued a digital strategy. In 2009, The Leeds Guide and Plush Magazine relaunched their websites, presenting them as expanded online guides and community spaces for Leeds and Harrogate. This move broadened the brands beyond periodic print editions and was intended to support more extensive local information online. The print publication ended in 2012. In February of that year, Leeds Guide Limited was reported to have entered administration, and The Leeds Guide was announced as having ceased publication. The available source states that the website continued in publication after the print edition ended, although it does not provide reliable details about subsequent ownership, editorial operations, or long-term continuity. No verified information is available here about the magazine's founders, editors, administrators, financial performance, or later corporate structure.

• 2012

  Print edition ends

  [1]The Leeds Guideen.wikipedia.org

  After Leeds Guide Limited enters administration, The Leeds Guide ceases print publication. The associated website is reported to continue publishing.

• 2009

  Websites are relaunched

  [1]The Leeds Guideen.wikipedia.org

  The Leeds Guide and the publisher's Harrogate title, Plush Magazine, relaunch their websites as expanded online guides and community spaces.

• 2003

  Format and frequency change

  [1]The Leeds Guideen.wikipedia.org

  The magazine changes from an A5 monthly publication to an A4 fortnightly format before later returning to monthly publication.

• 1997

  The Leeds Guide is established

  [1]The Leeds Guideen.wikipedia.org

  The Leeds Guide begins publication as a monthly what's-on magazine serving Leeds in West Yorkshire.

An information-led local culture and entertainment guide for Leeds, combining event listings, venue reviews, and previews with a magazine format influenced by Time Out.

• Local what's-on magazine · 1997

  The Leeds Guide

  The core Leeds publication was an information-heavy city magazine covering local nightlife, dining, arts, music, and other events. It combined reviews of bars and restaurants with previews and listings intended for people planning leisure activities in Leeds. It began as a black-and-white A5 monthly, became an A4 fortnightly in 2003, and later returned to a monthly schedule.

• Local lifestyle magazine

  Plush Magazine

  Plush Magazine was a free monthly magazine for Harrogate published by Leeds Guide Limited. It formed part of the publisher's broader local-media portfolio and, alongside The Leeds Guide, received a website relaunch in 2009 intended to support an expanded online guide and community presence.

• Annual dining guide

  Dining Out

  Dining Out was one of two annual guides published by Leeds Guide Limited. Its title indicates a dining-oriented reference product connected to the publisher's established restaurant coverage, but the available source does not provide further details about its editorial scope, circulation, or publication dates.

• Annual student guide

  Student Guide

  Student Guide was an annual publication produced by Leeds Guide Limited. It extended the publisher's local information activity toward students, although the available source does not specify its launch date, distribution, or detailed contents.

• Digital local guide · 2009

  Online Leeds guide

  The Leeds Guide's website was relaunched in 2009 with the stated intention of becoming a more expansive online guide and community space for Leeds. The source reports that the website continued after the print magazine ended in 2012, but does not establish its subsequent ownership or current status.

• 2012

  End of print publicationOther

  Background

  Leeds Guide Limited entered administration in early 2012.

  Action taken

  The Leeds Guide ceased publication as a print magazine.

  Aftermath

  The associated website was reported to remain in publication, but no verified information is available about later ownership or operations.

  Source

• 2009

  Expansion into online guides and community spacesStrategy

  Background

  The publisher sought to extend its local magazine brands beyond their print editions.

  Action taken

  The Leeds Guide and Plush Magazine relaunched their websites as broader online guides and community spaces for Leeds and Harrogate.

  Aftermath

  The Leeds Guide website was reported to continue after the print magazine ended in 2012, although its later status is not established.

  Source

• 2003

  Move to an A4 fortnightly formatStrategy

  Background

  The Leeds Guide had operated as a monthly A5 black-and-white magazine since its launch.

  Action taken

  The publication changed to an A4 fortnightly format, increasing its physical size and publication frequency.

  Aftermath

  The magazine later returned to monthly publication. The available source does not explain the commercial or editorial reasons for either change.

  Source

1. 1The Leeds Guideen.wikipedia.org