I never seem to get the timing right when I want to catch the train home from Leeds at the weekend and always just miss it by 5 minutes, leaving me with some spare time before my next train arrives.

One of my favourite things to do with this spare time is to go to Laynes Espresso for a hot drink and a sweet treat.

If you turn right out of the main entrance to the station, Laynes Espresso is just down the street, opposite the taxi waiting area, so is in the perfect location to pop in for a quick drink to finish off your trip in Leeds or to get some caffeine in you before wandering around the shops.

As I don’t drink coffee, you’d think Laynes would be wasted on me, but it does a good hot chocolate and sells peppermint tea, so that keeps me happy. (For my coffee drinking readers, James says its lattes make it into the top 3 in his list of “best lattes in Leeds”.) It’s not so much the drinks I go for however, but for the amazing bakes.

Noisette Bakehouse supply Laynes Espresso with their delicious cakes, cookies and sweet creations. They also regularly pop-up at the Belgrave. I’ve already mentioned before how amazing their brownies are but they do loads of new creative bakes as well. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I went twice in five days last week, treating myself to a brownie the first time and then an amazing banana and chocolate loaf the next. (If it makes me sound any less greedy, I did at least share the loaf slice.)

Hot chocolate and salted caramel brownie, and an Americano and blueberry lemon cake

Chocolate banana loaf with peppermint tea

New Station Street has undergone a welcome transformation over the last couple of years. I’m so pleased that visitors to Leeds are immediately greeted by great bars, coffee houses and eateries as soon as they come out of the train station. The Brewery Tap and Friends of Ham are both excellent, and if you keep going round the corner, back on yourself, you can stop off at Bundobust and the Head of Steam.

I love that you can have a load of tasty food and drink all within a half mile radius of the train station.