The Leeds shopping centre helping international students feel at home

Meet Fresh is not a well known brand in the UK, but when a new branch opened in Leeds’ Merrion Centre in February the queues snaked out the door.

For many of those waiting patiently in line its arrival signalled the chance for a bit of home comfort.

The restaurant is famous for its taro ball desserts, grass jelly and shaved ice – treats not normally found on the menu in Yorkshire, but a popular treat for many in Taiwan and surrounding countries.

“Some of our customers pass by and say, ‘oh, Meet Fresh is here, like at home’,” manager Cherry Cheung says.

Originally from Hong Kong, Cherry came to the UK with her husband, Hess, to open the new branch.

And, like the Cheungs, many of their customers are also from overseas, with a large portion of their clientele international students studying in the city.

In recent years the number of students at the University of Leeds coming from China alone has more than doubled, to more than 5,500.

“Because this brand is from Taiwan, most of our customers are international students,” Cherry says.

“I’m actually very happy to see them, that they feel at home and that they can have their home food again.”