Covid city explorer - things to do in Leicester

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A major commercial and manufacturing centre, Leicester is the largest city in the East Midlands region. 

Well known for its multicultural persona, Leicester is filled with a variety of cultures and diverse races calling this area home. This is personified than a study conducted at the London School of Economics, who found  Leicester’s Narborough Road to be the most diverse street in England.

Leicester is known for many things, including the Leicester Mercury, the Leicester Tigers and, in more recent memory, Leicester FC who became champions of the 2015-2016 Premier League against 5000/1 odds. 

For those of you wishing to become a university student in Leicester, you will typically attend either the University of Leicester or De Montfort University. Both universities offer a diverse array of courses to choose from, whether you’re into engineering, business, design, law and much more.

Things to do in Leicester - Hidden gems

The Leicester lockdown may be in full effect right now, but that doesn’t mean to say that you can’t safely explore what's in your local area. You’ll be glad to hear that not every hidden gem is inaccessible. Our pandemic picks include:

• The Outwoods: a 110 acre woodland area, if you’re after some fresh, nature-filled walks to clear the mind, or are craving some stunning views, this is an ideal spot.

• Aylestone Meadows: we all need a quiet escape from the city now and again. This nature reserve is the perfect remedy, filled with birds and otters.

• Sence Valley Forest Park: with so much currently closed, parks seem to be the only few hidden gems still open. This park will offer you a variety of walks, with some picturesque lake views to soak in.

• Leicester Coffee House Co.: aside from the great coffee, these guys are amazing. Their profit goes towards helping children who have mental, emotional and physical special needs. During a lower tier lockdown, they are also offering safe work spaces, with unlimited hot drinks, for £15 a day.

Eat local in Leicester

Places to eat in Leicester

While the current UK lockdown has meant most food places in Leicester have had to close, now is the perfect opportunity to discover the best places from the comfort of your own home. Some of our top picks are:

• Konak: serving up some of the best Turkish food in the East Midlands (bold, but we think so), you won’t be short of options from their extensive menu.

• The Good Earth Restaurant: doing their bit to produce fresh, healthy and affordable meal options, these guys are open for delivery throughout lockdown - all while taking care of our planet.

• Boo Burger: we all need a quality burger joint in our lives. If you're living in Leicester, you need to make this one yours. They’re both affordable, and original.

• Wako Taco: it's hard to go past high quality, Mexican street food, and Wako Taco don't disappoint with their menu. These guys are a must for any Mexican food aficionado.

• The Tiny Bakery: less of a restaurant or dinner joint but more of a snack option, The Tiny Baker have become a local Leicester favourite thanks to their cakes, croissants, slices and much more.

Leicester local food

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in the culture of Leicester is through their local food. You can’t go past these hometown favourites:

• Pork Pie: originating in Melton Mowbray, this pie is a favourite even amongst the most avid pie-lovers. It comprises a hand-crafted crust, along with a slightly higher meat content than your standard pie.

• Red Leicester Cheese: crumbly in texture and paired nicely with some fresh grapes or even walnuts, you’ll find this local delicacy across many cheese boards.

• Stilton Cheese: another banging cheese to come out of the Leicestershire region, you’ll also find this cheese board classic matches up well with a cracker, chutney and a nice glass of wine. Its versatility means that it can be also used in dips, salads and pastas.

Lockdown should by no means be the reason you can’t enjoy new and local food. For a smashing pork pie recipe, try Patisserie Makes Perfect’s recipe or order a Melton Mowbray pork pie from Dickinson & Morris. For some fresh Red Leicester or Stilton, try Farmdrop or the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co.

Covid testing near me in Leicester

Currently in Leicester, you can book a free Covid test online with the NHS, or book a private test with your GP. If there is someone who lives with you that has Covid symptoms, you can get a test for them too. For further advice, visit https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

You can also get a Covid test if you aren’t showing any symptoms. You can access the test quickly from Fosse Neighbourhood Centre on Mantle Road. Council staff will also be knocking on doors within the local area to invite residents to walk in for an instant test. If you test positive, you will be given a more thorough PCR test to confirm the result.

As mentioned above, community testing is currently happening. Trained staff and volunteers are knocking on doors in high-risk areas, handing out Covid test kits and talking to residents. Take the test if offered, even if you don’t have symptoms. This is to ensure widespread community testing can take place.

University of Leicester students can also access a Covid test through the university website, which is taking place at the Charles Wilson Sports Hall and the Village Hub, Oadby. De Montfort University has also been offering Covid tests for their students that have no symptoms, offering on-campus tests at the Watershed (LE2 7AU). By logging in to your MyDMU account, click on ‘Covid Antigen Test’ and you will see whether you can book an asymptomatic test.

Making friends in Leicester during Covid

Although we are all currently limited to physical interactions with friends inside our household and support bubbles, don’t let this fool you into thinking you can’t make friends during Covid.

There are plenty of digital resources and options for those of you who are savvy. Along with university virtual events ,check out Meetup, where you can link up with like-minded people at virtual events, whether you’re interested in augmented reality, want to learn how to crochet or are keen to join a virtual book club.

Other virtual events to look forward to in the coming months include Monthly Wellness Wednesdays, a Virtual Tour of the Louvre Museum, Book Club with Margaret Atwood or even an Evening with Red Bull Racing.

Leicester events

Virtual events

Lockdown has brought back the rise of virtual events, which are taking place across the Leicester region. Rather than socially distanced, these events will allow participants to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. 

To start your virtual event journey, keep an eye out for what local virtual events are being put on. Check your student email, the university’s website and their social media pages for any notices on what’s coming up. It’s worth also keeping an eye out for any announcements from your students’ union.

For virtual events outside of your university, take a look at Visit Leicester. During the lockdown last April, Leicester residents were treated to both virtual pub quizzes via Facebook, along with a virtual music festival, from The Black Horse pub. Fight Klub Leicester hosted live virtual workouts, while the Twycross Zoo Facebook page hosted virtual tours of the zoo.

Outdoor events

Currently there are no outdoor events in Leicester taking place. But, when lockdown restrictions ease, there will be plenty to attend. 

To keep on top of what activities will take place once restrictions ease, visit Visit Leicester for their latest updates. You could see Jimmy Carr at De Montfort Hall, the very popular Leicester Vegan Festival or the award-winning street art festival Bring The Paint - and that’s only May!

Health and wellbeing activities in Leicester

Incorporating a daily dose of exercise into your routine is important for this wellbeing and we’ve seen a rise in a new wave of online workouts and personal trainers to ensure your wellbeing doesn’t fall by the wayside.

For some local Leicester inspo, we suggest checking out the Hamilton’s Honour Instagram page. Not only does this studio post live workouts to follow during lockdown, they also post the ones they’ve recorded so you can check them out at a time that best suits you.

Mental health - Leicester

Coupled with exercise, nurturing your mind in these times is equally important. If you are in need of support, we recommend using the following resources:

• LAMP: the Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project champions mental health, helping those in the Leicestershire area access the resources they need to take care of their wellbeing.

• Student Minds: being the UK’s leading mental health charity for students, Student Minds have a mission to aid students with their mental health, providing endless resources for whether you’re looking to help yourself, a friend, a parent or more specifically getting through Covid.

Leicester influencers - Who to watch

Some pretty incredible humans come from the East Midlands! If you’re after some local influence, we think the list below is a good start:

• Sir David Attenborough (@davidattenborough): a man who needs no introduction, Sir David’s global influence on conservation, animal welfare and climate change is second-to-none. Throughout the pandemic he has continued to push content out reminding us of the importance of looking after our planet.

• Gary Lineker (@garylineker): one of England’s great footballers and a regular pundit on tv, Gary uses his social media following to share how he’s been spending lockdown, push Sir David’s pivotal messages around climate change and provide some witty one-liners worth sharing in your group chat.

• Lucy Parker (@lucy_and_lentils): sharing her incredible yet easy-to-make plant-based recipes, Lucy is providing a wealth of cooking inspiration for her followers to try throughout lockdown.