Greater Manchester will stay under Tier 3 restrictions until at least the end of 2020.
It was hoped that with average Covid rates in Greater Manchester currently lower than they were in places like London and Liverpool at the moment that they were placed into Tier 2, that the region would be moved down a tier. However, it has been confirmed today that Greater Manchester will stay in Tier 3.
These announcements were made by Matt Hancock in an address to the Commons. The fact that Greater Manchester is recording rates that would have seen it put into Tier 2 at the last review was not even addressed.
Only two areas, Bristol and North Somerset, were moved out of Tier 3 restrictions in the review today.
Following London’s move to Tier 3 this week, more areas in the east and south east such as Portsmouth and Hastings have now been moved up into the highest level of restrictions. Herefordshire was the only area to be moved down to Tier 1, with new restrictions coming into force from 00:01am on Saturday 19 December.
So, the rules for us stay the same for now. There is no mixing of households allowed indoors and a maximum of six people allowed to meet outdoors in specific places. All hospitality venues will remain closed for dine-in customers and can only operate through takeaway, drive-through or delivery. Retail, gyms, personal care and education will remain open.
The tier review comes the day after it was confirmed that the five-day Christmas relaxation will go ahead as planned from 23 to 27 December.
All hospitality venues will remain closed for dine-in customers
Despite pressures on the government to reverse the laws over to allow up to three households to form a ‘Christmas bubble’, Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty announced yesterday afternoon at a press conference in Downing Street that the rules will not be changed.
However, there was a change of tone yesterday, as the prime minister and Chief Medical Officer encouraged people to have ‘smaller’ and ‘shorter’ gatherings over the five days.
“Have yourself a merry little Christmas, and I’m afraid this year I do mean little,” said Boris Johnson.
For Manchester’s restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs, the tier review had been a small glimmer of hope, but one which faded fast. We spoke to a couple of hospitality venues to see how they’re feeling following the announcement today.
Independent wine shop and bar, Salut, has been operating solely as a shop since Greater Manchester went into the second national lockdown. They had opened previously under former Tier 3 restrictions, serving drinks with a substantial meal.
Sara said “Why don’t we rename England, London? I think what’s happened to us is just unfair and extreme in that our numbers are so low now compared to what they were, compared to what London’s were when they were put back into Tier 2 and what Liverpool’s were when they were put back into Tier 2.
Salut is currently operating as a wine shop with orders for collection and delivery
“It feels like they’re getting at Manchester because Andy Burnham stood up to them and if we went back again, I’d want him to stand up for us again but I feel like we’re being punished for it. I think if it was for health reasons, they wouldn’t be allowing families to get together for five days over Christmas. So I don’t think it’s that.
“I think it’s just punishment for the north for standing up to them. But if we had to go back, we’d stand up again, because I tell you what, we will never forget this, we will remember what this government has done to us.
“If it was just for health reasons and everyone was being treated the same, I would be the first to stand up and say ‘I am 100% behind that’, but because it feels like we’re not being treated the same… I don’t believe a word that comes out of their mouth and I don’t believe the reasons that they give us.”
Salut will continue to operate as a wine shop until further notice, with orders available for collection and delivery.
The Feel Good Club opened in October, just a few days before the tier system came into force. And despite not being able to open fully since they launched, the wellbeing cafe has been unable to claim any furlough support.
Feel Good Club opened just a few days before the tier system was originally introduced
Kiera Lawlor, owner of Feel Good Club said: “To be honest, with all of the ups and downs we’ve learnt to expect the worst, we braced ourselves for it and we’re trying to stay positive and focus on the things we can do during this time.
“It’s extremely frustrating for us as a business, especially with our struggles being deemed ineligible for furlough we are trying to navigate this period with no support and like many other businesses, having an ever changing plan is wearing thin, preparing the team to come back in and having to plan for every scenario.
“We’re in limbo and just feels so unfair that the north find ourselves in this position with every announcement – feeling gutted to say the least but we get back up and keep adapting.”
The next tier review is expected to be carried out on Wednesday 30 December, with any changes to come into force on January 2, 2021.
We’ll keep you updated on those changes if they happen and in the meantime, we’ll keep sharing all the brilliant and innovative things that hospitality venues are doing to keep ticking over.
Gooey has launched some of the finest looking hot chocolates that we’ve ever seen.
The hot chocolates launched last weekend at their kiosk in Ducie Street Warehouse and they were so popular, they’re bring them back for a final weekend before Christmas.
The festive classic, a Bailey’s hot chocolate, has been ramped up a gear. Hot Belgian chocolate is topped with Bailey’s-infused whipped cream and red velvet cookie dust. There is also a Hot Chocolate Orange with Cointreau and chocolate liqueur, chocolate and orange whipped cream, and dehydrated orange dust.
The Gooey hot chocolates cost £5 each with booze or £3.50 without. Each of the hot chocolates is topped with two beautifully golden, toasted marshmallows which can be dunked straight into the hot chocolate of your choice.
Gooey has also just launched their Christmas Box with three indulgent Christmas specials.
Death by Chocolate Donut
The first is Death by Chocolate Donut, a chocolate dough filled with Belgian chocolate ganache and chocolate creme pat, which is then dipped in Belgian chocolate coting, topped with chocolate cream, a white chocolate gooey square and cocoa nibs. And, it looks sensational.
There’s also the Orange Blossom Alaska Bomb, a sable biscuit infused with orange blossom, filled with a pomegranate jam and clementine curd centre and surrounded by toasted Swiss meringue.
Finally, the Pistachio Praline Dacquoise has a crunchy pisachio meringue sponge layered with a white chocolate and pistachio praline ganache.
The Gooey Christmas specials are available to preorder now
The Christmas box is £10 for all three and there are very limited numbers of these specials, which are available to pre-order for collection only at the Gooey kiosk.
Gooey is open at Ducie Street Warehouse from Thursday 17 to Wednesday 23 December for the final few days this year before they close the kiosk until 7 January.
Collections are available from 1pm daily. Pre-orders can be made on thegooey.co with the code COLLECTINGGOOEY at the checkout.
A disused building on the fringes of the Northern Quarter is being transformed into a large new food, drink and entertainment venue set to launch in 2021.
Ramona is being created by the team behind some of Manchester’s best entertainment venues, including Gorilla and Albert Hall. The building, which used to be an MOT station, depot and forecourt, is located on Great Ancoats Street, across the road from Mackie Mayor.
The site will open in phases as the building works are completed over the next few months.
Eventually, the huge new venue will house a pizzeria and bakery, a margarita bar, a coffee counter, a wood-fired grill and a stage. The tree-lined forecourt will be transformed into a large beer garden with a campfire.
The first phase will be Ramona Detroit Pizzeria & Bakery which will open in January.
Ramona is across the road from the Mackie Mayor
The menu has been inspired by owners Adelaide, Joel and Dan’s trips to NYC and LA where Detroit-style pizza has increasingly begun to leave a mark on both cities.
Hailing from America’s Motor City, unlike Neapolitan or Chicago deep-dish pizza, Detroit-style pizza is rectangular rather than round. It has a foccacia-like dough which is baked in heavy steel pans which allows for an airy base, a crisp crust and a large volume of cheese with caramelised edges. Traditionally the cheese is piled on first, with the tomato sauce layered on top.
Despite being around since the mid 1940s, the pizza wasn’t often found on menus outside of Detroit until the 2010s.
The pizza is a descendent of Sicilian-style pizza and was first made by Gus Guerrera at Buddy’s Rendezvous in Detroit in 1946. The story goes that Gus originally used steel pans from a friend who worked in a motor factory which used them to store spare parts.
Quite fitting then, that Ramona will find its home in a former MOT station.
Ramona will be located on Great Ancoats Street
The former occupants
The huge venue will open in phases
The Detroit-style pizzeria will open in January
It will also house a bar, stage and beer garden
It’s an impressive transformation
There are no confirmed details of the exact menu yet; however, ahead of the launch, Ramona is looking for pizza testers to sample their menu.
Ramona has been documenting the transformation of this industrial building into this exciting new venue.
The Jewish festival of Hanukkah starts tonight; eight days of celebration, presents, lighting candles and delicious, deep fried food.
Hanukkah (or Chanukah) takes places around the same time of year as Christmas. The actual dates vary from year to year as the Hebrew calendar is on the lunar cycle. This year, the festival starts from this evening (10 December) and runs for eight days.
The way the dates have fallen this year mean that, while a five day window has been organised for families who want to celebrate Christmas together, (as with Eid, Diwali and other major festivals for non-Christian religions) Jewish families in Manchester will have to spend another festival apart.
For those who’s knowledge of Hanukkah is limited to Ross’ holiday armadillo from Friends, we’ve pulled together a little run down on the Jewish festival of light.
Plus, we chat to a few kosher food businesses about how they are preparing for Hanukkah and what delicious specials they have planned for this celebration.
What is Hanukkah?
The festival is not simply a ‘Jewish Christmas’ as it’s often referred. Yes there’s lots of food and there are presents (eight whole days of them) but the stories behind the two celebrations are quite different.
Jewish families light a ‘menorah’ a candelabra with nine branches
Hanukkah commemorates a historical event which took place in the 2nd century BCE when the Jews were ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks) ruled by King Antiochus III who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture. The story goes that a small band of poorly-armed Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee managed, against all odds, to defeat this powerful army and reclaim the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
When they tried to light the Temple’s menorah (a holy candelabra), they only found enough oil for one day, but it would have taken seven days more for them to get more oil. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the oil lasted for the eight days it needed until they could get more oil.
To celebrate this miracle, Jews practice certain rituals and customs over Hanukkah such as lighting the menorah. Games are also played such as the dreidel (a spinning top) and giving gifts or gelt (money) over the eight days.
You thought Christmas was indulgent, like many Jewish festivals, Hanukkah is all about the food. And, because of the miracle of the oil, it’s deep fried foods that are traditionally eaten, such as doughnuts and latkes (a fried potato and onion pancake, a bit like a rosti).
What do you eat?
In places like New York and London, there is a culture around enjoying food from Jewish delis which isn’t limited to the community itself. And here in Manchester too, we have some great places to take advantage of.
Our city has a large Jewish community, predominantly centred around Prestwich and North Manchester.
Michael from JS on the Corner is busy gearing up for their first Hanukkah in their new location. The oldest Jewish restaurant in Manchester, JS had occupied a building on King’s Road, just off Bury New Road in Prestwich, since 1956.
At the end of July, due to the pandemic, the brand has adapted to more of a takeaway offering, renaming themselves as JS On The Corner and moving to a different unit on Bury New Road itself.
Owner Michael Isler is really looking forward to Hanukkah this year. He says:
“Hanukkah is a great family time celebrating the miracle of lights that happened many years ago. It’s a time to spend time with family, to eat plenty of doughnuts. You put on about a stone in a week.
“But in all seriousness, I love Hannukah because it’s a festival when you come home, you light the menorah, you spend time with the kids and you have fun, you have games, you give presents. And it’s not like passover where you have to prep for three weeks beforehand, it’s just a very chilled time.”
Especially for Hanukkah, JS is getting a doughnut machine and will be serving hot doughnuts throughout the eight days, as well as plenty of fresh latkes.
Other dishes on the kosher menu include burgers, sandwiches, pies and hummus plates with shawarma and falafel.
We also spotted an alternative Hanukkah dish on their menu, a deep fried number called the ‘frap’. The frap consists of smoked beef pastrami, garlic mayo, mustard, onion rings, crispy onions, salty pickles, coleslaw, all inside a wrap which is then breaded and deep fried.
A ‘Frap’ from JS on the Corner: Smoked pastrami beef, garlic mayo, mustard, onion rings, crispy onions, salty pickles, coleslaw. All inside a wrap, breaded & deep fried
JS is open as normal throughout Hanukkah for takeaway food and deliveries. Orders can be made over the phone on 0161 798 7776, online at jsotc.co.uk or by going into the store.
The old JS site on King’s Road has been taken over by another Jewish food operator, Celia’s Kitchen.
The new deli has been set up by long time kosher caterer, Celia Clyne Banqueting, which has been providing banqueting services across the UK for almost 40 years, since 1983. Previously a home economics teacher, Celia was asked to cater a wedding for a friend and it went so well that all kicked off from there.
Celia’s Kitchen launched just three weeks ago during the second national lockdown and it’s been a baptism (or shall we say a bris) of fire for the new venue which has been very busy since it opened.
Managing director, Mark Clyne said:
“It’s been really busy. What I felt was that Manchester and the Jewish community needed an outlet where they could buy fresh food, rather than packet food. And, because of the production kitchen we have, we thought we were the people to do it.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years but the right location never came around, and then it did, and so we jumped at it.”
As well as Jewish favourites, like salt beef and bagels, they also have kosher versions of a wide range of cuisines including Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern food.
Celia’s Kitchen also prides itself on creating huge stacked burgers such as their Once in a Lifetime burger which includes two chargrilled burgers, a chicken schnitzel and then topped with pulled beef and red slaw.
The Mighty Maccabee burger from Celia’s Kitchen
They have created a new huge burger for Hanukkah too called the Mighty Maccabee (remember our friend Judah the Maccabee?).
This has a prime steak burger, topped with a fried latke, salt beef AND pulled beef. There’s also a smaller version (not that small) called the Chanukah burger which is topped with just salt beef and a latke.
Because of the laws of kashrut which mean that meat and milk cannot be eaten together, Jewish food normally has lots of great veggie and fish options so, vegetarians, don’t be scared off by these meaty feasts. There is also a cauliflower schnitzel burger and a Jerusalem falafel burger.
“Being kosher isn’t just a matter of your usual traditional staple dishes, we can do a lot more than that,” says Mark.
Celia’s Kitchen are also making fresh doughnuts for Hanukkah, but not just any doughnuts, (and this is becoming a bit of a theme) these are giant doughnuts, topped with things like Oreos and Lotus Biscoff biscuits. Plus, there are selling Chanukah hampers which include wine, smoked salmon, doughnuts and other sweet treats.
Giant doughnuts from Celia’s Kitchen
Currently Celia’s Kitchen is delivering across North Manchester and soon they plan to launch their own app and are looking to expand delivery services to South Manchester. Then, Mark tells us, they want to extend their offering to Leeds and other places in the UK.
They also have an event space in the Prestwich deli which can’t be used under current restrictions but will have space to dine in when they can.
Orders can be made over the phone on 0161 820 4441 or on Uber Eats, and they can be collected from the deli too.
Another new Jewish food business which is putting a fresh twist on kosher cooking is Feast by Ed Shearf which has set up a pop up kitchen called Social Square at the Maccabi community centre in Prestwich, near to Heaton Park.
Previously a catering business, Feast would normally be catering for events like weddings, barmitzvahs, and so on. As none of these events are going ahead this year, the business had to pivot the business to offer a takeaway and delivery food service.
There are three different concepts in the pop up; Street Deli, serving New York style deli sandwiches piled high with pastrami and salt beef; Cabana, serving Latin American dishes like tacos, burritos and churros; Fire Pit which serves BBQ meats like steak, jerk chicken and wings. This Sunday, they are also launching a new brunch menu called Huevo, with dishes like smoked salmon bagels and huevos rancheros. When they can, they will also be opening a bar serving cocktails and craft beers.
A Christmukkah special? Sous vide turkey, cranberry slaw on challah bread
For Hanukkah, Feast will be doing half price churros on Thursday as well as £1 latkes with any main course on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. They have released gift vouchers for Hanukkah too.
The pop up launched officially on 15 November and has been incredibly popular since opening.
Rude Kabeya, operations manager for Feast by Ed Shearf, said:
“The whole idea really is just to change the landscape of kosher catering, which has had a bit of a bad rep and we just try to be not boring, not give people the usual, to give the kosher market food that they would not normally try anywhere else.”
“The response has been amazing. The first day was challenging because we didn’t anticipate the amount of response that we would have to be perfectly honest.
“We just absolutely got inundated from the moment we opened, in the first half an hour we had like over 150 orders and we couldn’t cope! But since then we’ve learned from that and we’ve obviously opened the preordering system where people can order throughout the day. We’re getting repeat customers now who literally have dinner with us every night, and you have people who just keep coming back and the feedback has been really positive.”
Social Square by Feast is open from 5pm to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday (closed for the Sabbath). Food can be ordered via their website with pre orders open from 10:30am with last orders around 9:30pm.
They are delivering within a 3 mile radius or orders can be collected from the Maccabi Centre on Bury New Road.
Street Deli at the Social Square by Feast pop up
Hanukkah starts on the evening of Thursday 10 December and ends the evening of Friday 18 December (or 25 Kislev to 3 Tevet in the Hebrew calendar).
Jewish or not, there really is so much to enjoy about Hanukkah. And, beyond the festival itself, it’s really worth paying a visit to the traditional Jewish delis and some of the places putting a new spin on kosher food.
And, if you can’t make it to North Manchester, find your nearest doughnut or deep fried food and eat it immediately. The holiday armadillo said so.
Happy Chanukah to those celebrating!
Where to enjoy Jewish food in Greater Manchester
Delis and food shops
Let’s Fress Deli, Whitefield
0161 798 0343 / 70 Bury Old Rd, Whitefield, Prestwich, Manchester M45 6TL
Celia’s Kitchen, Prestwich
0161 820 4441 / 7 Kings Road, Prestwich M25 0LE
Shefa Mehadrin, Prestwich
49-53 Bury New Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 9JY
Haber’s World shop, Prestwich
0161 798 7370 / King’s Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 0FY
It’s only two bloody weeks until Christmas. Normally this time of year, we’d normally be falling over ourselves at work Christmas dos and glugging down mulled drinks in freezing temperatures.
Of course, this year it’s very different, blah blah blah, it’s Tier 3 life. But, you can still get your hands on some banging festive specials, takeaway food and home delivered booze. Who knows, this may be the last week of Tier 3, we’re holding out hope.
Salut Christmas wine boxes
Wine and cheeseboard box from Salut
Independent city-centre wine shop and bar has launched a range of wine boxes especially for Christmas, such as the Adults’ Christmas Eve Box (£35) with a cheese board, olives, prosecco and a ‘spicy’ festive red. There’s also a Vegan Christmas Box (from £36.50); a Christmas Essentials Box (£65) which includes a festive ‘wine journey’ for the big day itself, from breakfast bubbles, mealtime wines and port to finish; and other selections available too.
With more than 400 wines available for takeaway, delivery and click and collect, staff at Salut can also help build custom cases over the phone or in store. View all the boxes here.
Northern Soul Grilled Cheese’s Christmas Special
Northern Soul’s Crimbo Dinner Grilled Cheese
Normally a staple of any visit to the Manchester Christmas Markets, Northern Soul Grilled Cheese’s Christmas special is now available at their Tib Street spot.
The Ultimate Crimbo Dinner sandwich is packed with a three cheese blend, the best crown of turkey, pink lady stuffing, cranberry sauce with a gravy soaked pig in blanket lollilop on top.
Open from 10am until late, Wednesday to Sunday on Tib Street. They’re also on Deliveroo and selling ‘Grill it Yourself’ kits for you to make their grilled cheeses (including the Christmas special) at home.
DD’s Burgers at The Koffee Pot
DD’s burgers at The Koffee Pot
The Koffee Pot has transformed into a takeaway spot for DDs Burgers serving burgers, beers, milkshakes and more. DD’s burgers are made with 35-day aged Aberdeen Angus and Herefordshire cattle rib eye trim and which can come with a range of toppings like bacon, blue cheese and salt beef. There’s also a vegan version with garlic mayo and heritage tomatoes. Sides include shoestring fries, ‘drunk’ fries with beer-cheese sauce and chimichurri, and loaded skins.
They’ll be open on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter from 12pm to 8pm every Friday and Saturday until the restrictions change. Visit their Instagram page for more details or order via Deliveroo.
Mini Christmas markets start this week
Two small versions of the regular Christmas markets are starting this week, with a Winter Market in Piccadilly Gardens selling gifts and another in St Ann’s Square featuring popular food vendors from previous years, including Yorkshire pudding wraps and halloumi fries, as well as traditional bratwurst and mini pancakes. Alcohol sales won’t be allowed so there’ll be none of the usual mulled wine, German beer and boozy hot chocolates.
The Markets will be open over two long weekends from 9 to 13 and 16 to 20 December. Personally we’d rather see restaurants allowed to reopen, but there we go.
Nell’s Office Pizza Party
As we said, this time of year we’d normally be prepping for a debaucherous night on the town with our colleagues. But this year, Christmas dos will be a smaller and calmer affair. Home to the 22 inch pizza, Nell’s are delivering their massive pizzas, craft beers, natural wines, canned cocktails and more to office on Friday 11 and 18 December.
Order via massivedeliveries@nellspizza.co.uk or by calling 0161 832 9245. Full information is on their website here: nellspizza.co.uk.
It’s been a truly torrid year for the food and drink industry, which makes us even happier to see some exciting new openings on the horizon.
The Northern Quarter is set to welcome two new food operators serving Detroit-style pizza and kebabs, both 100% plant-based. It’s great timing, too, as we approach the increasingly popular Veganuary month.
So whether you’re already vegan, you’re trying it out, or you just fancy some delicious vegan food, you’ll soon have two new options to enjoy in the city centre.
Four Side is set to take over the site next to the Buddhist centre, previously occupied by Earth Cafe, which closed at the end of August after saying it wasn’t viable to open the café again.
The basement venue will now become home to the plant-based restaurant, serving Detroit-style vegan pizzas.
Detroit-style pizza is a four sided deep-dish pizza hailing from the birthplace of Motown. Its chewy crust is similar to focaccia but crispier and with smaller bubbles. The pizzas are baked in heavy steel pans and are traditionally loaded up with Wisconsin ‘brick’ cheese and then a tomato sauce layer on top.
The new vegan pizzeria is being set up by Dan Hope, behind popular street food brands Firebird Hope and Krum doughnuts. The menu looks to feature classic tomato and cheese, a white pizza with oyster mushrooms and a what looks like a Mexican-inspired fusion, topped with corn, coriander and a slice of fresh lime.
Vegan Detroit-style pizza is coming to the Northern Quarter
Announcing the opening on Instagram, the post read: “We’re thrilled to announce that we will be firing up our new pizza ovens and putting some Four Side energy into this much-loved NQ basement space. Expect 72-hour proved Detroit-style pies, house-made vegan cheeses + meats, killer sides and beautiful drinks. More news as we get it, including an announcement from our pals with the vegan doughnut skills @krum.mcr.”
There’s no specific date of when Four Side will be open but we’ll keep you updated as we know more.
The second plant-based opening set for Manchester’s Northern Quarter is What the Pitta, serving a menu of vegan kebabs.
What the Pitta serves vegan version of classic kebabs including vegan doner. Their signature spiced, meat-free doner pieces are loaded into wraps and topped with a choice of salad including lettuce, onions, tomato, pickled red cabbage, jalapenos, humous and tzatziki.
There are also falafel wraps, vegan gyros, chip boxes and mezze boxes topped with doner or falafel.
What the Pitta’s vegan gyros
For dessert, there are vegan ice creams from Booja Booja and Ben & Jerry’s, as well as Baklava and ‘Retro Skool cake’, sponge with a layer of thick vanilla icing and rainbow sprinkles.
Manchester will be What The Pitta’s first location up North, with sites already in Boxpark Shoreditch, Boxpark Croydon, Brighton, Camden and Battersea. They will take over the site on Back Turner Street, which has been vacant since El Taquero closed its doors in December 2019.
Christmas is undoubtedly the season of indulgence, but unfortunately it’s often the season of waste too.
According to Respect Food, approximately seven million tonnes of edible food is thrown away in the UK every year over Christmas. That includes two million turkeys, five million Christmas puddings, and 74 million mince pies.
On the other side of the production line, an estimated 20 to 40% of UK fruit and vegetables are rejected even before they reach the shops – mostly because they don’t meet supermarkets’ strict cosmetic standards.
Although festive gatherings may be a little smaller than usual this year, we’re going to assume that the portion sizes definitely won’t be, nor necessarily should they be.
We’re all about eating, drinking and being merry, but what’s important is to be smart about what you buy and cook to make sure to waste as little as possible.
74 million mince pies are thrown away in the UK every year
To help combat the amount of food thrown away, Open Kitchen MCR has launched ‘Zero Food Waste’ private cook-along events; a 60-minute Christmas zoom party with a focus on reducing food waste. The meal box is made from beautiful (and perfectly edible) rescued ingredients that would otherwise have gone to waste.
Every family who celebrates Christmas has their own classic leftovers recipes, but Open Kitchen hopes to give guests some new ones they might not have tried before.
The ingredient boxes can be delivered to your home or workplace. The Open Kitchen MCR chefs will guide guests through one of their recipes; choose from Japanese gyoza filled with classic Christmas ingredients; Turkey samosas and brussel sprout bhajis; or Italian gnocchi made from ‘yesterday’s roasties’.
There will also be time to ask the team about how to have a more sustainable kitchen.
As well as the live cook-alongs, Open Kitchen are offering Christmas party dinner deliveries, with festive canapes (£8.50 pp) of a two course dinner (£15pp) prepared and delivered, ready to enjoy at home or work.
Profits from the meal boxes will help Open Kitchen continue to their work supporting people in crisis across Greater Manchester.
Earlier this year, in response to the Covid-19 crisis, Open Kitchen MCR transformed their service to deliver nutritious meals to vulnerable people across the city. They have now provided more than 140,000 meals and are continuing their work delivering food to those living in homelessness hostels and supported by food banks. This work will be directly funded by the meal boxes.
Guests can choose to make gyoza, samosas or gnocchi
Corin Bell, director of Open Kitchen MCR said “This year has been far from normal for us and we have learnt to pivot very quickly. We’re really excited to venture into live virtual cook-alongs to keep everyone cheery, social, inspired, and of course reducing food waste, for the festive season.
“The fact that your cook-along party will help feed someone in a crisis this Christmas will hopefully bring an extra smile to your event … who’s hungry?”
Open Kitchen MCR’s festive cook-alongs cost £15 per person and are for a minimum group of seven people.
Guests can choose to have local, organic and sustainable wines, beers and non-alcholic drinks delivered alongside the meal boxes too.
This week, lockdown has come to an end and we make an unwelcome return to Tier 3 or, as someone I know described it, ‘lockdown with haircuts’.
Restaurants and bars might not be opening yet in Manchester but there’s still plenty to get your teeth into. We’ve pulled together some new kitchen takeovers, product launches and ways you can give back this festive season.
Nell’s at The Beagle
Slice on slice on slice on slice
Nell’s pizza has arrived at Chorlton pub The Beagle. From Friday 4 December, Nell’s 22 and 14 inch pizzas, garlic breads, slices, beers, wines, canned cocktails and brand new ice cream sandwiches, will be available for delivery or collection.
Deliveries available in Chorlton, Old Trafford, Didsbury or Stretford from Tue-Fri 4pm – 9pm and Sat-Sun 12 – 9pm. To order email massivedeliverieschorlton@nellspizza.co.uk or call 0161 881 8596.
Dishoom launch new at-home products
The Masala Dabba is the perfect companion to Dishoom’s cookery book
Dishoom has launched a new range of bottled cocktails, featuring favourites from the restaurants Permit Bar; an Old Fashioned, the India Gimlet and Sonia’s Negroni.
The Masala Dabba has been created as the perfect companion to the Dishoom cookery book, containing nine go-to spices and signature blends, presented in a reusable dabba (a silver metal storage tin for spices found in all Indian kitchens). These gifts and more can be ordered for nationwide delivery from their online shop.
Tis the season for giving back
Foodinate hope to fund 20,000 meals over the festive season
Manchester based social enterprise, Foodinate is encouraging businesses and individuals to donate the money they would have spent on their Christmas parties to help fund hot, nourishing meals for people in crisis.
Over the course of the festive season, Foodinate aims to provide 20,000 hot meals to deprived local communities. For every £1 donated, one meal will be provided to a local person in need. Donate here.
Lightopia returns to Manchester
The Lightopia water show
Winter lantern festival, Lightopia returns to Heaton Park this week and will run until 10 January 2021. Lightopia will operate under the Rule of Six, meaning that customers can attend in groups of up to six but no more.
The event is open every day except Christmas Day from 5pm to 10pm. More information via their website.
Six by Nico x Bongo’s Bingo
Traditional Christmas parties might be cancelled this year, but Six by Nico has teamed up with Bongo’s Bingo for an at-home experience including a four course dinner kit, a bottle of wine and a live quiz.
They are also partnering with the Trussell Trust on their Not Your Usual Christmas Party campaign, encouraging customers to donate the money they would normally spend on a big party to help families unable to afford the basics.
The Christmas party kit costs £40 and is available here. To download the fundraising pack for the Trussell Trust, click here.
Northcote launches festive delivery box
Michelin star Lancashire restaurant Northcote has launched an at-home meal kit, allowing diners to experience beautiful five-star gourmet menus created by chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen in the comfort of their own homes.
The boxes serve two people and cost £100. They are available for delivery (from £10) and collection. Orders close at 5pm on Friday for delivery/collection the following Friday. For more information, visit https://www.northcote.com/
If ever there was a year to do your Christmas shopping purely with independents, it’s 2020.
Northern food and drink businesses have been hit hard by fluctuating restrictions and the national lockdown. So, let’s try avoid Amazon, swerve the big brands and support Greater Manchester businesses this festive season.
Not only is it the right thing to do to shop local this year, there are also just some absolutely brilliant products and gifts on offer. We’ve rounded up our favourite gifts, as well as festive food and drink to enjoy at home. With these, you’ll definitely be in the good books of whoever you’re buying for this year.
Blossom Coffee Roasters – from £8
You can order Blossom Coffee by the bag or as a subscription
Blossom Coffee Roasters, an independent roastery based in Manchester’s NOMA district has a range of beautiful coffees and espressos. They are available to order by the bag or as part of a coffee subscription – a gift that will keep on giving.
They also stock Bare Bones chocolate bars and hot chocolate made from single origin cocoa beans, as well as equipment like V60s, Aeropress and cafetieres.
All available to order via their online website here.
Green Lab’s Gift hamper – £35
Green Lab’s gift hamper
Northern Quarter health and wellbeing studio, Green Lab has released two festive specials which are the perfect balance to Christmas indulgence, with a gift hamper and a Christmas day meal kit.
The hamper includes a wellness shot to cure Boxing Day hangovers, as well as Christmas juice, green harissa hummus, garlic and chive ‘cheese’ and chocolate orange brownie bites.
The ‘Christmas Life Savers’ meal kit costs £12.50 per person for three courses, with a minimum of two people. Dishes include shiitake mushroom parfait with Christmas chutney, a vegan Christmas dinner and a ginger orange bundt cake with Creme Anglaise. Order by end of day 21 December to collect on 24 December
Independent city-centre wine shop and bar has launched a range of wine boxes especially for Christmas, such as the Adults’ Christmas Eve Box (£35) with a cheese board, olives, prosecco and a ‘spicy’ festive red. There’s also a Vegan Christmas Box (from £36.50); a Christmas Essentials Box (£65) which includes a festive ‘wine journey’ for the big day itself, from breakfast bubbles, mealtime wines and port to finish; and other selections available too.
With more than 400 wines available for takeaway, delivery and click and collect, staff at Salut can also help build custom cases over the phone or in store. View all the boxes here.
MAMA Z’s Zero Waste Homemade Soap – £8.50
Earlier this year, Mama Z launched her very own Banana Ketchup (which we had, and loved).
In a brilliant next step from that, Zos has taken the banana peels left from making her sauces, roasted and pounded them to make sustainable soap. Locally made in Manchester, each bar is hand poured by Zos and comes in beautiful packaging.
Order here. (currently sold out – restocking next week)
Pollen Bakery – Bûche de Noël (Yule log) – from £23
Pollen Bakery in Ancoats have launched a Christmas section to their webshop (for collections on 23-24 December), the Bûche de Noël immediately caught our eye, it looks absolutely sensational.
Available as a whole (six to eight servings) or a half (two to four servings). If you won’t be around Manchester to collect, the Pollen Bakery Christmas Hamper is able to be delivered nationwide.
Oh Mei Dumpling – the winner of this years Manchester’s best Street Food trader – is putting together a frozen bundle for Christmas. It comes with 20 frozen dumplings (in 4 different flavours; Pork and Prawn Siu Mai, Chinese Chicken Curry, Beef and Christmas Turkey) alongside a bottle of her mum’s homemade Mama Mui’s chilli oil, a dipping sauce and slaw dressing.
Booze and Burn – Winter candles in recycled wine bottles – £18
Booze and Burn, run by Manchester local Sophie is trying to repurpose just a fraction of the 28 billion glass bottles that end up in landfills every year.
The brand’s winter candle sets include Gingerbread and Mulled Wine. All the candles are vegan friendly and burn for around 45 to 50 hours.
The Masala Dabba is the perfect companion to Dishoom’s cookery book
Last Christmas, Dishoom’s cook book was a go-to gift for many foodies, and this year they’ve released another great product to go with it.
The Masala Dabba contains collection of nine of Chef Naved’s go-to spices and signature blends, presented in a reusable dabba (a silver metal storage tin for spices found in all Indian kitchens).
These gifts and more can be ordered for nationwide delivery from their online shop.
Salvi’s Deli Hampers – from £35
Does anything say Christmas quite like a deli hamper?
Salvi’s deli in Corn Exchange is packed full of Italian delicacies: cured meats, cheese, cannoli, pannetone, wine, prosecco, olive oil, pasta and more. If it’s Italian, just name it, and they’ve probably got it.
They have pre prepared hampers to choose from or you create them bespoke with all your loved one’s favourite items.
Head into the deli to order or email ruby@salvismanchester.co.uk.
Meat Co Manchester – Christmas Boxes – £115
Meat Co, a meat box delivery service, which sources meat from Lancashire and Manchester farmers has launched a Christmas box, featuring some of the areas best sourced goods to create a gorgeous Christmas meal at home.
Featuring Higher Ground Chutneys, Elnecot Horseradish Sauce and golden tarts to finish – provided by Longbois Bakehouse, as Welsh wine!
‘British charcuterie with a Mancunian accent’ – this is something we can get on board with.
Set up by Mancunian duo, Alex McKay and Douglas Staton, Northern Cure is all about eating meat as a treat, with a focus on well-reared, healthy and happy animals to produce intensely flavoured charcuterie. Their blog about the ‘forgotten art’ of charcuterie features recipes on how to preserve meat including recipes for salami, crispy pig’s ear pork scratchings and roast Porchetta.
Their home curing kits make the perfect gift for a keen foodie. The boxes give you all the ingredients, tools and guidance to learn how to make dry cured bacon or duck prosciutto at home.
Chorlton Cheesemongers – vouchers and hampers – from £10
The large hamper from Chorlton Cheesemonger – £35
The Chorlton Cheesemongers opened this summer and have counters stacked high with delicious British and Irish cheeses.
For Christmas, they have a range of hampers starting at £20, including the ‘Cheesemonger’s Choice’ where they will package up at least four of the most exciting cheeses on the counter that day.
For a larger celebration, there is the luxury hamper and of course, you can handpick your favourite cheeses to create your own. They also have gift vouchers so your loved one can pick their own selection.
Northern Quarter cafe, Nibble, has a full menu of Christmas food and drink to enjoy from now until the big day itself.
Their Christmas Morning Hampers include everything you need for a festive brunch, handmade by them and other independents. Products include fluffy pancakes, Grandad’s Sausages christmas bangers, Chorlton sourdough, Barbakan bagels and more.
There’s also boozy Christmas puddings, mince pies, beetroot fudge yule logs and more.
‘Distilled with a bunch of bitter lemons and a sprinkle of northern resolve’
When Apprentice star Claude Littner told chef and restaurant owner Simon Wood to ‘just suck it up’, when discussing the move into Tier 3 restrictions, Manchester’s hospitality industry took personal and collective offence.
And so, sticking a literal finger up at Claude, Atlas Bar, Defiance Spirits and Cuckoo Gin came together to create Suck it Up gin. It’s described as being ‘distilled with a bunch of bitter lemons and a sprinkle of northern resolve’.
This limited edition gin has been created to make a stand for the hospitality industry in the north of England, with £5 from every bottle going to Hospitality Action.
Manchester-based noodle maker extraordinaire, Pippa Middlehurst (aka Pippy Eats), published her very own cookbook earlier this year.
Dumplings and Noodles explores the traditional cooking methods behind some of our favourite Asian dishes. The book has more than 70 recipes and techniques, with step-by-step instructions and options for quick and easy substitutes. Pippa even goes into the science behind dumplings and noodles.
On top of all this, it’s a really beautiful book and a perfect gift for any keen home cooks in your life.
Don Giovanni have launched their own Christmas hampers this year, for their regulars missing the restaurant over Christmas and for anyone else looking for a fix of Italian delicacies.
Stuffed with premium Italian goodies like truffled salame, parmigiano, truffle oil, tricolore fusilli, olives and balsamic vinegar from Modena, and their own homemade bottles of limoncello.
You’d be pretty chuffed getting to graze your way through that over our 5 days of Christmas this year.
Support a Manchester brewery and some of our city’s independent music venues at the same time with this gift idea. What’s the saying… two beers one stone?
Created at their brewery in Manchester Piccadilly in collaboration with some of the city’s top independent music venues, Manchester Union Lager’s latest brew, a Black lager called After Dusk, aims to drive awareness of Manchester’s favourite venues during these testing times.
Each can of After Dusk will show images of venues including the Albert Hall, Hidden, Band on the Wall, Matt & Phred’s and Mint Lounge, with a QR code which will allow drinks to access live streamed events, gig tickets and radio stations while the venues remain closed.
This little roastery has a wonderful range of speciality coffees, teas and hot chocolates, along with coffee makers, cups and more. There’s even a special Christmas blend, made especially for the festive season.
Order coffee by the bag (from £6.50) with a roast, grind and weight of your choice. A trio of single origin coffees can be ordered for £21 or we like the idea of ordering someone one of their coffee subscription services as a gift. Get eight pouches (two to three a month) of speciality coffee delivered to their door for up to four months, with a saving of just under 20% compared to buying the bags individually.
Le Social have a selection of natural and sustainable wines which make a positive social impact throughout the supply chain.
You can buy wines by the bottle or in boxes of two, four and six bottles. They also have a monthly subscription where you can enjoy different wines each month. A perfect gift for a wine loving pal.
Alongside their wines, they have curated a selection of low intervention food items like patés and cured fish.
Popular Neapolitan pizza restaurant, Rudy’s has opened a new restaurant in Sale.
While they had planned to be able to welcome diners through their doors from this week, due to Tier 3 restrictions it is currently open for local delivery and collection only.
The new neighbourhood pizzeria is Rudy’s third restaurant in Greater Manchester after the original one in Ancoats which opened in 2015 and their second on Peter Street which opened in 2018.
It’s the sixth restaurant in the Rudy’s portfolio, which was taken over by Mission Mars in 2017 and now has restaurants in Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham too.
Like at their other restaurants, the pizza dough at Rudy’s Sale is made with ’00’ flour which has been fermented for at least 24 hours. The pizzas are topped with quality ingredients imported twice a week from Naples, including San Marzano tomatoes, grown in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and Fior di Latte mozzarella.
Rudy’s Calabrese pizza (Image: Last Supper)
The pizzas are then cooked for just 60 seconds, in super-hot traditional pizza ovens, also imported from Italy. The result is a super thin, floppy middle and leopard patterned cornicion (crust).
The menu features classic recipes like Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese as well as rotating weekly specials.
Although you can’t dine in just yet, there are a few options for pizza lovers wanting to get their Rudy fix at home.
The pizzas are made with ’00’ flour which has been fermented for at least 24 hours
Freshly cooked pizzas can delivered to your door or be collected from the restaurant. This can be ordered via Deliveroo and selecting either the delivery or Click and Collect option.
Alternatively, Rudy’s Bake at Home pizzas can be cooked in your oven at home. Handmade by Rudy’s pizzaiolos using the same fresh ingredients used in the pizzerias, the Bake at Home pizzas are blast chilled and wrapped so that you can enjoy twice-baked at home.
These can also be ordered via Deliveroo for home delivery or swing by the restaurant to collect anytime (no pre-order required).
Rudy’s Sale is located on Northenden Road, close to Sale Metrolink stop.
For more information and updates, visit their Instagram page.
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Don Giovanni have launched their own Christmas hampers this year, for their regulars missing the restaurant over Christmas and for anyone else looking for a fix of Italian delicacies.
