Not content with being Manchester’s primo New York pizza spot, Nell’s are taking things a step further by launching Nell’s At Home, allowing you to bake some of the city’s finest ‘za from the comfort of your own kitchen.
In keeping with a proud NYC tradition, the WFH version will come as a Grandma Pie, all square and cheesy and heartwarming. The team at Nell’s do all the leg work, prepping the pies on site before freezing them, meaning all you have to do is let those suckers defrost before slinging them into your oven for 10 minutes.
The topping of choice will be the staple OG Cheese, Nell’s best selling blend of crushed tomatoes, mozarella, parmesan and extra virgin olive oil, all served up on their signature house dough, which has been proved for 72 hours beforehand.
“My grandma and your grandma, were sittin’ by the fire”
Since launching last February, Nell’s has become a firm favourite in the city centre, sequestered in Common in the Northern Quarter, they’ve packed revellers onto Edge Street with 22 inch slices overhanging their paper plates and have transformed a corner of town into their own little slice of Brooklyn, all while gaining national media attention due to their giant slices generating a debate over what constituted a ‘substantial meal’.
But there can be no argument over how substantial their new bake at home offering is. Originating in Long Island, the Grandma Pie comes on a slightly thicker crust than your usual New Yorker (and slightly lighter than the similar Sicilian, with which it is often confused), and is kept simple with cheese and tomatoes decorating the square base. It is apt that it’s humble beginnings stem from Italian housewives adapting the usual recipe due to not having pizza ovens in their own homes. Decades later and Nell’s are replicating this need for a homebaked equivalent, gifting us authentic corner slices straight to our living rooms.
It’s hip to be square
Over a year of research has gone into developing Nell’s at Home, so you can rest assured that these pies are going to be no joke. Given the intensive tour of New York Johnny and the team at Common undertook ahead of launching Nell’s in the first place, you know more than a few Grandma slices were thrown back during that trip, meaning a significant taste testing of the world’s finest squares has gone into these pies, from the legendary Di Fara in Midwood to Best and L’industrie out in Williamsburg. Colour us very, very excited.
The pies will be stocked across Manchester, at Ancoats’ General Store, Bernie’s Grocery in Heaton Moor, Stretford Foodhall, Groceries & Beer in Sale, Store in Castlefield, Beagle in Chorlton and Grape to Grain in Prestwich. The official drop date is Thursday 4th March, which will coincide with a #PizzaWine tasting at 8pm at Grape to Grain, with tickets starting at £20 for a pie and a guided tasting of three of their favourite ‘Thursday Wines’ – Fantini Farnese Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Corte Giara Bardolino and Cappello di Prete ‘Rosso del Salento’ from Puglia. Booking closes on 1st March, with tickets available HERE.
So if you’ll excuse me, I just need to pick out a crisp white tee to wear for when I inevitably send sauce and cheese oozing off the crust from my first bite all the way down my front. Cannot…wait.
Today, plans were finally announced for the roadmap out of lockdown for England.
The plans, which were announced by Boris Johnson in an address to the commons at 3:30pm, were described as ‘cautious but irreversible’.
The Pfizer vaccine has seen a 75% reduction in Covid cases from those who have had the vaccine (not enough data yet for Astrazeneca) and there is hope that with the continued rollout of the vaccination that this will be the last time that England is placed under lockdown. However, the prime minister said that they couldn’t rule out enforcing restrictions again if new variants are cause for concern.
The easing of lockdown restrictions will start from 8 March and there will be at least five weeks in between each step – four weeks to ensure that there has been a significant reduction in infection rates and another week’s notice for any changes for businesses.
This roadmap is based on four overriding tests. Firstly, that the vaccine deployment programme continues successfully. That evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated and that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS. Finally, it is dependent on the assessment of risks not being fundamentally changed by new variants of concern.
All being well, here are the plans for easing of lockdown and, importantly, when we’ll be able to go to the pub.
From 12 April, two households will be able to meet outdoors in groups of six
From 8 March
Alongside schools reopening and start of care home visits, from 8th March, people will be able to meet outdoors with one person from another household.
Whereas beforehand, individuals could only meet another person outside for exercise, you will now be able to sit on a bench with a coffee or have a picnic.
By this point, those in the top four priority groups should have been vaccinated. There will also be twice weekly testing of pupils in secondary schools.
From 29 March
While there will normally be five weeks in between the easing of restrictions, from 29 March what Boris Johnson described as the second part of the Step One will begin – to coincide with when schools go on Easter holidays.
The rule of six will return for outdoor gatherings, including private gardens, with a maximum of two households.
Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and golf can also resume from this date.
Importantly, from this date, people will no longer be legally required to stay at home. However, people are still encouraged to minimise travel and work from home where possible.
Outdoor hospitality will return from 12 April at the earliest
From 12 April
Now, we get to the good stuff. From 12 April, as long as the government’s four tests have been passed, outdoor hospitality will reopen.
Beer gardens and restaurants with outdoor seating will all reopen – with no curfew and no requirement to have a substantial meal with drinks ordered.
This will be accompanied by the reopening of non-essential retail, gyms, personal care (hairdressers etc) and holiday lets; meaning people can go on self-catering UK holidays from this date with members of their household.
From 17 May
By mid-May, the plans are to reopen indoor hospitality including restaurants, pubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
Sports stadiums can also reopen, subject to capacity limits, as well as hotels, hostels, B&Bs and children’s play areas.
Outdoor meetings will be limited to 30 people and this will be the first time that people are allowed to meet indoors – up to six people, no more than two households.
Restaurants and bars will reopen – with no curfew and no substantial meal requirement
From 21 June
It feels like a dream, but it may be coming a reality. From 21 June, there are plans to remove all legal limits on social contact.
Nightclubs will FINALLY reopen and there will be no limits to wedding parties.
Large events will also be able to go ahead, and testing may be used at such events in order to reduce infection.
49 days to go
So there’s seven weeks to go until we can get restaurants, pubs and bars will begin to reopen for outdoor dining. And another five before we’ll be able to sit inside them, but it’s reassuring to have a date in the calendar for the total lifting of restrictions, no matter how many caveats it may include.
We’re all desperate to get back to some form of normality, to have a pint in the pub, to be able to sit in a restaurant, or to go on a bender around Manchester city centre.
The end is hopefully now in sight, and we can’t bloody wait.
There are plans to remove all social contact from 21 June
So far, 2021 has been spent wholly under lockdown restrictions. But on Monday, Boris Johnson is set to outline the roadmap for the easing of lockdown in the UK.
Paying close attention to the announcement next week will be those working in Manchester’s hospitality industry, who have lived in a perpetual state of second-guessing and pivoting since the start of the pandemic.
As usual, ahead of Monday there has been leaked information and rumours have been flying around about what the prime minister will announce. Will the tiered system be axed? Will we still have the substantial meal rule? When can restaurants reopen?
In the past, hospitality has always seemed to get a raw deal when it comes to these announcements and had to deal with U-turns, fluctuating and confusing guidelines, and last minute instructions to close; making it impossible to plan from week to week, or even day to day.
But don’t worry, guys. Rishi Sunak has been having a natter to Gordon Ramsay this week, so he knows all about the struggles of those working in hospitality.
Over the next few weeks I'm speaking to industry leaders and experts to hear how they've reacted to the pandemic.
While the government continue to prove how fundamentally out of touch they are with the hospitality industry, we spoke to a few people from across Manchester’s food and drink community to see what they’ve been up to and what they’re hoping for from the announcements on Monday.
This lockdown, quite a few venues have chosen to stop operating completely until they’re able to welcome customers back in person.
Of the four sites that restaurant/bar group Common & Co runs (Common, Port Street Beer House, The Beagle and The Pilcrow) only The Beagle in Chorlton has continued to operate this lockdown, from which Nells Pizza have been doing takeaways and deliveries.
Talking about what he’s hoping for from the announcements next week, Dave Bailey from Common & Co, said: “A solid ‘road map’ that lays dates out clearly – and not in a rushed arbitrary way. A staggered approach to reopening with clear guidance and hopefully an approach that means hospitality isn’t locked down again.
“Oh and it would be nice if they didn’t drop the pubs reopening on a bank holiday weekend resulting in tabloid scaremongering and monster sesh anxiety. We want to come back but only when its deemed safe for our staff and customers.”
“Our infrastructure is in place largely from previous pivots. We have to wait till we know what we can and can’t do. Everybody in the supply chain needs notice. Lots of breweries haven’t kegged beer for months, for instance. We will adjust to any new protocol and the team on the frontline will boss it. Nell’s Pizza will return at Common and slices and pints will be a thing again.”
“Slices and pints will be a thing again”, Dave from Common & Co
Another venue which is closed at the moment, 20 Stories is taking time this lockdown to focus on developing their menu and training for when they can welcome guests back through the doors.
Becky Wilkes, Marketing Manager of 20 Stories said:
“I am hoping for a reopening without the ridiculous, unnecessary restrictions. If we reopened with July 2020 guidelines that would be great. No 10pm curfew, no substantial meals, no one household rule.
“We can operate safely with the rule of six, serving amazing food and mega cocktails, in a seated setting. Is that too much to ask?”
When they are allowed to reopen, 20 Stories says they are ready to go, with a new spring/summer food and cocktails menu, al fresco dining on the terrace, all the necessary health and safety procedures in place and ‘the keenest staff so eager to return to work’.
Becky says: “I just miss interacting with people and seeing people enjoying themselves in a restaurant environment. I have been working from home throughout lockdown and it can be a lonely place when you are used to being around your amazing teams at work and have guest interaction every day. I’m Zoomed out.
“When you work in hospitality, you have a second family with your colleagues because you spend so much time with them, I can’t wait to be back on site with this family, doing what we do best!
“Manchester, we are ready for you!”
Blackjack Brewery, which runs Northern Quarter pub Smithfield Tavern and Jack in the Box bars in Altrincham Market and Mackie Mayor. The Smithfield closed its doors last year when the substantial meal rule was introduced, while the two bars were able to continue operating as they were in the same venue as food traders.
Of course, they’re all closed now for lockdown but the brewery has been continuing with home deliveries, and they’ve had a stall at Altrincham Market selling bottles and cans too. Blackjack is also hosting a beer tasting evening from the Smithfield this Saturday with live DJs and other entertainment.
“It’s that uncertainty that’s horrible at the moment,” said Rich from Blackjack.
“One of the main things is that when they do announce is that there’s a solid timeframe that we can all work towards rather than just rumours. That’s always been annoying, just being given last minute bits of information.”
Rich is also hoping for an end to the substantial meal rule which he described as ‘very damaging’ for themselves and other pubs like them that don’t serve food.
Before the pandemic, the team had made lots of plans to redo the brewery and pub, taking out loans to cover the work. Over the first lockdown, the Smithfield had a refurb, with a new roof and new booth seating. They have also invested in all new brewing equipment which is currently being fitted, which will mean they can produce a wider range of beer.
All of this work has been done without knowing when they will be able to welcome back customers into their venues.
Rich added: “The focus has been on surviving day to day, and hopefully from Monday we’ll be able to really start to plan properly.”
There seem to be mixed feelings among those who work in hospitality at the moment.
Both an eagerness and anxiety to reopen once again, but also a willingness to wait if absolutely necessary, nobody wants to do it too early and have to close yet again.
Luke from Escape to Freight Island says what’s needed more than anything is a consistent message.
He said: “From start to finish there’s been a complete volatility and opportunism in everything [the government] have done. It’s been a shit show really. But that’s the way it is and I’m not going to moan about that, we’re past that.
“So if I was going to wish for something it’d be a clear message for when hospitality can return. People need a date.”
The Ticket Hall opened for just four days before the November lockdown
Freight Island had only just opened the Ticket Hall, the second phase of their planned development for the Mayfield Depot. It was open for just four days before the second lockdown was introduced in November.
“For us it will just be returning to where we left off, which is just reopening with an even bigger bang,” said Luke.
“When we first came up with the idea of Freight Island… I used to go to New York, I just loved Coney Island and the whole city going to this place where you can bring the family, go with friends, you’re outside, you’re eating, there’s entertainment, there’s fun, there’s booze. And we wanted to do that but with quality food and one of those places that had that effervescence and excitement.
“In those three or four days that we were open, it was actually really exciting. So, for me it’s just rewinding back to then and starting again.”
Freight Island has now planned a huge food and drink festival, Kantina Weekender, for the second May bank holiday weekend. It’s the kind of exciting events that we all need to be able to look forward to right now.
A clear message
Overwhelmingly, those who work in hospitality just need to know what is going to happen. It’s something that you feel should go without saying, but as past experience has shown us, it needs to be said.
They need a clear roadmap, a date, something they can plan for.
They need to know that when they spend money on stock, they won’t be told to once again shut up shop, told to throw away the food or pour the beer down the drain.
We all want to get out of the house, to get back to restaurants and pubs and bars and see our mates, and all of those wonderful things. And no one wants to be locked down again, so we understand it needs to be done safely.
If we need to wait a little longer, ok, but let’s just hope that this time, we can have a clear plan, something that extends beyond a couple of weeks, for when we can return to a little bit of normal. And please, let this be the last time that businesses have to close their doors.
Set to take place over the second May Bank Holiday weekend, the Kantina Weekender will celebrate all things food and drink with a line up of stellar chefs, restaurants and breweries all confirmed to take part.
Part of the second phase of Freight Island’s development, the Ticket Hall opened just days before the second national lockdown came into force at the start of November.
The cavernous interior of the Mayfield Depot had been completely transformed into a drinking and dining space, with a fully heated seating area, and lots of new food and drink vendors.
We didn’t get the chance to fully take advantage of it last time around, so it’s safe to say, we can’t wait to get back there.
The Ticket Hall at Escape to Freight Island
A line up of special collaborations is planned for Kantina Weekender.
Noodle queen Pippy Eats will partner with Northernden Vietnamese restaurant Mi+Pho and taco trader Madre will pair with Michelin-starred chef Brad Carter.
Vegan street food trader Plant Grill will pair with Sam Buckley from the newly awarded ‘green’ Michelin-starred restaurant, Where The Light Gets In. One of only 23 restaurants to be awarded the accolade in the UK and Ireland, the ‘green’ star celebrates sustainable gastronomy practises and recognises the restaurants who are leading the way in sustainability.
Sam Buckley, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to finally be cooking at Escape to Freight Island. It’s an incredible space in the heart of the city and Kantina Weekender will be a great return for food fans across the country.”
Other chefs and restaurants taking part in the event include Simon Mana from Michelin-starred Mana, Stosi Madie from The Parkers Arms, as well as Dishoom and Higher Ground.
For drinks, Pomona Island is teaming up with Northern Monk and Lervig who will be serving their beers, alongside breweries Deya and Camden Town.
Charlie Miller from London wine bar The Laughing Heart and wine specialist Dom the Somm, will join other guest experts which will be announced soon.
There will also be a full programme of live entertainment throughout the weekend, as well as exclusive talks, satellite events and wine tastings.
Freight Island has partnered with charity Eat Well MCR for the event. A collective hospitality professionals and volunteers from all sectors, Eat Well delivers meals to vulnerable people across Great Manchester. A percentage will be included on to all bills with the choice to opt-out.
Dan Morris, managing director of Escape To Freight Island said: “Kantina Weekender is an opportunity to finally come back together and share in the joy of food and drink.
“We are very proud to be able to showcase the talents of the Escape To Freight Island residents whilst they collaborate with some of the UK’s most prestigious chefs, brewers, bartenders and all round hospitality heroes. Manchester’s food and drink scene is a special one and we can’t wait to celebrate it.”
Kantina Weekend is set to take place on 28 to 31 May, 2021.
Lockdown, day 4,946: You’ve disinfected the big shop with anti-bacterial wipes and loaded it into the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Another banana bread loaf cools on the kitchen counter and you decide you absolutely cannot be arsed to cook any of the groceries you just had delivered. You swipe away from your ‘when can I receive the vaccine?’ and ‘how easy is it to move to New Zealand?’ Google searches and hit up Deliveroo for the fourth time that week. It’s only Tuesday.
We’re all really, really missing restaurants. And bars. And pubs. And cafes. And bakeries. It seems such an obvious, pointless statement to even declare at this point, almost a year into a global pandemic, but the inconsistent, irresponsible attitude that has been afforded to the hospitality industry by the British government has constantly dangled that carrot of optimism in front of us that ‘all of this’ won’t last too much longer, that substantial meals will save us, that Eating Out to Help Out is alright. The give and take has taken it’s toll and we’re now entrenched in a deep malaise of DIY meal kits and Joe Wicks workouts. Oh fucking hell.
So this is where Demi Community have stepped in. Founded in July by Ian Moore, formerly of VICE, LADbible and Danish distillery lords Empirical, Demi is a platform that aims to connect communities through food, redefining the way cooks and guests interact online.
Early initiatives by DC have seen them collaborate on group chats with some of the world’s most exciting chefs, giving guests direct access to pick the brains of Roberta’s Pizza tsar Anthony Falco, sustainability senpai Matt Orlando and New York’s go-to duo for carnivores, Butcher Girls, among a myriad of others. The chats cost £10 to join, with 100% of that money heading directly to the chefs themselves to support their culinary work.
However, the campaign that is most catching the attention of the masses at the moment is ‘Love Letters’, – a call-to-arms for food and drink lovers across the globe to declare their love for the establishments they miss the most. The second homes and regular haunts that have provided so much comfort and so many wonderful memories down the years.
Followers are encouraged to visit Demi’s website and write a letter to whichever venue(s) they feel most passionately about, with the most eye catching and inspiring submissions not only being shared on DC’s instagram page, but also earning £100 for the author to spend at that very same venue.
“Last year was total carnage for the industry, and we just felt like those going through that needed to hear just how much their establishments meant to people,” explains Ian, DC’s founder, when I catch up with him.
“It’s not just about going in and getting a meal, it’s really about the moments these places and their staff created and how much they brightened up people’s lives. I feel like people deserve to know that! “
And while nothing is going to replace the physical experience of an unrestricted few hours putting the world to rights over several plates of food and several bottles of alcohol, having a platform to indulge in nostalgia fuelled odes to better times has proved to be an incredibly popular, cathartic experience for a multitude of people.
“The response has been great” enthuses Ian, a former editor at Vice and Empirical Spirits’ original creative director. “It’s fun to see little pockets of engagement pop up and go viral. Go check out New York, it’s wild how many letters have been written there. So many restaurants have gotten back saying how happy it made them. So that feels really special. I feel like any little thing that can raise peoples spirits in this weird time, is only a good thing.”
During his time as LADbible’s content director, Ian, originally from Dublin, based himself in Manchester and instantly became enamoured with the city’s food and drink scene, feeling as if he’d landed in a home-away-from-home during his 18 months in the North West.
“I loved the Manc food scene. I could walk up and down the curry mile, to no end. It was actually a bit stressful because I wanted to eat everywhere on that street and never knew where to pick. I honestly don’t think Manchester’s food scene gets enough credit. Not sure why that is but for me it had so much to offer. Also, I spent way too much time at this little Irish pub called Mother Macs. Is that still there? I hope so.”
“I would write a love letter to that naan bread at Akbar’s. The one that’s the size of a grown human torso.”
Just one cursory glance at Demi’s insta feed tells you all you need to know about the community spirit that hospitality generates and how that spirit resonates not just in specific towns and cities, but universally. For all the remarkable work so many ludicrously talented chefs have done to alter their menus and services so they can be enjoyed in living rooms instead of dining rooms, nothing will ever replace slinging a hungover Irish Fry down your gullet in Koffee Pot on a weekend, nor will it replicate nursing a perfectly poured Guinness at The Castle Hotel, followed by your eighth round of the black stuff next door at Night & Day a few hours later. The hypnotic glow of the embers from within the oven at Rudy’s is a scene that cannot be achieved in your home kitchen, nor can you buzz off the hum of the atmosphere of a jam packed Katsouris, Temple Bar, Mackie Mayor or a Northern Quarter Rice ‘n’ Three gaff when you’re sat in your trackie bottoms, entering the third season of The Sopranos for the fifth time (although that is a fucking great way to spend an evening, tbf).
“I think community is always hugely important, but sometimes I find we take it for granted and don’t really consider it until it’s gone. At least for me. I miss hanging out with people, and meeting new people.”
“DEMI is really just an attempt to bring that sort of connection online in a meaningful way. Not just ads and algorithms but authenticity and community. It seems to be working.”
Ian’s words resonate loud and clear. The tentpoles of our communities will no longer be taken for granted in a post-covid world, whatever or whenever that may be. They will be cherished more than ever, especially in Manchester, the city where ‘tables are made for dancing on’. One lonely, isolated stroll around an abandoned Northern Quarter or Castlefield drives home just how heart wrenching this last 10 months have been for the city. Post-work revelry has become a thing of the past, accidental day sessions consigned to history until further notice. Bartenders, waiting staff and line cooks all sat at home wondering when their tips will start rolling in again.
So what of the future? Ian has an idea of what we should be expecting when times return to just being ‘precedented’.
“I hope people realise how much restaurants really mean and start supporting local, small businesses more and more. These places really are the cornerstones of our community, and without them I think we are losing an absolutely massive part of the social fabric. Whatever the future may be, hopefully DEMI can give a hand in helping with it. I miss restaurants.”
So, while we wait and see what’s round the corner, circling the days off our calendars until we can take a seat with a plate of food and something cold to drink, maybe public declarations of love aren’t such a bad way to pass the time? Show your favourite Mancunian meeting place some love. They’ll appreciate it more than you’ll know.
And now, in a move similar to one made by NOMA last year, Manchester’s only Michelin starred restaurant, Mana, has reopened as a cheeseburger takeaway for lockdown.
With 100 available per day, the burgers are available for pre-order only from Wednesday to Saturday. The first available slots booked out quickly, but we managed to get ourselves booked in to try this high-end burger.
The burger costs £17 and includes a patty made of a Lake District Belted Galloway beef made using a mix of shin, brisket and rump cap.
It is topped American-style cheese made with St Andrews cheddar and beer from Cloudwater, a koji and dill mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce and green onion paste, all piled into a potato and brown butter bun made by Pollen.
The unexpected star of the show was the tangy and fresh green onion paste which cut through the depth and smokiness of the cheese and patty.
Overall we really liked it. To just say it’s a Michelin star burger is a bit too simplistic. What we do know is that Mana plan to keep tweaking and improving and that it’s a very different burger experience to what we’re used to.
At £17 a burger it’s more of a one-off experience than a weekly takeaway (not that you could get a weekly slot if you tried), but it looks like there will be some different options on the takeaway menu soon.
Mana’s head chef Simon Martin has said he’d like to look at adding tacos and fried chicken to the takeaway menu, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for more news and dates as they are announced.
If you want to try Mana’s cheeseburger, they have just released more dinner slots at the time of writing.
“Just imagine. It’s Friday, you’ve finished work, it’s still warm. You and your pals are having an after work drink. There’s no need for masks, no need for distancing. You hug goodbye and everything is good. Soon.”
While we make our way through our third lockdown in less than a year, with restaurants and bars closed for more than two months (this time around), this fantasy feels like nothing more than a warm, fuzzy dream.
But while we may be a way off yet, we’re hopefully starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we can tentatively start to look ahead to a life beyond the pandemic; a time where dining out and socialising will once again be on the cards.
And we’re starting to feel that optimism from operators too, with some new openings on the horizon.
One new venue set for Manchester is a brand new food, drink and entertainment space called Society.
With plans to open in March this year, Society will be an all-day space for street food, craft beer, wine and cocktails.
An artist’s impression of Society Manchester
Located in the former Pitcher and Piano site in Barbirolli Square, the 350-capacity hub will have feature five independently-owned kitchens, a cocktail bar and specialist craft beer taproom, hosted by Hebden Bridge brewery Vocation.
Open from 10am every day, the large space with high ceilings, promises to have plenty of nooks, banquettes and long tables designed as a place for visitors to dine, drink and socialise throughout the day.
Confirmed food traders include Slap & Pickle diner, serving a menu of burgers and loaded fries, and pan-Asian specialists Manzoku Street Food serving sushi and sides.
Slap and Pickle
Leeds-based, Falafel Guys will bring their signature falafel and shawarma wraps to Manchester for the first time.
Finally, the team behind Ancoats restaurant Elnecot will launch their new pizza concept Dokes Pizzeria at Society, serving fresh stone-baked pizzas.
Posting on Instagram, Elnecot wrote: “The cat is out of the bag. Or the pizza is out of the oven… We’ve been working quietly on a new project for a while now and here it is. As part of a brand new space in the city centre called Society, we will be introducing our brand new concept… Dokes Pizzeria.
“We will be keeping the Elnecot ethos of British, seasonal ingredients and we will be showcasing some of the amazing producers who we have worked with over the past three years. We can’t wait to share it with you.”
Manzoku street food
Entertainment will come up in the form of a rotating line-up of resident DJs such as Manchester-based Regal Disco and other special guests.
The team is also planning a programme of events, live music, takeovers and collaborations with local chefs.
Nick Gregory, Director and co-founder of Society, said:
“We’re very excited to finally open the doors to this iconic venue and look forward to welcoming guests throughout the day, evenings and weekends at Society.
“We’ve got an incredible line up that will showcase local food operators as well as our 2021 events programme that will be dedicated to highlighting independent artists from Manchester’s thriving music scene.
“It’s so important to us to create a destination that showcases the very best of Manchester and Society will be just that.”
Society will be located in Barbirolli Square and will open in March 2021.
Having a January birthday can be tough as it is, even without the impact of a global pandemic.
People generally don’t have any money after Christmas, it’s cold, the festive spirit has dissipated and everyone’s decided to give up booze or get on a fitness hype. Add lockdown into the mix and it can seem like a bit of an uphill struggle.
But hold that thought. The silver lining of not going out means that you potentially have more money to spend on the things you want to do, albeit at home. Plus, there’s absolutely no pressure to host a party or anything like that.
As ever, we urge you to spend that money with independent businesses across Greater Manchester.
So if you’re planning a birthday celebration over the next few weeks, for yourself or someone you live with or for someone you can’t see, here are some ideas for things to do, drink and eat – none of which involve a shit Zoom quiz.
Splash out on ingredients
The Easy Fish Co in Heaton Moor
If you’d normally go out for dinner on your birthday, how about putting that money towards buying some top quality ingredients to cook up at home?
Anything you buy from your local butchers, fishmongers, cheese shop and baker will be infinitely better than something you can find in a supermarket and make whatever you’re cooking feel extra special.
If you don’t have a local butcher on your doorstep or simply want to get ingredients delivered to you, Meat Co Manchester’s meat boxes are a special treat. Top quality cuts of meat, delivered to your door. They’ve also created a meat and beer box in collaboration with Manchester brewer Marble which contains brisket, ox cheek and six cans of beer.
Let someone else do the cooking (or most of it)
Hawksmoor at home kits
If letting the food come to you is more your vibe, choose from an array of meal kits and takeaways on offer from Greater Manchester restaurants and traders.
For meal kits, diners can spoil themselves with extra special ones from the likes of Hawksmoor, WOOD and The French chef, Adam Reid.
And, if there are friends and family you’d like to celebrate with, you could all order the same kit, cook it up simultaneously and ‘eat’ together on a video call. It’ll likely be chaos, but it’ll almost definitely be funny.
If you’re planning a full day of eating and drinking, check out the Eat Well Mcr marketplace where you can order from a wealth of independent restaurants and food producers. Think Pollen bread, cheese boards, meal kits, scotch eggs, cakes, tarts and a whole load of booze. Plus, by ordering you’ll be helping to support Eat Well Mcr who feed vulnerable people across the city.
Screw Dry January. It’s your birthday and you’ll silently weep into a cocktail if you want to.
Prestwich’s independent wine shop and bar, Grape to Grain are doing live online wine tastings. They are hosting wine tastings every Friday and Saturday throughout January and February, each with a slightly different theme.
A great birthday activity or as a present, Grape to Grain will deliver wines with paired cheeses to your door in measures of either 100ml, 500ml or full bottles. The wine bar delivers across Greater Manchester with free delivery within specific postcodes and £5 outside of those areas. More information here.
If you want to pretend you’re at an actual bar on your birthday, order some ready mixed cocktails, such as the new cocktail range from Ducie Street. They’ve got mixes like Braeburn & Oak Honey Old Fashioned and Negroni Magazzino.
Other great places to buy your booze in Greater Manchester:
Salut Wines, City Centre
Reserve Wines, Didsbury
Tiny’s Tipple, Chorlton
The Epicurean, Chorlton
Carringtons, Chorlton
Order a big ol’ cake
A vibrant bespoke cake from Bakeorama
Lockdown means that there’s none of this bringing your own cake to the office on your birthday. This year, you can order yourself a massive cake. Eat it in bed, in the bath, no one’s judging you here.
Bakeries are classed as essential shops and many places are doing large celebration cakes to order for delivery or collection.
From wacky, rainbow coloured cakes by Bakeorama to classic celebration cakes from Slattery in Whitefield. Order whatever you fancy and look forward to not sharing it.
Flowers
A bouquet from Northern Flower
Waking up to flowers on your birthday can be pretty special way to start your day.
So, whether you’re ordering them for the person you live with, for someone you can’t see on their birthday, or just for yourself, there are independent florists in Manchester offering delivery services throughout lockdown.
Here are some of our favourites:
Northern Flower, Northern Quarter
Frog, Northern Quarter
Flourish, City Centre & Didsbury
Verdure Floral Design, MediaCity
Ixia Flowers, Urmston
Blossom Flowers, Chorlton
Robie Flowers, Prestwich
Are you celebrating a birthday in lockdown? Let us know how you’re celebrating.
As you will know, Greater Manchester has now been placed into tier 4.
More than three-quarters of the country has now been placed under the toughest restrictions after numbers of cases once again began to rise.
Restrictions of the new tier are the same as that under lockdown. The rules will stay in place for at least the next two weeks, with the next tier review taking place on 13 January and any changes coming into place on 16 January.
Meeting others
As before, you cannot meet people indoors or in private gardens unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble.
You can meet one other person in public outdoor areas for example parks, countryside, forests and public gardens.
Travel
Under tier 4, people have been told to stay at home unless there is a reasonable excuse to leave the house.
‘Reasonable excuses’ include going to work, going shopping for food or other essentials, education, childcare, exercise and caring for others.
Businesses and venues
Under tier 4 restrictions, non-essential shops, personal care, and leisure and entertainment venues must close.
Restaurants and pubs must stay closed in tier 4 and can only operate takeaway and delivery services.
Collecting orders from non-essential retail shops and collecting a takeaway order does constitute a reasonable excuse to leave the home.
Essential retail such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres and off-licences can stay open. Market stalls selling essential retail can also stay open as well as outdoor playgrounds, gyms, pools and sports facilities can also stay open.
Fines
Those who break the rules can be given a Fixed Penalty Notice of £200 for the first offence, doubling for further offences up to a maximum of £6,400.
For anyone who holds, or is involved in holding, an illegal gathering of over 30 people, the police can issue fines of £10,000.
For the full list of restrictions and venues that have to close, visit gov.uk.
“Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.”
– Garfield
That chill ginger cat had it right, didn’t he? Hated Mondays, loved lasagna. We really don’t talk enough about how heroic he was. Lasagna saves lives. It’s a universal truth passed down through generations, both by cartoon orange felines and, perhaps most importantly for the city of Manchester now, the Campolucci-Bordi family.
The Campolucci-Bordi’s have been serving up plate and bowlfuls of homemade Italian goodness for 44 years in Liverpool city centre, attracting the likes of Paul McCartney and Liam Gallagher through their doors in the process. And, after conquering Merseyside for over four decades, they’ve now expanded their North West operation into Manchester.
Setting up shop in a takeaway unit on the Aldow Industrial Estate in Ardwick, Casa Italia (not to be confused with the Didsbury establishment of the same name, which is also well worth a visit when we’re finally rid of the tier three shackles) are driving their pastas, pizzas and desserts to anyone who wants them within a three-mile radius.
Standing room only on Stanley Street. Image: Casa Italia
And in an era of more refined Italian cooking, in which regional or less explored dishes have been promoted to the fore, often with spectacular results (here’s looking at you, Salvi’s and Sugo), there’s a heartwarming sense of relief when Casa Italia’s old school portions put a bend in your dining room table, ready to nurture your soul back to full health after another day of Covid catastrophes on the news.
When you peel back the tinfoil of your delivery order, what greets you is Pavarotti sized portions of the good stuff. The good stuff that you crave when the mercury begins to hover around one degree celsius on a regular basis. The good stuff that will leave you comatose after half a serving, but somehow energise you enough to keep powering through until every last drop of sauce is speckled across the final slice of cheesy garlic bread and dropped into your mouth.
So this is where I loop back to my ode to lasagna. More and more, the iconic al forno dish of beef and béchamel is being reimagined as a more premium offering, with short rib, beef shin and brisket replacing the humble beef mince in the ragú. There’s a lot of slow cooking involved and everything is very fucking sumptuous and indulgent yet, somehow, nothing is ever going to knock that whopping slab your mum lands on your plate on Saturday night while it’s lashing down outside. Half a garlic baguette on the side and you’re golden for the night.
The beauty in Casa Italia’s offering lies precisely here. It’s the exact same serving you would have expected when Cavaliere Mario Campolucci-Bordi threw open the doors on Liverpool’s Stanley Street in 1976 – ragú and béchamel ooze seamlessly together around layers of perfectly cooked lasagna sheets, providing just the correct amount of crunch on top, complemented by an al dente chew within. There’s no premium glow up. It’s a no nonsense, boisterous behemoth of a serving that resembles everything a lasagna should be; The pick-me-up from your mum/partner after a shit day at school/work, the arm round the shoulder and ‘ah mate’ after a break up, the reward after doing well on your exams or scoring the winner in your Saturday League game. It’s a can’t fail go-to meal when times are good and, most relevant to 2020, when times are tough.
Hang this in every art gallery in the world. Image: Casa Italia
Ploughing through a hefty serving last Saturday night was a joyous affair. The very sight of the portion once the lid was peeled back was akin to the women on the old ‘Diet Coke break’ adverts seeing the lad with his top off on the building site crack open a can. An actual, real life “Phwoar” may even have been involuntarily let out. Much like Tony Soprano, it’s a super heavyweight that, if you spend too much time around it, will be detrimental to your health, but is still, somehow, hypnotically enticing. Sexy in fact. Lasagna is sexy. Fight me if you disagree. Casa Italia’s effort is also ruthlessly charming, pinging a smile across your face the second that first mouthful hits and, before you know it, there’s mince on your cheek, béchamel on your chin and a glazed look in your eyes. And that’s before you’ve even encountered the tiramisu or white chocolate and biscoff cheesecake that’s to follow.
This is old school Italian, feel good cooking at it’s best. You eat it in your grey joggers on your settee with a bottle of red and a premium American cable drama (fuck it, just stick The Sopranos on and be done with it).
Then you tackle the desserts.
It would be remiss to make this all about the lasagna, tempting though that is. To follow were a Tiramisu the size of Sicily and the aforementioned biscoff based cheesecake. The gargantuan tiramisu may not originally seem like what you would want to follow half a ton of meat, cheese and pasta, but give it a good half an hour or so, and go and retrieve that sucker from the fridge. The boozy, coffee mixture is a decadent delight, with espresso soaked ladyfingers slathered in double cream, mascarpone and cocoa powder leaving you ready for a tremendously deep sleep well into Sunday morning.
44 years and still going strong in Liverpool, now Casa Italia have made the voyage across the North West to bring their old school classics to Manchester. Image: Casa Italia
The cheesecake, meanwhile, while of a more normal proportion, still packs a very sweet punch without overstepping the mark into sickly territory. It’s a dessert that is simply a lot of fun, which just about sums up everything the Casa Italia delivery experience has to offer.
So if, like most of us, you’re yearning that family friendly, heartwarming, soul nourishing experience from your meals but 2020 has you too beat up to slave over the hob for hours on end, drop Casa Italia a line and stick something good on the box. They’ll see you right.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
