Making a meal of it: Can pubs and bars survive Tier 3?

As the restrictions in Greater Manchester tighten once again, pubs and bars across the city region have been ordered to close unless they serve a ‘substantial meal’.

In what’s been a endless stream of changes for hospitality businesses, many were faced with an ultimatum, start serving food or close.

The ‘substantial meal’ rule was seemingly up for interpretation with no steadfast description of what it actually meant.

It left venues and punters with lots of questions. What exactly is a substantial meal? How many drinks can I order with a meal? Can I order a drink while I wait for a table? And so on.

On top of this, with the restrictions announced on Tuesday and coming into force at midnight on Thursday, there was some lingering uncertainty around the level of support on offer for businesses if they do close.

Blackjack brewery who run the Smithfield Tavern on Great Ancoats Street have now closed their pub as they don’t have a viable kitchen space. The pub has been struggling since reopening due to the reduction in footfall in the city centre.

Over the last lockdown, the pub had a refurb, with a new roof and new booth seating, but they haven’t been able to welcome many of their regular customers back to see it.

Rich from Blackjack said: “We look forward to the other side of this and being open at The Smithfield. We only had a short timeframe for people to come in and see the new place.

“The Smithfield has a very varied customer base with slightly older drinkers and people like that. Quite a few of them might not have actually been out yet, either being cautious or just not gone into the city centre. We’re quite looking forward to getting them back and people actually seeing the Smithfield as it is because, personally, I think it looks great.”

Fortunately for Blackjack, they also run Jack in the Box, beer bars located in Mackie Mayor and Altrincham Market, which are allowed to stay open thanks to the venues’ other food operators.

Like last time round, they are doing home deliveries of their beer in bottles, cans, as well as 5 and 10 litre bag in boxes. Beers can be ordered directly from the brewery’s website: blackjack-beers.com.

Blackjack also run Jack in the Box at Altrincham Market and Mackie Mayor

Petersgate Tap in Stockport is a small pub in a converted shop building in the centre of Stockport.

Owner Alan has closed the pub for now as they don’t have a kitchen set up. They are still considering the possibility of starting to serve food but have decided, with the confusion around what makes a ‘substantial meal’ and how long someone can stay to drink while eating, that it’s more trouble than it’s worth.

Alan said: “It’s not a level playing field is it? Because the last time we were in total lockdown. I would welcome a second lockdown to be honest. I think a lockdown is best, you know, to trigger a break in the spread if you like. This sort of tiered approach to us is more like sticking plaster type solution.

“We are a Tier 3 pub, that doesn’t serve food, we’re effectively in lockdown but that doesn’t apply to everybody.”

During the previous lockdown, Alan converted the top floor of the pub, which was formerly used as a function room, into storage so they could sell takeaway beers. Now they have had to close again, they will once again be operating as a bottle shop, taking orders in store and online.

Alan said: “So now, we’re able to swing right into that straight away. That investment by us we’re hoping will now pay off in terms of the fact that we’ve already got stock, people can walk in and buy beers off the shelves. You know, the takings are going to be way down but, with any luck, with the support that was announced, it will keep us afloat.”

Beers can be bought to takeaway at The Petersgate Tap in Stockport town centre or via their website: petersgatetap.com/shop.

As ever, in the absence of clear information and insufficient support for businesses on a national level, Greater Manchester’s hospitality community has pulled together to support each other, with many food operators and restaurants rallying around those pubs and bars who want to stay open.

One such operator is, street food event, GRUB who put out a call to pubs and bars that don’t currently have a substantial food offering to see if they can pair them up with their network of street food traders.

Since then, GRUB have been inundated with requests from pubs and bars looking to source a food trader for their venue.

Owner of GRUB, Jules, said: “It just seemed like an obvious thing. We know loads of traders and they don’t need much to pop up. You know, our traders, essentially their set up is designed to be brought somewhere, pop up a gazebo – some of them they don’t even have to have a gazebo – they pop up and just start serving food, so it just seemed obvious that if there are places that need food then we know all the people that can do that.”

“You worry about your own city as well don’t you? We’re so worried about our hospitality community. It’s beneficial for us all if Manchester has a thriving food and drink community. We want as many people to come out of the other side as possible.”

Based at Red Bank Project in the Green Quarter, GRUB have had to make some difficult decisions themselves when it comes to staying open.

Jules said: “At the moment, like everyone, we’re just trying to scrape by and keep going, keep going, keep everyone in our team in jobs, and that’s the most important thing for us.

“Also for our traders, you know, all our traders are self employed, some of them have had no support whatsoever because they weren’t registered in time last year to get the support. So, some of them have literally just had to get by on what they’ve managed to do with delivery services and things.

“Even talking about it is making me a bit emotional. Some of these traders have already had massive losses because their bread and butter is doing the summer festivals but obviously none of those have happened so that’s what normally gets them through the winter.

“So not having had that it’s quite a bleak situation for a lot of street food traders, which is also why we hope that with some of these pubs it can be a really good partnership working together.”

Based at Red Bank Project in the Green Quarter, GRUB have had to make some difficult decisions themselves when it comes to staying open (Image: GRUB)

One pub that has been partnering up with a food business for some time is Piccadilly Tap, which has announced it is staying open.

Located on Station Approach, the bar is known primarily as a place to get a great pint before hopping on a train but it also serves pizza, provided by neighbouring Italian restaurant Bravissimi!. Now, of course, ordering a pizza will be compulsory for those who want to get a pint at the bar, rather than an optional extra.

Amy from Piccadilly Tap says that with each round of announcements, it’s gets more challenging, and that the recent restrictions seem to have put many people off coming into town altogether, with the city centre much quieter than normal.

However, she questions the whether the new ‘substantial meal’ rule would really make any difference in terms of transmissions.

She said: “It’s such a secure, safe environment and with only 3% [of transmissions] coming from hospitality, those figures are really low. And it’s our job to keep everyone safe and fed and watered. It’s a shame that it’s gotten so quiet, I think people are trying to follow the government rules but, as I say, it hits us quite hard I think.

“It just seems a bit disappointing, it’s a bit relentless, it’s one thing after another, but we’re just going to try our best and give this pizza thing a good shot. Fingers crossed.”

Despite the challenges, some pubs and bars are fighting to stay open by introducing new menus or working with traders to start serving food.

The Crooked Man in Prestwich opened again over the weekend with a pop up by sandwich delivery service, SANSAN.

There’s also Sammy’s Cocktail Bar in the Northern Quarter which will now serve bagels filled with salt beef, pastrami and smoked salmon and cream cheese.

And, G-A-Y on Canal Street serving their ‘Not The Ivy, But Substantial’ menu, including burger and chips, pizza and chips, and jacket potatoes for only £2 per dish.

Popular Northern Quarter takeaway Cafe Marhaba has offered up its services to pubs and bars to help them stay open.

Their post on Instagram read: “We think we may be able to provide a pop up service or meal kits which you can put together to provide your customers with a substantial meal.”

Street food traders who have developed a delivery box offering during lockdown, such as Northern Soul Grilled Cheese and Yaoyao Noodles, have suggested to pubs to use these as a way of staying open.

It really does feel like everyone is coming together to support each other.

A small glimmer of hope is the new support packages for Tier 2 regions which will be backdated for Greater Manchester businesses who have operated under more strict restrictions since the beginning of August.

There will also be financial support available for venues which close as a result of the restrictions, although it looks like this will be much less than first time around, with only 67% paid to furloughed staff instead of 80% for starters.

Despite this funding, there’s still a total lack of consistency and security for hospitality businesses who have jumped through hoops for months to stay afloat.

With a minimum of 28 days for the current restrictions to be in place, it’s unclear as to when we will move out of Tier 3 or if we will plunge further into tighter restrictions with another national lockdown.

Whether venues have pushed to remain open or accepted the fact that they have to close, it’s going to be yet another few challenging few months for hospitality businesses in Greater Manchester.

As many of the venues of told us, the real issue is that, especially in the city centre, it’s really bloody quiet at the moment. So even if the businesses can stay open, there’s a question as to whether it will be viable for them.

So, as ever, we urge you to carry on supporting these independent businesses in whatever way you can; whether that’s heading out for a meal or ordering some beers to stay at home. We’re all in this together.

Do you own a pub or bar which has started serving food in order to stay open? Or are you a food and drink trader looking to offer their services? Get in touch to let us know – maya@eatmcr.com.

You don’t have to go vegan to eat more sustainably – the two Manchester women changing the way we think about meat

Over the last few years, eating meat has gotten an increasingly bad reputation.

Depending on who you speak to, it would seem like the only way to do better for the planet is to cut down on meat, or stop eating it altogether. But is this really justified?

One Manchester company is challenging this perception with a more sustainable approach to eating meat.

MeatCo Manchester provides quality meat boxes, sourced from local farmers and delivered to your door. The brand champions ‘farm-to-fork, nose-to-tail’ eating, promoting the use of lesser known cuts of meat in order to reduce waste. They also use recyclable and sustainable wool packaging believing in ‘no waste, big taste’.

Founded by India Morris and Justine Fitton, the pair grew up around farming communities and understand how difficult it can be for local farmers to compete with supermarkets who drive down the price of meat at the expense of quality.

MeatCo hopes to support local farmers to sell their produce by making it much easier for consumers to get their hands on it. They are currently working with farmers like Peter Holt of Ivy House Farm and Joe Bosworth of Edenfield, both in Rossendale. As the business expands, they will be looking to work with more farms across the region.

MeatCo Manchester was founded by India Morris and Justine Fitton

Currently, 27% of meat reared in Britain is exported to other countries as consumers simply aren’t interested in buying certain cuts. Meanwhile, 26% of meat eaten in Britain is imported to keep up with the demand for popular cuts like sirloin and fillet.

Transporting this meat back and forth inevitably leads to much higher emissions. So simply by buying lesser known cuts from local farmers, consumers are able to eat in a more sustainable and ethical way.

Co-founder, India  Morris, who was brought up on a dairy farm in Ramsbottom, said: “MeatCo started to support our local farmers across Greater Manchester and Lancashire throughout a time when restaurants had closed and they lost quite a bit of trade, and to basically push a better way to eat meat.

“Veganism is very topical at the moment but there’s still loads of people who eat meat and, like myself, would like to do so more fairly and sustainably. As we work directly with the farmers we know how the animals are treated, killed and prepared.

“We want to encourage people to buy and cook meat they wouldn’t usually to reduce waste and meat exports. For example, in the UK we import certain cuts like fillet steak to cope with demand and export less desirable or less ‘fashionable’ cuts. We want to help people understand that cuts such as skirt steak or lamb breast are really tasty if you just give it a go.”

“MeatCo is here to educate, be transparent and encourage more ethical eating.”

The brand champions a ‘farm to fork, nose to nail’ approach to eating meat

The company launched at the end of August, in what’s been an incredibly challenging time for the food and drink industry as a whole.

If one good thing has come out of lockdown, though, it’s been the quality of food you can now get delivered to your door.

“Consumer habits have changed,” says India.

“Loads of people are now ordering to their doors rather than going shopping every day.

We know that a lot of people our age have done loads more cooking and are becoming more aware of what they buy and where it comes from.”

The meat boxes come in various sizes with a regularly changing selection of cuts of meat in an effort to reduce waste and to introduce customers to parts of the animal that they might not have tried before.

There’s the monthly special box with enough for four meals for two people in a medium box (£35) or four meals for four people in a large box (£65). And for those who live alone, there’s the ‘Livin’ La Vida Lonely’ box which has three different cuts (£18).

There are the ‘Got Beef’ and ‘Lamb Lovin’ boxes which include a selection of cuts from each animal. Finally, there’s the Steak Box with eight juicy portions of steak including a large Tomahawk sharing steak, two of each of Bavette, Picanha and Flat Iron steaks.

MeatCo provide suggested recipes and tips for cooking the different cuts of meat

For those who need a helping hand in the kitchen, MeatCo provides a selection of recipes and tutorials to help cook the perfect steak, or to get to know that new cut of meat.

India said: “It’s all been really good – loads of people are surprised that they enjoyed cooking and creating something different so much. We’ve also had a couple of messages from people excited that they are buying from young (ish) women, which is lovely.

“We have also had a few requests for a monthly subscription which may well be on the cards if enough people tell us they want one.”

The deadline for orders is midnight on Mondays for delivery during the daytime on Thursday.

For more information about what’s on offer and to make an order, visit: meatco-mcr.co.uk.

Tampopo has closed ‘difficult’ Piccadilly Gardens restaurant

Manchester-born restaurant brand, Tampopo, has announced the closure of its Piccadilly Gardens site.

The popular pan-Asian restaurant opened the branch just two years ago, alongside its other city centre restaurants in the Corn Exchange and Albert Square.

These two restaurants will remain open as will the restaurant at the Trafford Centre, and the East Street kiosk in the food court.

The enforced closures due to Covid and low footfall in the city centre since have made for an incredibly challenging atmosphere for restaurants

Now, Tampopo’s founder David Fox says he has been left with ‘no option’ but to close the restaurant after attempts to renegotiate rent with the landlord failed.

David said: “I have made the difficult decision to permanently close Tampopo Piccadilly Gardens. I had approached the landlord to see if they would consider a turnover based rent to allow us to trade during this period. This was rejected with no alternative offer suggested.

“They are seeking full payment of rent and service charge, including for the period we were closed.”

Tampopo’s two other city centre restaurants will remain open

Even before the pandemic, it had not been an easy two years for Tampopo staff at Piccadilly Gardens.

David said: “My thanks go to the Tampopo Piccadilly team that have worked their hearts out to try and make the site work. It has been a difficult site to operate. It was in the eye of the storm of Piccadilly Gardens.

“This meant lots of liaison with the council, the police, the rough-sleepers team, the antisocial behaviour team, the street cleaners’ team and the drug squad amongst others. My team will not miss this.

“Whilst there was a will by the council to improve Piccadilly Gardens with a plan to improve the area with investment from the council, the resulting Pandemic has put paid to/seriously delayed that.

“Covid has also hit Piccadilly Gardens hard as it relies on office workers (many of whom were already vacating Piccadilly Gardens pre Covid) and visitors to the city – with many hotels in the area either closed or vacant.

“This makes the Landlord’s decision to not offer any support all the more short sighted.”

Tampopo founder David Fox (Image: Paul Wolfgang Webster)

It is hoped that the most recent government support package will allow Tampopo to retain most its staff.

Along with this financial aid and the option for working meals, there are what David describes as “little glimmers of hope for improved sales across the rest of the Tampopo sites.”

He said: “The challenge we at Tampopo have is unchanged. To make sure every customer leaves with a smile on their face by creating a moments of happiness in their day.

“This is especially relevant in today’s mad world and which great service and food has the unique ability to do.

“My thanks go to every single one of the Tampopo team for all their hard work in delivering this on a daily basis. With the help of our customers we will get through this.”

‘Trade Has Fallen Off A Cliff’ – Curfews and Tiers Leaving Manchester Pubs on the Brink

Twelve billion pounds for a failed track and trace. Seven thousand pounds a day for up to 200 consultants on an already shelved Operation Moonshot. Fifty two million pounds on a bridge in London that doesn’t actually exist. Eighty million pounds to repair Big fucking Ben. Twenty two million pounds for Greater Manchester’s entire, almost crippled, hospitality industry.

Twenty.Two.Million.

No matter how many substantial meals are devoured over the next couple of months, it’s not going to be enough to stop many of Greater Manchester’s pubs and bars from starving. And the Tory government have all those job losses, bankruptcies and business closures on their hands. Not that they seem to care as the North/South divide becomes an unbridgeable chasm.

As time was called on non-food serving establishments’ current operational hours at 10pm on Thursday, with the bells ringing out for the commencement of Tier Three, the city’s hospitality industry was plunged into further uncertainty, only 10 days after seemingly being spared the most draconian of restrictions.

“Business had been good since July, honestly above our expectations,” explains Nick de Sousa, owner of Northern Quarter favourite Tariff & Dale.

“It wasn’t like pre-Covid times but The Eat Out scheme boosted August, spreading trade through the week. Outside space also really helped, especially with the ban on indoor mixing of households. The City Council deserve a lot of credit and gratitude for the help they provided and their approach.

“It’s been the last month and a half that has undone all that work.  Trade in the last three weeks has fallen off a cliff due to the messaging from government. There are simply not the numbers of people coming into the city and the 10PM curfew was the killer blow.

“I am in disbelief that the government think that the measures will work.”

De Sousa’s disbelief has been echoed throughout the industry, with Martin Greenhow, Managing Director of Mojo similarly frustrated with the lack of funding on offer to establishments with no option but to shutter their doors. A late night city centre staple, infamous for table dancing and some of the most treacherous stairs you’ll ever encounter at three in the morning, Mojo’s Manchester branch, located above Crazy Pedro’s on has had to temporarily throw in the towel, along with sister sites in Liverpool, Nottingham, Leeds and Harrogate, after staggering through the last few weeks of curfew practically punch drunk.

“In many respects the imposition of Tier three was a relief. At least until Tuesday’s announcement, there was no government support for businesses that were being crippled by the curfew and household mixing restrictions. With a move to Tier three we were at least able to access some much needed support for our staff. That said the level of support being offered seems to be completely insufficient. Additionally the grant scheme is little more than window dressing when you consider the level of support it offers in comparison to the fixed property costs and debt costs all businesses have.”

After reopening it’s doors in July, MOJO, despite being best known for what happens inside it’s four walls after midnight, with barely any room to breathe between bodies heaving to ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac and ‘Tiny Dancer’ (think the tour bus scene from Almost Famous with substantially more sweat), had actually been enjoying a very healthy return to business, reveals Greenhow;

“MOJO as a business returned from lockdown very successfully. We were working with a 60% reduction in capacity but by adopting new methods and systems combined with incredible levels of diligence and professionalism from our staff we were managing to deliver turnover at approximately 85% of our pre covid level.

“Following the imposition of the curfew that collapsed. MOJO Manchester dropped to approximately 15% of our pre covid turnover levels.

“If you compare the last full Friday before the announcement of Tier three with the same Friday a year prior you see in 2019 MOJO Manchester took approximately £10,000, on that last Friday it took £175.”

If those figures aren’t jaw dropping enough, Labour and Co-op MP for Manchester Central Lucy Powell took to Twitter to inform everyone, “Just for some context, the money the Treasury clawed back from GM in business cash grants from March/April lockdown stands at £88m. So government TOOK BACK £88m in Covid business support but now won’t give less than this to support GM businesses now.”

But if MOJO’s recent figures paint a bleak picture, imagine being a newcomer starting up amid a global pandemic, with an uncaring, unflinching government doing all they can to hinder any chance of success you may have envisioned when you first threw open your doors.

This is the reality facing Mecanica, a recent addition to Swan Street, who took over the unit previously occupied by The Quick Brown Fox. After opening on 28th August, the cocktail bar and restaurant from the team behind ClockWork (formerly Ziferblat) had been enjoying a healthy start to life, helmed in the kitchen by Marc Benton, formerly of La Bandera, serving up deli boards and small plates.

Just less than two months later and the stark reality is that major adjustments are having to be made just to keep heads above water, with owner Gareth Harold revealing to us his disappointment with the government’s announcement and lack of sufficient funding.

“It was a reaction of disappointment, the hospitality industry is the backbone of the UK and Manchester, in particular, is renowned for its vibrant bar and restaurant offering. Without adequate funding, those people who work in our industry will not be able to survive. Most venues do not have surpluses of cash in order to support an industry that is struggling because people don’t have the confidence to venture out due to the mixed messages that are being given via the media.”

Mecanica is now aiming to pivot to slightly different culinary offerings, with an At Home service currently being fine tuned while also looking at collaborations with some of their Northern Quarter neighbours.

Such adjustments are set to become commonplace across the county, with independent vendors already offering their services to those unable to stay open unless a food option is provided.

SIS4ERS Distillery in Salford has similarly altered their business model, with Sales and Marketing Director Lucy McAvoy revealing their latest plans, earlier this week, while at the same time shining a spotlight on how stifling the Tories policies are proving to be for thousands of hardworking hospitality and hospitality adjacent workers across not only Greater Manchester, but the whole of the North West, with Lancashire and Merseyside already in Tier Three.

“Following the announcement we find ourselves in a position where we will have to close our tours and gin experiences due to the new tier three guidelines and restrictions.

“Our Gin tours make up nearly a third of our business, they support wages, rent and overheads – they also heavily impact the shop sales of our gin. We can’t afford to simply just stop.

“We have made the decision to introduce an afternoon tea concept into our gin tasting, providing food to keep our experiences open. We can’t wait for an unknown period of time to reopen our doors and we are determined to make this work complying with the new rules.”

And if you thought venues with ample menus at their disposal would be able to weather the storm, think again. King Street’s cavernous pub game playground Flight Club has had to temporarily shut up shop for the second time this year, with a blanket ban on meeting with those outside your own household bubble effectively killing the social aspect which is the darts bar’s hallmark.

In a statement to EATMCR, Marketing Director Juliette Keyte said, “The latest news is devastating. We, like everyone else in hospitality in Manchester, have worked tirelessly since we reopened to look after both our customers and team, whilst bringing back some joy and making up for missed moments earlier in the year. We will do all we can to get through this and we’ll be ready when the time’s right.”

The shared devastations across the industry have spread throughout the county, with countless locals once again without a regular haunt to visit for a pint or three to ease the anxieties of surviving through a global pandemic that is irreperably damaging lives with consistent, sickening assists from a Tory government bungling from one seismic disaster to the next. Thousands more have no idea when they’ll next be able to complete a full shift, wondering how they’ll be able to pay rent, mortgages and bills on just two thirds of their wages, which are unable to be further supplemented with the usual tips that would come their way.

That Covid surveillance figures last week showed that only 3% of new infections can be attributed to hospitality, while 28% have occurred in schools and universities, 27% in care homes and 23% in workplaces, proves beyond doubt that Boris Johnson isn’t so much following the science as he is sprinting furiously away from it as if it were a former mistress clutching a paternity test.

And how about those school and university stats and the hardly conspicuous spike in infections in September. Y’know, when schools returned and, for reasons we will go the rest of our lives without having the slightest hope of understanding, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY were allowed to descend, en masse into halls of residence. Does the fact almost 600 schools across the county have students and teachers isolating not tip off ANYONE in charge that they in fact may just be a bit of a problem? Or the fact Fallowfield, one of the most populous student locations in the whole United Kingdom, became a hotbed for new infections almost overnight, with north of 550 cases being attributed to the suburb? But what do I know? I’m only going off proven scientific research and statistics.

But perhaps fury is best saved for those within the industry, such as Tariff & Dale’s Nick de Sousa, who’s message to the government is delivered with a level of clarity and assuredness the clown in number 10 and his bumbling cartel of fuckwits could never dream of achieving.

What you are asking us to do is akin to asking a surgeon to operate on a patient, blindfolded, with one arm behind our back and the blood supply van having been banned from coming to hospital.  The patient will not survive.  We need to be allowed to reopen up and trade without draconian restraints like curfews, but safely!

Hear fucking hear.

 

 

Don Giovanni launches Sunday Roast menu with UNLIMITED gravy

Manchester’s oldest Italian restaurant has revamped its Sunday offering with the launch of its new roast menu.

Don Giovanni’s new menu is a traditional affair, including everything you’d expect on a Sunday Roast plate, with a little Italian twist.

Meaty options include slow-cooked lamb shoulder, chicken supreme or topside of beef.

For non-meat-eaters there’s mushroom wellington – garlic and herby mushrooms wrapped in thick shortcrust pastry – which can be adapted for vegans or vegetarians.

All roasts come served with caramelised parsnips and carrots, tender stem broccoli and a cheesy cauliflower gratin, which can be made with soy milk and vegan mozzarella for those who don’t eat dairy.

Giant Yorkshire puddings come heaped in the middle of the table along with a large jug of gravy. And if, like me, you always need more gravy on your roast, simply ask the servers who will bring you a refill.

Desserts include the Italian classic, tiramisu, made fresh in-house by their Italian dessert chefs. Homemade Savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers) are dipped in espresso then layered with a creamy mascarpone mousse and dusting of chocolate.

If you fancy something a bit more British, opt for chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream, or sticky toffee pudding, which is topped sugar-coated walnuts and drizzled in a warm toffee sauce.

Still keeping it real for the vegans out there, Don Giovanni make their own vegan panna cotta topped with a tart berry compote.

For those of you who prefer to stay at home at the moment, you needn’t miss out as Don Giovanni is also delivering Sunday Roasts.

INFO ABOUT DELIVERIES.

Located at the top of Oxford Road, next to St Peter’s Square, Don Giovanni is serving roasts from 12pm each Sunday. It’s £16.95 for one course of £19.95 for two.

To book a table or order a home delivery visit: XXX

Six by Nico launches new Indian-inspired menu

It’s that time yet again when Six by Nico launches its new menu, and this one has been inspired by the flavours of Indian cuisine.

The ‘Bombay Kitchen’ menu launched on Monday 19 October and is available until Sunday 29 November.

You know the drill by now – it’s six courses for £29 and, if desired, a wine flight for £26 with an expertly paired glass with each dish.

The new menu has been inspired by the diverse culture and geography of Mumbai.

Each of the courses is a fine-dining take on local dishes and age-0ld Indian traditions, executed with chef Nico Simeone’s signature flair.

Chef Nico Simeone said “India is famous for its diverse cuisine. There is an amalgamation of food styles, some are authentic, some are inspired and some are discovered accidentally.

“Our Bombay Kitchen menu blends the diverse cooking styles of modern India while revamping classic dishes in a whimsical array of textures and flavours.”

First up on the menu is Aloo Sabzi – ‘aloo’ meaning potato and ‘sabzi’ meaning vegetables in gravy – this is the closest you’ll get to a bowl of curry that you’ll get on this menu.

It comes served a small pot filled with chickpea dahl with small cubes of salty paneer, cloaked in potato espuma (a light potato foam) and topped with kaffir lime leaf oil, toasted chickpeas and cripsy onions.

Full of flavour and indulgent, I could have eaten a few more bowls of this.

The first course is Aloo Sabzi – chickpea and paneer dahl with potato espuma and crispy onions

The second course is Salli Boti, traditionally a Parsi celebratory dish consisting of stewed meat and crispy potato sticks.

My personal favourite dish of the menu, Nico’s version is a rectangle of lamb belly, topped with crispy puffed potato and served with grilled cucumber, curry emulsion and a pillow-soft naan.

The next dish is inspired by the flavours of a popular roadside snack in Mumbai called Corn Bhutta. It consists of succulent pressed chicken thigh, pickled mushrooms, BBQ spiced corn and lime and deggi mirch (a distinctive Indian spice blend made from a blend of different chillies).

Salli Botti – lamb belly, with crispy potato, cucumber and a pillow-soft naan

The fourth course is roasted cod, with an onion and ginger chutney, an onion bhaji, curry leaf, topped with an impressive squid ink tuile and with an onion and ginger broth spooned over at the table.

The cod was beautifully cooked and, when you got a bit of every ingredient on the fork at the same time, the result was really well balanced.

The final savoury dish is loin and belly of pork, served with a square of pressed sultana biriyani, a bright Makhani sauce, coriander and mint chutney, and garnished with a poppadom.

Loin and belly of pork with Makhani sauce, pressed sultana biriyani and a poppadom

The pork loin itself felt a little tough and the dish didn’t tie together quite as well as the others, but the pork belly was soft and juicy and the biriayni with the Makahi sauce was beautifully spiced.

For dessert, it’s Nico’s take on a Mango Lassi, a mango yoghurt panna cotta topped with Alphonso mango sorbet, fresh mango, toasted fennel and a cumin seed tuile. It’s a wonderful mix of different temperatures, creamy and crunchy textures, and sweet and sour flavours.

A dessert inspired by Mango Lassi

If six courses isn’t quite enough food for you, diners can also add on a selection snacks for £5 which includes prawn dumplings, Moilee coconut sauce and sourdough bread with spiced butter.

This Indian-inspired menu is certainly not your average curry night. The menu takes you on a journey through Mumbai’s culinary heritage with reinterpretations of familiar dishes and introductions to some new and unexpected flavours.

Six by Nico’s Bombay Kitchen menu is available from Monday 19 October to Sunday 29 November.

To book, visit: sixbynico.co.uk/manchester.

The Oast House Teepee returns – and there’s 50% off food in October

The nights are drawing in and the festive season is on the approach.

And, even though Christmas is set to feel quite different this year, we’re pleased to see one festive favourite has returned to Spinningfields this week.

With the Manchester Christmas Markets cancelled and Tier 3 restrictions imminent, The Oast House has pressed on with the launch of the Goose Island Teepee.

Decked out with fire pits, faux fur throws and fairy lights, The Curious Teepee is probably the cosiest Christmas hideaway in Manchester.

Manchester’s cosiest Christmas hideaway returns to Spinningfields

With a comforting menu of winter warmers, diners visiting the Teepee in October can enjoy half price food from Monday to Friday.

Starters and nibbles include pork crackling, whole baked camembert and cauliflower wings.

There are also ‘house boards’ including a deli board, a hot board and a vegan board.

Of course, diners can enjoy The Oast House’s famous hanging kebabs with a choice of chicken, lamb kofta, crispy halloumi, salt and pepper pork, and chicken and chorizo.

The kebabs are served with seasoned fries which can be upgraded to chunky chips or sweet chilli chips.

With half priced food during the week, diners can go all out with a choice of desserts including Oreo cookie dough and caramelised banana sundae.

The Curious Teepee is currently taking bookings of up to six people from one household only. It’s not essential to book in advance but it is strongly advised by the venue.

Alongside the existing Covid guidelines for restaurants like table service and tracking customer details, under the new Tier 3 restrictions, drinks may only be served if they are ordered with a meal.

To make a booking, visit: theoasthouse.uk.com/the-curious-teepee.

Dough and Apotheca, two longstanding Northern Quarter venues have now closed

Two of the Northern-quarter’s longest standing restaurants and bars have now closed for good.

Announced on Apotheca’s social media account last night and first reported by the Manchester Evening News, the bar has confirmed it is now permanently closed.

The post on Instagram read: “Sadly Apotheca’s doors are closed for good.

“We’ve had a good run in the Northern Quarter and thank you to everyone who has visited us over the years. RIP Apotheca.”

Opened in November 2008, Apotheca has been a stalwart venue in the Northern Quarter for more than a decade.

The bar’s sister restaurant Dough, which celebrated its 10th birthday in January this year, has also closed.

Known for their Italian pizza and pasta dishes, Dough prided itself on catering for all dietary requirements, with a generous list of options for gluten free, dairy free and vegan diners.

There was no such announcement on social media for Dough, however, their Instagram bio was updated to say ‘PERMANENTLY CLOSED’.

Dough hadn’t reopened since lockdown and there was a sign in their window for several months which read: “Due to the ongoing circumstances (we all know what circumstances) we are closing our doors and working from home.

“We have survived floods, riots, Brexit, austerity and more.

“The list is too long to go on and I have a limited word count.

“We will be back when this blows over, slinging gluten free, vegan and regular pizzas til your hearts content. Stay safe guys!”

Both of the venues were affected by serious flooding in 2016 but had managed to reopen.

Sadly, this time, it seems the venues weren’t able to recover from the impact of the current situation.

It’s a fond farewell to these two longstanding Northern Quarter venues in the midst of what has been an extremely challenging year for the hospitality sector.

What the Tier 3 lockdown rules mean for Greater Manchester’s restaurants, bars and pubs

After days of long and drawn-out discussions, it has been announced that Greater Manchester has been ‘forced’ into Tier 3.

On 12 October, the government revealed the details of a new approach to local lockdowns – a three-tiered system of coronavirus restrictions.

Although initially avoiding the strictest measures, it has been announced that Greater Manchester will be placed into Tier 3 from midnight on Thursday 22 October.

In a public briefing at 5pm on 20 October, Boris Johnson reiterated that he wanted to avoid a national lockdown if at all possible but that the time had come to enforce the toughest measures in Greater Manchester.

Today’s announcement follows days of discussions between the government and local leaders.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and council leaders had opposed the move to Tier 3 due to what they described as a lack of scientific evidence and insufficient financial support for businesses and self employed people.

Local leaders were given a deadline of midday on Tuesday 20 October to accept an offer provided by the government but an agreement was not reached.

Burnham said in a press conference today that at no point were they offered a sufficient package to warrant an agreement to the new restrictions.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

He said: “How can we carry the public through this pandemic if we are forcing them to lose their income, their place of work without supporting them through that?”

“… We need to carry [the public] with us, not crush their spirit.”

Boris Johnson admitted that he knew these restrictions were tough but that ‘generous and extensive offer’ which was proportionate to what had been offered to Merseyside and Lancashire.

The offer on the table for consideration at midday was for £60 million but the amount announced at the briefing today was just £22 million.

What does ‘Tier 3’ mean?

The three-tier system divides England into Tier 1 (medium risk), Tier 2 (high risk) and Tier 3 (very high risk).

From 00:01 on Friday 23 October, Greater Manchester will join Merseyside and Lancashire in being placed under Tier 3 restrictions.

This means that pubs and bars in Greater Manchester will now have to close for at least 28 days, unless they serve a substantial meal.

Restaurants can stay open but existing restrictions will remain in place including table service, track and trace check ins and the controversial 10pm curfew.

Households are banned from mixing indoors and in ‘most outdoor settings’.

Alongside pubs and bars, casinos, bingo halls, betting shops and soft play areas will also have to close.

People are also now strongly advised from travelling in to or out of Greater Manchester.

Different households will no longer be able to meet in outdoor venues

The prime minister said in his statement that they would continue to work with local leaders in the different boroughs of Greater Manchester.

Retail businesses, as well as schools and universities remain unaffected for all tiers under the current system.

The new measures outlined today will come into force from 00:01 on Friday 23 October.

The winners of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival awards 2020 revealed

Manchester’s best restaurants, bars, cafes and other operators were celebrated at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival virtual awards ceremony last night.

It’s been a challenging year for the hospitality industry as a whole and for MFDF which had to postpone its Festival Hub on Cathedral Gardens this year due to covid-19.

Despite not being able to open the Hub, MFDF was still able to go ahead with various parts of the programme including events at restaurants, at-home elements like delivery boxes and, of course, the MFDF awards.

The rescheduled event will now take place from 1 to 11 April, 2021, which – silver lining – will hopefully mean that we get two food and drink festivals in one year.

The Festival Hub in Cathedral Gardens

The winners of the MFDF awards would normally be revealed at a gala dinner event, which for the last two years has been hosted at Gorton Monastery.

This year, however, the awards ceremony was hosted virtually and live-streamed on Facebook from Moda Angel Gardens.

Nominees for the awards waited for the announcements in a virtual ‘green room’ as presenter, BBC 6 Music’s Matt White revealed the winners.

This also meant that for the first time, the public was able to watch along too; fitting, as all winners this year were decided purely by public vote.

The live-streamed event was hosted by BBC 6 Music’s Matt White

The categories for the awards this year were adapted in order to reflect the ways that the hospitality industry has had to change due to covid-19 – and to celebrate the hard work of those who were able to overcome these challenges.

New awards for 2020 include Best DIY delivery food offering, Best food and drink delivery box, Best innovation, Best takeaway adaptation and the Lockdown Heroes award.

Commenting on the awards, Phil Jones, Manchester Food and Drink Festival’s Founding Director, said:

“We’re very pleased to be able to recognise our brilliant hospitality sector during this extraordinarily difficult time. MFDF is proud to celebrate such a wonderful range of businesses and individuals, all showcasing the strong stuff that our local industry is made of.

“There’s been huge amounts of innovation and creativity – even during such a tough time, we’ve much to celebrate.

“Congratulations to all the winners, and nominees – the Festival will continue to support the industry however it can over the coming months … roll on April 2021”.

The full list of winners for the Manchester Food and Drink Festival awards 2020

Best online ‘at home’ food and drink content

Sponsored by Moda Angel Gardens

Winner: Cork of the North – For their live wine tasting masterclasses broadcast via social media.

Cork of the North won an award for their virtual wine tasting events

The Shortlist:

Andrew Nutter – For his online cookery videos broadcast via social media.

Higher Ground – For their live cook-alongs broadcast via social media

Manchester Gin – For their live gin masterclasses broadcast via social media.

Rachel Stockley/Baratxuri – For her online cookery videos broadcast via social media.

Sienna & Maurizio Cecco from Salvi’s – For their live cook-alongs and online cookery videos all broadcast via social media

Simon Wood – For his online cookery videos broadcast via social media

Six By Nico –  For their Now Cooking series broadcast via social media


Best restaurant takeaway adaptation

Sponsored by Just Eat

The winner: Rudy’s Pizza Bake at home pizzas

The nominees:

Bundobust

Elnecot

Hip Hop Chip Shop

Mughli Charcoal Pit

Six by Nico

Wolf at The Door

Yang Sing

Best DIY delivery food offering

Sponsored by Roomzzz Aparthotels

The winner: Northern Soul Grill it Yourself Kit

The nominees:

Adam Reid – Great British Menu Box

Baratxuri – Menu Delivery Boxes

DD’s Burgers at The Koffee Pot – The Lockdown DIY Burger Kit

Elite Bistros at Home

Hawksmoor at Home

Wood at Home

Yao Yao Noodles – Ramen Kit Delivery

Best food and drink delivery box

The winner: ShinDigger Brewing Co beer delivery boxes in under 3 hours 

Shindigger delivered beer boxes in under three hours throughout lockdown

The nominees:

Grandad Sausages – “The Sausage Hotline”-  Delivering BBQ kits and breakfast packs

Great North Pie Co – Pie box delivery

Lupo Caffe Italiano – Italian treats and veg boxes

R Noone and Son- Fruit and veg boxes

Reserve Wines – Wine box deliveries

The Crafty Cheese Man – Cheese board delivery boxes

Zouk –  BBQ boxes

Best Innovation 

Sponsored by Hun Wine

The winner: Stretford Foodhall – finding innovative ways to serve the community right the way through lockdown… from street food takeaway to free grocery delivery for the vulnerable.

Stretford Foodhall won the Best Innovation award

 The shortlist:

Grub-E-Mart  – hosting street vendors online for orders and collections

Levenshulme Market – providing a platform for traders to go online as well as local charities

Andrew Nutter – Nutter’s Cheese and Wine Boutique

Cloudwater – supporting other breweries through the crisis, letting them use their webshop and supporting Higher Ground with deliveries.

Didsbury Gin – moving gin production to hand sanitiser

Manchester Union Lager- growler collection and refills

House of Hops – investing in canning production to enable them to order, pour, seal and deliver beer on the same day

Newcomer of the Year

Sponsored by Bulleit Bourbon

The winner: Escape to Freight Island 

Newcomer of the Year was awarded to Escape to Freight Island

The shortlist:

The Bull & Bear

The Edinburgh Castle Pub

Six By Nico

Higher Ground

Perfect Match

Street Urchin

Stretford Food Hall

Best online veggie/vegan offering

Sponsored by Meatless Farm

The winner: Wholesome Junkies

The shortlist:

Blue Caribou Canteen

Yao Yao Noodles

Vaso Indian Kitchen

The Walled Gardens by Eddie Shepherd

Herbivorous

The Ottomen

Pasta Factory

Artisan drinks producer of the year

Sponsored by Franklin & Sons

The winner: ShinDigger Brewing Co

The shortlist:

Didsbury Gin

Four Sisters

Manchester Gin

Diablesse Rum

Manchester Union Lager

Cloudwater Brewing

Track Brew Co

Takeaway coffee experience of the year

The winner: Ancoats General Store

Takeaway coffee experience of the year went to Ancoats General Store

The shortlist: 

Just Between Friends

Federal Cafe Bar

Foundation Coffee House

Grindsmith

Heart & Graft Coffee

Another Heart to Feed

Manchester Coffee Co

Street food trader of the year

The winner: Oh Mei Dumpling

Oh Mei Dumpling is the Street Food Trader of the Year 2020

The shortlist: 

The Ottomen

Ginger’s Comfort Emporium

Nasi Lemak

Herbivorous

Abeja Tapas Bar

I Knead Pizza

Jerk Shack

Lockdown Heroes

Sponsored by Manchester Evening News

The winner: Eat Well MCR

The shortlist: 

Linda Lam

Lymefield Farm Shop

Stockport Foodie Friday

Open Kitchen Manchester

Mama Z

Gareth Worthington

Tibetan Kitchen

Howard and Ruth Outstanding Achievement Award

Recognising someone who has contributed something outstanding to the food and drink industry in Greater Manchester. 

Mary-Ellen McTague from The Creameries and Eat Well MCR.  

The moment Mary Ellen realised she’d won the Howard & Ruth Outstanding achievement award