Steak box, wine box and a new box on the docks
Manchester's hospitality industry remains ever resourceful, adaptive and determined in the face of so much adversity. Whether you're staying home or eating out with your household, there are plenty of ways to support your local restaurants.
Read on for pop ups, rock ups and booze to stock up.
Higher Grounded
Pumpkin pimping pop-up Higher Ground will extend its popular residency at Ducie Street Warehouse throughout November and December. Opening four days a week from Thursday to Sunday, there will be an A la Carte menu (£7-15 a dish) and a set menu (£35pp). The sustainably-driven dishes will include dishes like sweet lightning squash with Nduja and young coriander or pork shoulder braised in milk with salt-baked turnips and caperberries. Sharing dishes based on the best of the day’s produce will be available on Sundays. The reservation diary for November is now open, with no pre-payment required. Book here.
Beers on the docks
Box On The Docks is back at Media City for the festive season and the first to pop up is Salford’s Seven Bro7hers on Wednesday 4th November. BOTD safely welcomed thousands of diners over the summer while helping to support two of the most-hardest hit industries – the arts and hospitality. The 30 self-contained deluxe sheds and greenhouses will be re-decorated by Salford-based artists and installed with heaters. The bros will serve a selection of their popular beers and burgers from Wednesday to Sunday, 12-10pm, but may extend hours depending on demand. Staff will wear PPE while screens and a one-way system with two-metre distancing will apply indoors. An app will be used for table service orders.The Dockyard, Vertigo, The Botanist and Wagamama will all return in due course as will The Makers Market.
Slice police
In one of the most talked about tier-3 dramas on Twitter, Common bar pizza restaurant found its gigantic pizza slices under fire from GMP when they were deemed an unsubstantial meal. Anyone who’s tried one will attest that, although wedge shaped, the slices cut from a 22" Nell’s Pizza are about equivalent in size to the whole pizzas offered in some establishments. Following much hoo-har on the socials, the police revisited for another slice, only to reinstate their ‘substantial’ status. Common is celebrating this people’s victory by offering a cheese slice and a bev (⅔ of house lager, IPA or a glass of wine) for £5 before 6pm Tuesday-Friday.
Salut to you
One of our favourite city-centre wine bars, Salut has launched a new website. With it comes a brand new range of wine cases available for next day home delivery (if ordered by 12:30pm) or click and collect. The imaginatively compiled cases start at £34.50 for a box of 3 and include Box Set Binging, Date Night and Lockdown Survival boxes as well as ones containing natural and vegan wines. There is also a Manchester beer box featuring cans from the likes of Marble Brewery, Shindigger and Brightside. Order here.
Ciao Fresco
Recipe box delivery service, HelloFresh, is teaming up with Italian restaurant group Carluccio’s. From 7th November, HelloFresh customers will be able to add the Carluccio’s classic Chicken Saltimbocca recipe to their weekly cook-at-home boxes - for one week only. The Carluccio’s special will be included as part of the 31 recipes HelloFresh offers each week. Get a discount on your first four boxes by using the code HELLOCONFIDENTIALS when signing up to the service.
Rum to the shops
Caribbean born, Manchester made ARLU Rum is rolling out across (Yo-Ho)Co-Op stores across England from 2nd November. ARLU Rum Original Spiced and ARLU Rum Passionfruit (RRP £24) will be on shelves in plenty of time for the Xmas period, whether you're gifting or just trying to forget about the shit show of a year we've had. Launched in Feb this year, the rum is imported from the award-winning Demerara Diamond Distillery and blended with natural flavours and spices here in Manchester by Alderman’s Drinks who are also behind Didsbury Gin. It is also available to purchase online here.
Kettle-belly
Ancoats based healthy fast food store, KBK, has launched an evening menu. Opening hours will now extend until 10pm from Friday 23rd October. Grab one or a few of the small plates (From £4.50 or £20 for five) from 6pm on Fridays & Saturdays with last orders at 9:30pm. Expect the likes of beef meatballs in bravas sauce, pan fried chilli & lime prawns, buffalo chicken strips and nachos with veggie options such as chipotle & soy braised mushrooms or crispy tofu with chilli & lime sauce. Wine, Prosecco and lager are also available.
Home more?
It seems Hawksmoor can do no wrong and their original cook-at-home steak boxes were so popular they ‘sold out every week for months’. So it’s good news to many that they have launched a brand new Rib-eye Box. What’s in the box? Two restaurant quality, grass fed ,350g rib-eye steaks, bone marrow gravy, creamed spinach, sticky toffee pud and oven chips. Drinks are included too with the famous Fuller Fat Old Fashioned and a bottle of Portuguese red wine. The box, which costs £125 for two or £85 without the drinks, is now available to order for a limited run, with delivery every Thursday and Friday, for the next three weeks.
Rock a 'roo-nd the clock
Hard Rock Cafe Manchester is now on Deliveroo with free delivery (for a limited lime) for all your emergency burger and T-shirt needs. Both menu favourites and classic merchandise can be delivered to your door. Enjoy all your favourite finger-picking favourites like American-style burgers, ribs, wings, desserts and more from the Manchester menu and pick up a hoody, pair of socks or - the one we're most excited about - a guitar shaped plate for 'kids'. To order go here.
