Get on board the new Sunday service: roasts with a twist courtesy Carnival

STEP out of the cold and it’s roasting at Manchester’s favourite eating and drinking destination Escape to Freight Island – all thanks to a new Sunday service.

Everyone’s favourite weekend tradition is being rolled out in the railway station turned food hall as Carnival ramp up the heat to serve their take on the classic roast. Lunch is served every Sunday from noon until 8pm – just head up to the terrace next to The Jane Eyre Cocktail Bar and enjoy a view overlooking the hustle and bustle of the Ticket Hall, along with a special table service.

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Mains include slow-roasted 34-day aged rump of beef, served pink, Italian-style roasted porchetta stuffed with peach, sage and pancetta, and cheese and onion pie made using Lancashire’s famous Mrs Kirkham’s. All come with roast potatoes, orange-glazed carrots, summer greens, Yorkshire pudding and gravy; additional snacks and sides (such as Batard sourdough and caramelised onions with Tunworth) are available for extra feasting. There’s also The Beast: a 1kg Porterhouse steak to share between two, served with rich cauliflower cheese as well as all the trimmings. 

Celebrating open fire cooking, Carnival is one of the latest collaboration concepts to join visionary food market Escape to Freight Island, and is led by critically acclaimed chefs Richard Turner (Hawksmoor, Pitt Cue Co and more) and Sam Grainger, chef patron at Liverpool’s iconic Belzan.

The set Sunday lunch menu offers two courses for £25 or three for £29 (additional charges may apply). For starters, think along the lines of crunchy Waldorf salad with Devon’s Beenleigh blue cheese or confit duck leg and red cabbage ketchup; for sweet treats, how about sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream and miso toffee sauce, or grilled English strawberries with elderflower and honey mascarpone? 

Neighbourhood bar The Jane Eyre has carefully curated some specialty cocktails to complement the Sunday menu, including classic, beetroot and horseradish Bloody Marys to get proceedings underway, and the likes of hazelnut martini with vodka, Frangelico, cacao and dry vermouth to round things off in a suitably civilised fashion.