Our weekly round up of stories you might have missed from around town
As usual, we’ve been inundated with interesting stories about goings on in the land of local food and drink. Here’s a round up of one-off events, special partnerships, drug-related foodstuffs and limited offers. Make sure you keep your ears to the ground with our round up of this week's Manchester food and drink happenings.
First anniversary for Catalan favourites
Tast are celebrating their one year anniversary on Sunday 21 July from 1-7pm after what they are calling an ‘incredible year.’ The Catalan restaurant may have finally broken the King Street curse, after its two predecessors Suri and Quill closed within a year of opening. The cocktail party will feature Tast’s signature Catalan food throughout the day, with live music in the evening. Executive Chef Paco Perez, with his grand total of five Michelin stars, will also be joining the celebrations. Tickets cost £40 per person, available here.
Has 1761 closed?
Something rather fishy seems to be happening on Booth Street. We noticed that the windows of 1761 have gone dark and cloudy. A sign states that they are currently ‘upgrading their extraction system’ and it assured passers-by that they ‘will be back soon’. 1761 restaurant sits in a traumatised site, once home to Lime and then the hapless Avalanche, so it’s a location that’s not had the best of luck. In the basement bar Lily’s there’s an absolutely ginormous 34 foot tank filled with 18,000 litres of water, home to a mesmerising mix of tropical fish. Is it a case of so long and thanks for all the fish? And what will go in its plaice?
CBD beer to weed out the lightweights
There’s a new IPA on the block – and this one is infused with cannabis oil. The beer is a joint venture from CBD specialists Green Times Brewing and acclaimed local brewery Northern Monk. Each pint of the 7.2% IPA, named ‘Green Heathen,’ boasts 10mg of CBD - a popular (and completely legal) supplement from the cannabis plant used to improve health and wellbeing. It is the second cannabis beer from the speciality range, building on the success of ‘High Flyer’ last year.
Carl Boon, Green Times Brewing Managing Director, said: “For more than 10,000 years, both beer and cannabis have been used to enhance both health and mood and so a cannabis infused beer really is a perfect partnership.”
And that’s not all the good news – apparently CBD is also a hangover cure.
Help others with an Honest Burger
Honest Burgers are doing their bit for charity with an ‘honesty box’ day. On Wednesday 17 July, customers can pay what they feel for anything on the menu, with 100% of the proceeds donated across Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Mustard Tree and Mood Swings. For one day only, diners can choose which to support as they enjoy a charitable burger. The options include the Manchester special and this month’s Buffalo Chicken special – all served with rosemary chips, once described by critic Jay Rayner as 'the edible equivalent of crystal meth'.
Tom Barton, co-founder of Honest Burgers, said: “The idea for our Honesty Box Day came from seeing an honesty box in a little coastal town in Wales, which donated all the proceeds to the community. Please do turn up, tuck in and dig deep for three very worthy causes.”
Peroni partnership for 20 Stories
20 Stories have joined forces with Peroni Nastro Azzurro to welcome the summer months on their roof terrace. From July until September, the beer brand will occupy the terrace of Manchester’s highest restaurant, with a pop-up bar, Peroni cocktails and live DJs.
Becky Wilkes, 20 Stories Senior Sales & Marketing Manager, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with such a high-profile brand and are excited to introduce it to our guests with a newly decorated summer terrace.”
Half-price breakfast is served
For this month only, Albert’s Schloss will be offering 50% off their signature breakfasts. With a mix of meat, veggie and vegan options, as well as a dedicated bakery downstairs, the German bierhaus promise the perfect wake-up call. From eggs benedict to roast peaches, all half-price dishes can be paired with a breakfast cocktail.
New harp and canalside yoga classes
The Ivy Spinningfields is hosting a yoga session with a difference on Friday 19 July. Taking place on the restaurant’s roof garden, local instructor Claudia Mirallegro will lead the session accompanied by calming harp music from Alice Kirwan, who is best known for her work with the National Symphony Orchestra. Claudia will guide you through the vinyasa-based class, suitable for all levels, before breakfast is served in The Ivy Brasserie.
Claudia is also leading the first ever canal-side yoga class down on Middlewood Locks. These free classes every Monday evening from 6.30pm until 19 August,are organised by Get Living, who offer homes for rent in the new waterside neighbourhood, after a survey found that 78% believed that living next to water would have a positive affect on their overall mental health.
Moonlight movies at Middlewood Locks
Middlewood Locks will also be transformed into an outdoor cinema for one night only, with a screening of classic rom-com La La Land. Film fans can perch on candy-striped deckchairs to watch the musical film on a 24ft inflatable screen in the car park. Seven Brothers Brewery will be on-hand with a pop-up bar, as they prepare to open their new site at the Locks.
Meet and greet with local gin distillers
You can now ‘meet the makers’ behind South Manchester’s very own Didsbury Gin at Grill on New York Street. The evening of samples, canapes and cocktails will see Liam Manton and Mark Smallwood, the co-founders behind the Dragon’s Den success story, share the journey of their gin so far. The team at the steakhouse restaurant have created accompanying canapés for the event, and their bottomless Sunday lunch deal continues every weekend.
