Everything you need to know about our city's booming food and drink scene...
KOSMONAUGHTY
(13/10) Following a remarkably short stint by sea snack specialists Holy Crab in the basement of late-night Northern Quarter bar Kosmonaut, those fish n chip rebels from The Hip Hop Chip Shop have taken on the space, and will be serving their unconventional take on the British classic from Thurs to Fri (4-9pm) and Sat-Sun (midday-10pm), including bites such as their deep-fried halloumi, chilli onion rings and beer battered gherkins. Probably some fish n chips too. With beer salt. Word.
BURGER OFF
(13/10) Ed’s Easy Diner – which opened last year in Market Street’s Debenhams store following a failed offer for King Street’s former Monsoon unit – has closed.
The American-themed diner chain has been sold in a pre-pack administration deal to Ranjit Boparan, aka ‘The Chicken King’ (so-called because his 2 Sisters Food Group supplies around a third of the UK’s consumed poultry), who will close 26 – around half – of the Ed’s Easy Diners across the UK.
It’s not the first struggling casual dining chain that Boparan’s firm has snapped up this year, having acquired Giraffe Concepts from Tesco this summer for an undisclosed fee, followed by the acquisition of turkey meat producer Bernard Matthews.
Who will the Poultry Prince gobble up next?
BOSS SCHLOSS
(13/10) It’s a double whammy for Albert’s Schloss this week as they follow their MFDF ‘Bar of the Year’ victory with a national award, scooping the ALMR (Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers) ‘Best UK Late-Night Venue 2016’, beating off competition from fellow Manchester bar, Red Door, as well as Pryzm in Birmingham and Trade Union in London.
Elsewhere, the ALMR judges awarded the UK's 'Best Late Night Food' award to Vodka Revolution... a discerning lot clearly.
It's another top prize for Schloss
OPENINGS GALORE
(12/10) We’ve been happily reporting on various new openings in the city centre recently, including LEAF on Portland Street and Cooper Hall on Dale Street, as well as planned Northern Quarter openings such as My Thai and a second branch of Crazy Pedros.
Liquor Store have just opened a second site at First Street, where they’ll be adopting the vibe of a Los Angeles liquor store and infusing it with Mancunian influences. They’ll be serving classic and inventive cocktails along with a new food menu of classic American favourites, to enjoy accompanied by the sounds of Indie, Rock and Roll and pop-rock.
Cooper Hall will open in Northern Quarter's Sevendale House
FIRST BEER
(12/10) Staying on First Street, The Gasworks Brew Bar will be opening at the end of this month opposite HOME. As we reported back in May, Gasworks will be a bar with an in-house, six barrel brewery, producing a range of house beers as well as guest ales, brewed in full view of customers. Their food menu will feature regular pub fare such as burgers, pies and sandwiches.
The Gasworks will be a third pub site for Steve Pilling, owner of the Dockyard pubs in Spinningfields and MediaCity; so called because this site is nowhere near water and will be housed in the former Gaythorn Gaswork site. It marks a clever business reshuffle by savvy hospitality veteran, Mr Pilling, who recently closed his MediaCity branch of Damson restaurant and transformed the bar area of Damson Heaton Moor into a tapas restaurant called La Cantina.
WINNER WINNER GALA DINNER
(11/10) As Manchester’s hospitality industry recovers from a two-day hangover and normal service resumes, we reflect on a pretty eventful Manchester Food and Drink Festival Gala Dinner, in which our city’s best wining and dining establishments were duly awarded. The full list of winners can be found here but the evening’s ‘losers’ included our own publisher Gordo, who somehow managed to fall backwards off the stage while presenting an award, and Joe from Levanter who ended up ‘decorating’ The Refuge bar area after celebrating their award for Best Neighbourhood Restaurant.
A special consolation mention should also be given to the excellent Evelyn’s Cafe Bar, as well as Sugo who somehow didn’t come away with any awards despite being nominated in multiple categories. Better luck next year.
Confidential gaffa Gordo falling backwards off the stage at the Manchester Food & Drink Awards 2016 from Manchester Confidential on Vimeo.
BEST UK COMMUNITY PUB
(11/10) The Firbank Pub and Kitchen in Wythenshawe has been crowned Best Community Pub at this year’s Great British Pub Awards. Simon and Rachael Delaney, who have run The Firbank for 21 years, were praised for the work they do with a wide range of community groups and local teams. They were also commended for their local charity work, raising thousands of pounds each year for worthy causes including The Christie. In addition, Simon and Rachael support Wythenshawe Good Neighbours; a support group for elderly and vulnerable people that meet at the pub every week to socialise and enjoy regular days out. Judges highlighted the pub’s excellent new food menu, its schedule of family-friendly entertainment and events, as well as the way they have developed their team and embraced social media.
Owned by the pub-operating group, Admiral Taverns, The Firbank Pub led this year’s Manchester Day parade and has been instrumental in the development of Newall Green Farm, a working farm and stables for disadvantaged and autistic children through the charity ‘Creating Adventures’.
(credit Jamie Shelton)
ARTY PARTY
(10/10) Action Against Hunger is planning a special Art and Wine Masterpiece fundraising dinner at the award-winning Whitworth Art Gallery on Wednesday 9 November. 90 guests will be treated to a four-course banquet, with each course being prepared by a different prominent chef including Steven Smith from Freemasons at Wiswell, Stosie Madi from the Parkers Arms, as well as Michelin starred chefs Robert Ortiz, from London’s Lima and Rupert Rowley, from Fischer’s Baslow Hall in Derbyshire.
The event will be hosted by Kate Goodman, owner of Reserve Wines and Manchester’s Buy Art Fair’s CEO Thom Hetherington. The event will feature live and silent auctions for collector’s art, from leading UK artists, some highly desirable vintage wines and other money can't buy gifts.
Tickets are priced at £200 per person. All money raised on the evening will go towards Action Against Hunger’s work towards ending child hunger.
STYLISH SCENE
(10/10) The Hilden Style Awards, online awards dedicated to finding hidden gems in independent hospitality, healthcare and restaurant design, have announced this year’s finalists, and two Manchester venues have made it to the group.
Scene Indian Street Kitchen in Spinningfields, has been included in the final three in the Restaurant category, along with Sketch and Boyds Grill & Wine Bar, both in London. Hotel Gotham is a finalist in the Hotel and B&B category along with The 25, a B&B in Torquay, and Newton Hall; an eighteenth century house in Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland.
Last year, The Church Inn at Mobberley, Cheshire walked away with the prize for Most Stylish Dining Experience. Prizes include a case of champagne, Liddell robes and a double-page spread in the annual Style Guide. The winners will be announced on 24 October.
IVORY BUDDHA
(10/10) The Buddha Lounge on Radcliffe New Road in Whitefield has been replaced by Ivory Bar and Grill ‘where European and Pan Asian flavours come together with an innovative cocktail bar to create a modern day dining experience.’ As far as we can gather, it’s a new restaurant with the same owners and it opens for business on Thursday 13 October, boasting among their staff, the Head Chefs of Grill on the Alley and Burger & Lobster. The restaurant will open for lunch daily from 12pm and will serve a special roast on Sundays. On Friday and Saturday evenings, they turn down the lights, turns up the music and transforms into a late lounge.
MING THING
(10/10) Times critic Giles Coren has been up to Manchester once again to give it one of his regular culinary kickings. He didn’t travel up especially to eat of course, but found himself in the area while filming. After enjoying two subsequent meals at London import Hawksmoor on Deansgate, he decided to venture further and give Yang Sing another try after his last visit in 2004. It didn’t go so well, leading to descriptive adjectives like ‘absolutely minging’ which we assume wasn’t referring to the cuisine of the ancient Chinese dynasty.
MEET THE SPARKLING WIDOW
(10/10) Australasia is transforming itself into a haunted Halloween haven on Friday 28 October, for an exclusive ‘Meet the Widow’ party in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot. 2016 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Madame Clicquot, champagne’s most emblematic woman. To pay homage to the iconic widow, Australasia’s bar and heated terrace will become a gothic wonderland with haunting masquerade masks for guests, Halloween-inspired champagne glasses and customised Veuve Clicquot Magnums. Champagne-quaffers will be handed a secret card on the evening, giving them the chance to win either a glass or bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label.
FULL STEAM AHEAD
(10/10) After a two month refurbishment The Old Abbey Taphouse at Manchester Science Park, which describes itself as ‘a steam focussed hub, event and live music space, with ethical kitchen, urban farm, microbrewery and bakery’ has just celebrated its launch weekend. Taphouse is a hub in a pub and is the brainchild of musicians Craig Thomas and Rachele Evaroa, who have been running live music events and club nights like ‘Swing & Shout’ in Manchester and Salford over the last three years.
Head chef Joe Griff wants to put a wholesome twist on traditional pub grub, serving mostly organic vegan and vegetarian food with occasional sustainable meat and fish. Dishes will include slow-cooked one pots, seasonal salads, wood fired bakes, sourdough platters and raw puddings using unrefined sugar.
They will be serving lunch from Monday to Friday from 11.30 - 3.30, for Manchester Science Park and local users such as the University of Manchester. Dinner will be served Wedsnesday to Friday from 5.30pm - 10pm.
FRANC FAREWELL
(10/10) After 24 years in business, Francs French bistro in Goose Green, Altrincham is to call it a day. Francs has been closed since mid-September 18 with intentions to re-open but confirmed its decision to shut up shop for good by posting a message in its window thanking customers “from all the management and staff”.
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