SO many meals, deals and squeals, we're having trouble fitting them all in. In no particular order, here is a roundup of Manchester’s upcoming food-based happenings in case you missed them:
CHESTER'S PORTA HEADS FOR ALTRINCHAM MARKET HOUSE
Joining the Spanish invasion of the region and heading towards town is Porta, which will be working its way down the M56 from Chester to park itself on Greenwood Street, opposite the main steps of Altrincham Market House.
From September, the tapas bar will be selling tasty Spanish food, good beer, excellent wine and fine Sherries just as its older sibling has been doing in Chester since 2012. Owned by brothers Ben and Joe Wright, who both have a long-standing love of all things Iberian, Porta opened as a place for them to wind down after a hard day running their well-established, Michelin ‘Bib-Gourmand’ awarded restaurant, Joseph Benjamin. It worked, so they’re opening another one on our side. The buzzing atmosphere and relaxed, no-bookings policy of their tapas bar looks set to dovetail brilliantly with the gastronomic offerings inside Alti market hall as well as highly regarded Sugo Pasta nearby.
Porta in ChesterMUMTAZ CURRY HOUSE TO OPEN AT THE TRAFFORD HALL HOTEL
Mumtaz, Bradford’s famous curry house, is planning to open a branch in Manchester in July, taking over the restaurant at The Trafford Hall Hotel. With it being so near to Old Trafford Football ground, they are obviously keen to scoop up the hoards of fans that flow past on match days. This might seem like a risky move but we reckon an Indian food business that started as a takeaway in 1978 and now supplies Fortnum & Mason, exports to more than 30 countries and even makes a range of Halal baby food, knows what they’re doing.
Mumtaz restaurant, BradfordERNST VAN ZYL JOINS THE LOWRY HOTEL CHEF EVENTS
Wildly experimental Chef, and food blogger’s favourite, Ernst Van Zyl has been named as the first in a series of guest chef events at The Lowry Hotel to highlight Modern British culinary talent. The imaginatively off-beat South African, who owns The Lord Clyde gastropub near Bollington, will be heading up The Lowry kitchens on Monday 11 July to cook a five course extravaganza. His culinary influences range from time spent at various illustrious establishments such as The Fat Duck, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, London’s Park Lane Hotel, Noma and Restaurant Frantzen. The Lowry haven’t revealed which other chefs are in the line-up yet, but we’re guessing it’s likely to be at least one of the current brigade of bob-a-jobbing nomadic chefs; Robert Owen Brown, David Gale, and Mary-Ellen McTague.
Tickets are £45 per head and are available via The Lowry Hotel website.
Ernst van ZylRAYMOND BLANC TO MAKE CHESHIRE VISIT
Plans are in motion for Van Zyl’s one time governor, Raymond Blanc to visit Cheshire soon, as the team behind Brasserie Blanc and The White Brasserie, which Blanc oversees, are currently refurbishing and rebranding sites in Knutsford and Alderley Edge previously occupied by Loch Fyne. Later this month, the Knutsford branch will reopen as Brasserie Blanc, serving simple and classic French dishes all day, while the former Loch Fyne on Brook Lane in Alderley Edge will become The Oakwood combining a traditional pub with a French Brasserie menu. Scratchings de la cochon anyone?
Raymond BlancTHE CORK AND BULL BAR TO OPEN AT OLD GRANADA STUDIOS
Old Granada Studios (main image and below) has been the venue for quite a few art, food and cultural happenings recently. For ten weeks, from 23 June, Bitter and Twisted, creators of unique pop up bars and restaurants, will be converting one of the warehouse spaces into a pub with an old school creative club vibe. The Cork and Bull will include a classic cocktail bar and a rotating food offering from some of the best local street food vendors. After a busy day being creative and professional, Manchester’s trendy workforce will be able to head to OGS to unwind after work to play darts, pool or table tennis, or watch live sport projected onto a huge 8 x 4m screen.
Cork & Bull will open at OGS on Quay Street from Wed to Fri 3pm to 11pm and Sat-Sun 11am to 11pm.
Cork & Bull will open in the Workshop @OGS£50M FOR LIVING VENTURES' NEW WORLD TRADING COMPANY
The recent sale of Living Ventures’ New World Trading Company, which operates fourteen pub/restaurants nationally under five sub brands: The Botanist, The Oast House, Smugglers Cove, The Trading House and The Club House, to mid-market private equity firm, Graphite Capital shouldn’t affect the front end of the business too much. After a £50m transaction, Chief Executive Chris Hill and his senior management team will continue to run the company, so expect many more cities to be offering swinging kebabs and mushrooms on garden trowels in the near future. The Living Ventures Group still currently owns and operates; fourteen Gustos, eight Blackhouses, five Alchemists, three Red Doors, Australasia; Grand Pacific, Artisan and Manchester House.
The Oast HouseGIN TASTINGS, STONE ROSES COCKTAILS AND GOOD DEEDS
Forever Manchester, the charity which has been funding and supporting various local community activities for the past 26 years, is launching a week of food and drink based fundraising activity, between 10 - 17 June. A series of events, products and offers have been created across town to help raise a bit of dosh for this worthwhile charity. Get involved in the DeCASKthlon pub crawl on Sunday 12 June, gin tasting at Banyan, or learn more about/drink gin at The Pen and Pencil before heading to a special comedy night at The Frog and Bucket on Tuesday 14 June. Enjoy Crazy Pedro’s Curry Mile Pizza, Mancunian Ravioli at Don Giovanni’s and a special Stone Roses Cocktail at Black Dog Ballroom NQ. Tattu will be offering discounts all week while Vapiano will be encouraging customers to donate while voting for their favourite Manc.
Visit Forever Manchester for more event details.
Drink gin and raise cash for Forever Manchester at Pen & PencilMANCHESTER BEER WEEK UNDERWAY
In more immediate news, Manchester’s Beer Week kicks off today. The ten-day long Manchester Beer Week is like no beer festival we’ve had in the city before. It straddles a variety of venues – bars, pubs, restaurants, breweries, Exchange Square, Old Granada Studios, even the World Rugby Under-20s Championship at Eccles RFC will be putting on a range of beer related special offers and events. More here.
Manchester Beer Week
So there is lots going on in and around the city over the coming weeks. Keep us posted if you find anything worth hearing about, tagging us in on Twitter @McrConfidential
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