Plus: Seafood Pubs saved, outdoor dining, Mumday roasts and more
Everyone's gearing up for 12 April when pubs and restaurants can (hopefully) reopen again for outdoor drinking and dining only. We've spent some time this week putting together the ultimate list of places to enjoy some outdoor hospitality with friends or family, and we highlight a couple of those in this week's food and drink news.
But if you're not up for that, no worries, there's still plenty to do from home until you're ready to get out and about again.
Read on for breakfast Mimosas from one of our favourite Indian restaurants, meal kits from a lovable Italian slow-coach, a berry nice beer from a local brewery and so much more.
Seafood's saved
It’s always heartbreaking when we have to write about businesses in trouble, especially those we have a real soft spot for. So when we reported last year that The Seafood Pub Company had gone into administration, it put us in a right mood. We’re cock a hoop, then, to report that six of the eight pubs and 150 jobs have now been saved. Home Counties-based operator, The Oakman Group has acquired the venues from the administrators. Joycelyn Neve (pictured above), founder and former MD of Seafood Pub Company, will join The Oakman Group as the MD of this new division. Joycelyn commented: “I have been a huge admirer of The Oakman Group, its ethos and its ambition. They have acquired the cream of the Seafood Pub Company sites and I’m confident that, with the Oakman team’s support, we will prove to be enormously successful. My expectation at this stage is that all six pubs will reopen on 17 May and we will immediately start work on putting our new teams together.” We can’t wait to visit again.
Wood you like some tacos?
From 12 April until 9 May, Simon Wood (pictured above) is going to be opening up the micro-terrace outside his eponymous First Street restaurant and serving tacos and tequila in his own inimitable style. It’s great to see so many Manchester bars and restaurants adapting to provide outdoor space. Let’s hope the weather plays nicely for it and Wood’s prices aren’t as high as the taco offering of another local fancy-pants chef named Simon. Tacos are but a humble street food, after all. Keep an eye on Wood Restaurant’s Instagram for further details.
Rock up to Henrock’s spring terrace
Watches synchronised for 12 April, we’ve (painstakingly) put together an A-Z of dining and drinking out(side) options in Manchester. But if you’d rather avoid the swagger of Mancunians whose alcohol tolerance level has dropped to teenager-at-a-family-wedding proportions, this could be just the ticket. Simon Rogan’s newest restaurant Henrock is opening up the terrace overlooking Windermere for lunch and dinner bookings for five weeks only. From 14 April, between midday and 8pm, Wednesday to Sunday, you can enjoy comfort food inspired by Rogan’s favourite dishes from around the globe (whilst utilising local produce as much as possible) in the fresh air. Places are strictly limited to guarantee social distancing, adhere to current guidelines, and must be booked online in advance. Bookings for Henrock’s terrace can be made online or call 015395 36362.
Veg-An-coats
Vegan street food specialists Herbivorous are taking over from Wholesome Junkies over at Ancoats General Store from today, 12 March, for takeaway. From 12 April, they will also be serving seated customers at General Store’s new outdoor seating area close to trendy Cutting Room Square, Ancoats. The Hatch favourites will bring vegan junk food like their Big Kahuna Burger, Buffalo Wings with Cheesy Fries and a vegan Philly ‘Cheesesteak’ Sandwich. For more info see Herbivorous on Instagram or order now via Deliveroo or Uber Eats. See our A-Z of outdoor eating and drinking spots in Manchester for more ideas.
Mum-day roast
If you’ve left it this late to think of something to buy the woman who gave you life, shame on you. But there’s still time to redeem yourself by ordering one of the smashing Sunday roasts from one of our favourite new openings pre-pandemic, The Edinburgh Castle. There are a haddock scotch egg starter and a choice of four mains including 21-day aged prime rib or a beet wellington for meat-free mums. Email the Edinburgh Castle team to order, including your name and contact number so they can call you to take payment.
Booze for breakfast
We love Dishoom, who doesn’t? We also loved their bacon naan kits for a lazy weekend breakfast treat. Since we reviewed Dishoom’s bacon naan kits, they’ve launched some different options including one with vegan sausage. Now, they’ve added a Marmalade Mimosa to the breakfast kit mix because nothing says a nutritional breakfast quite like the addition of hard liquor.
OOFT! That’s a berry nice beer
Manchester brewers First Chop are launching a range of six fruit beers in 330ml cans. The first, OOFT Blackberry Wheat is available to buy now from Flavourly. This will be followed by a Blackcurrant Kolsch, a Passionfruit IPA, a Peach Blonde, a Pineapple Session IPA and a Black Cherry Stout in the winter. Flavoured using real fruit, founder Rik Garner says these will be subtly fruity rather than full-on Framboise-style.
The whole kit and Carluccio
Sauntering into the meal kit party in true fashionably late Italian style, Carluccio’s has just released its dine-at-home kits. The blurb says they are all about founder and TV chef Antonio’s philosophy of 'MOF MOF', that's minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour, btw. Choose from either Penne Giardiniera with homemade focaccia and olives, The Caserecce: spicy tomato pasta with Italian sausage, plus focaccia with nduja and burrata or The Funghi with a double mushroom whammy of soup and risotto. You can add flourishes like wine, truffle oil or Gianduja hazelnut chocs and everything comes in a Carluccio’s gift hamper. The Carluccio’s dine at home kits start at £29 for two people.
