A festival dedicated especially to vegan pizza is coming to Manchester’s largest street food fair GRUB next week.
Pizza lovers and plant based eaters alike will want to get themselves down to GRUB – which is currently based at the Red Bank Project in Cheetham Hill and combines “top street food, lovely beer and smashing tunes” – for next week’s ‘Plant Powered Sunday’.
The Vegan Pizza Fest 2020 is set to take over “Europe’s first ever weekly vegan street food event” for one day only and it’s not to be missed.
Pizza, pasta, calzone and even dessert too – what more could you want?
Throughout GRUB’s slice celebration, you’ll find Neapolitan-style dishes from Igloo Pizza Kitchen, handmade fresh pizza from Manchester’s Lucky Mama’s, Fritto’s Italian vegan offering and authentic Neapolitan, and Detroit-style pizzas from The Wilderness Kitchen.
Got room for dessert too?
Paradiso Authentic Italian will also be serving up their mouthwatering vegan tiramisu too.
The Vegan Pizza Fest 2020 will be talking over ‘Plant Powered Sunday’ at GRUB Manchester for the day on Sunday 4th October.
For advanced bookings and to find out more information, you can visit the GRUB website here.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have taken its toll on industries of all shapes and sizes over these past few months, but supporting local/independent business has never been more important than it is right now.
The Manc is #BuzzingToBeBack – find out more about eats in Manchester here.
Eats
Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen is opening a second site
Danny Jones
Affordable Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen has announced they are opening a second site in town, doubling their centre presence.
Maricarmen launched on Great Ancoats Street back in June 2023 and quickly became a firm Manc favourite, famous for their £3.50 dishes
When it comes to their small plate approach, they serve up some of the best tapas in Manchester, and even the shopfront seats at their popular roadside location are regularly full regardless of passing traffic.
However, if there’s ever been one gripe we’ve had with the place, it’s that the outdoor area isn’t the most peaceful, even if it is a stunning suntrap on a warm day – that’s where the new restaurant comes in.
Maricarmen is launching its second site very soon.(Credit: Supplied/The Manc Eats)
We’ve been semi-regular visitors of Maricarmen ever since it started out life as a pop-up spot just around from Cutting Room Square, and they’ve gained speed and reputation ever since.
Known not only for authentic, value-for-money tapas, but welcoming plenty of punters for a simple drink as one of the best places for a sangria in central Manchester, they’ve managed to stay relatively just not just when the weather is bright but throughout most seasons.
Set to take over the ex-63 Degrees on High Street in the Northern Quarter, they’ll be opening the next branch of Maricarmen as early as next month.
While the Ancoats restaurant is known for the aforementioned roving ‘El Tableo’ style of service inspired by southern Spain, the newest location will be slightly different; they are remaining tight-lipped on details, however, only revealing lighter colours and Alicante beach influences with alfresco eating.
All we’ll say for now is bring on the pintxos, pints, patatas bravas and pretty much anything we had for their first birthday celebrations.
Created by Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez, who previously owned a tapas restaurant in Madrid, La Porcineria, which was sadly curtailed by Covid.
On the bright side, Manchester has been the greatest beneficiary of their fresh start, and we can’t wait to see what venue number two delivers.
Co-founder, Diaz, said of the new opening: “Maricarmen is about compassion, hard work, strength, reinvention, opening our minds & hearts and connecting with people. It’s more than just food, for us, it is the beautiful moment when we see our customers and our coworkers smile because they are here.”
She went on to add, “To us, Manchester signifies the ability to reinvent and grow. The people here support you without expecting anything in return. It’s really beautiful. I have never felt this before in my life. […] We’ve built up such a loyal customer base of locals – many have become dear friends.
“And to be in a position to open a second site within two years and share our love of good food and great times with Manchester’s Northern Quarter is quite unbelievable.”
Maricarmen NQ is scheduled to open its doors in the very first week of September, so you really don’t have that long wait and/try to snatch a table.
Be sure to follow them on socials too, not only for more announcements and updates but because it’ll give you an even better flavour of the vibes over there.
Greggs brings back popular Vegan Steak Bake under ‘fresh’ new name
Emily Sergeant
Greggs has announced that one of its most popular bakes is making a comeback after unprecedented fan demand.
Veggies and vegans, happy Friday… this one’s for you.
As any fan of the popular bakery will tell you, the Steak Bake is an absolute staple of the Greggs menu, and is undoubtedly one of the chain’s best-sellers, meaning it’s been a mainstay in stores for years on end now… but sadly, the same couldn’t be said about the plant-based alternative.
In case you don’t quite remember its release, or didn’t get a chance to try it the first time round, the Vegan Steak Bake is exactly what it says on the tin – a vegan version of the iconic Steak Bake.
First launched to mark Veganuary – which is an annual challenge to promote and educate about veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January – all the way back in 2020, the Vegan Steak Bake joined the chain’s popular, and still existing, Vegan Sausage Roll to form part of its growing meat-free lineup.
The Vegan Steak Bake was created to mirror some of the original pasty’s features, according to Greggs.
It featured thin layers of puff pastry, and a filling made with pieces of Quorn instead of beef, all mixed in with diced onions and a meat-free gravy.
While the bake seemed to be a hit with vegans, vegetarians, and those who just fancied a meat-free alternative to their day, and even made a short-lived return again in early 2024, it sadly didn’t stick around for too long.
Greggs has announced the return of the popular Vegan Steak Bake / Credit: Greggs
But now, it looks like it’s time for a Vegan Steak Bake comeback again in 2025 – and this time, it’s got a slightly new name and a ‘fresh’ look.
Greggs wrote on its website ahead of the Vegan Steak Bake return: “What’s the big deal?” you might ask. In our humble opinion, tasty steak-free pieces mixed with diced onions and a vegan-friendly gravy is the absolute biggest of deals.
“It’s vegan, it’s incredibly delicious and it’s yours from just £2.10. What more do you need?”
Emily Sergeant -
25th September 2020 
