Eat Well MCR has officially launched ‘Marketplace’ – an online shop selling produce and meal kits from the region’s best restaurants, growers, producers and makers – today.
The Marketplace comes after a successful six months for Eat Well MCR – launched by founder Mary Ellen McTague in response to the growing food crisis worsened by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – and will see all the profits generated go directly back into Eat Well MCR’s other focus of producing and distributing meals for the vulnerable in the Greater Manchester region.
This his new one-stop-shop will feature a star lineup each week of top quality fruit and veg from Manchester Urban Diggers, selected cuts from Littlewoods Butchers, cheeses from the renowned Courtyard Dairy, gorgeous natural wines, and they’ve not forgotten the treats either, with Krum, Siop Shop and Pollen are all involved too.
Every week, different restaurants – Honest Crust, The Creameries, Elite Bistros and Tampopo – will also offer the best ready meals and meal kits you’ll ever get your hands on.
Pippy Eats’ notoriously difficult-to-snag crispy chilli oil will be available alongside Into the Gathering Dusk’s intricately crafted homemade vermouths and concoctions, ready to be poured over ice whilst you wait for the oven to warm up.
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In bringing the best in local produce, provisions and delicious booze to your door every week, Eat Well MCR is able to direct all profits into continuing their work for the Greater Manchester community and provide nutritious meals cooked with love to those most in need.
The organic veg boxes and locally farmed meat are sourced from within a 50 mile radius of Manchester.
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This allows the collective to extend their support to the region’s farmers and the wider supply chain, who are all caught up in the collateral damage caused by the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on the hospitality industry.
Speaking on the launch of Marketplace, Mary Ellen McTague – Founder of Eat Well MCR – said: “We are so proud of what we created during the lockdown.
“Since we started all this, two things have become very clear to us – firstly that we couldn’t lose the momentum we had gathered; we have an incredible group of people doing incredible things. And secondly, the businesses in our collective have thankfully reopened so we knew it was imperative to evolve in order to continue.
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“Food inequality is endemic in Greater Manchester and we are not about to walk away from that.
Thanks to those fabulous people who have supported us and bought through the Eat Well Marketplace. We love you 🧡 pic.twitter.com/SMuOUq9FQX
She continued: “Manchester is ringed by wonderful growers, producers and makers.
“We also wanted to shine a light on them through the Marketplace, and support our local food economy during a tough time whilst holding our main goal of helping to tackle food inequality at the heart of what we do.”
Orders for the first round of deliveries from the Marketplace can be placed between 12pm on Friday 2nd October – 5pm on Monday 5th October, with the first deliveries being fulfilled on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October.
Click-and-collect services from Cloudwater Brewery will also be available on these dates.
You can find more about the Marketplace from Eat Well MCR here.
Eats
Manchester institution Salvi’s announces closure of original city centre restaurant
Danny Jones
One of Manchester’s oldest and most loved Italian restaurants, Salvi’s, has sadly announced that they are closing their original restaurant after more than a decade and a half.
Having served authentic recipes from Naples and been at the forefront of the cuisine in this city for well over 15 years, it can be hard to remember a time before Salvi’s.
With that in mind, we’re gutted to hear that their OG location over in the Corn Exchange is now shutting its doors imminently.
But fret not: it’s not all doom and gloom, as they promise this isn’t the last you’ll see of them.
Often considered the first true Manc-Neapolitan eatery, which turned from a small counter and deli into, at one point, a big and beloved group of local independent restaurants with multiple locations, most people know the name and the sign, and plenty have patronised them since day one.
Sharing an emotional message in the caption of the post above, founder Maurizio Cecco and his wife Claire said: “For sixteen years, Salvi’s has been part of Manchester’s story. We’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve built together.
“As the city changes, independent businesses have to change too. Today will be our last day of trading at Corn Exchange. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey all these years.
“This isn’t the end of our story; it’s the beginning of a new chapter – stay tuned. Grazie Mille.”
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to the news has been bittersweet, with people obviously saddened to hear of this latest closure but also looking back fondly on its past.
One person wrote in the comments: “I remember launching this amazing place all those years ago and have continued to watch you thrive!! Best of luck for the future!” Another added: “Will miss Salvi’s great food, great staff, not forgetting the Italian festival. All the best, Maurizio and family in your new adventure
As mentioned, it’s also worth noting that Maurizio and Claire are also behind the equally famous Festa Italiana, which draws crowds of tens of thousands across a full weekend every single year.
Having been regulars and firm fans of both their first family-owned flagship site and the aforementioned festival for many years, we’re equally gutted to see it go.
But as they made clear, this is not a definite ending for the brand, and it’s safe to say we’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next.
Thanks for the memories and all the incredible food and drink you’ve served us – we hope we hear from you again sometime very soon.
Iconic old Manchester boozer named the best pub in the UK
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most legendary pubs – which happens to be home to its most legendary landlady too – has been named the best in the UK.
The Peveril of the Peak has shot to the top of a list of the 22 Best Pubs in the UK, compiled by Time Out.
The comprehensive list spans the length and breadth of the country looking for the watering holes that nail a ‘convivial atmosphere, charming staff, charismatic decor and, above all, a varied selection of well-kept, well-served drinks’.
And it’s Manchester’s very own Peveril of the Peak, or The Pev, that made it into the number one spot, being labelled by judges as ‘perfect’.
Time Out praised the pub’s ‘dazzling’ tiled exterior, its jukebox and pool table, and its 96-year-old landlady Nancy Swanick, who (along with her family) has overseen the pub for more than 50 years.
The Peveril of the Peak wasn’t the only Manchester pub to make it onto the list of the best in the UK – there was also a nod for another local icon, The Marble Arch, which placed 15th.
Elsewhere in the North West, The Golden Lion in Todmorden, and The Roscoe Head in Liverpool made it onto the list, along with a couple of pubs in Sheffield.
Inside The PevThe Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
Speaking of The Pev, Time Out wrote: “The Peveril of the Peak — or the Pev, for short, always — is the kind of pub that’s so perfect, it deserves to serve as the venue for the wetting of your head, your wedding and your wake. And, preferably, as much life between.
“Standing freely on Great Bridgewater Street, the Pev beckons you in with its dazzling green, yellow and brown tiling, retro windows and heavy emerald door. Inside, it’s a ‘proper pub’ and then some: a jukebox, pool table and dartboard are all crammed into a cosy snug, smattered with vintage stools, sticky tables and framed Pub of the Year awards from decades gone by.
“The boozer — rumoured to be both a former brothel and a haunt for ghosts — has been overseen by legendary landlady Nancy Swanick, who still lives above the bar and is now well into her 90s, for over 50 years. Expect a knees-up for the ages when she hits the big 100. Cheers!”
The full list of Time Out’s 22 Best Pubs in the UK 2026
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2020 
