A Manchester health food eatery has announced it will be helping to feed the region’s most vulnerable through meal donations.
KBK – based in Ancoats – is planning to donate 3,000 children’s meals to food poverty relief charity and foodbank provider FareShare GM, which will be distributed over these next two weeks and during February half term to families in need across Greater Manchester.
The first 500 meals will be dropped off this Saturday to FareShare GM’s HQ in New Smithfield Market, and the delivery will include dishes such as Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti, and Chicken Tikka with Basmati Rice.
The popular brand and restaurant – which specialises in health food, and also provides meal prep, and juice and soup cleanse services from its Great Ancoats street site – has made the decision decided to lend a hand following “a turbulent few weeks in parliament”, with various U-turns from the government around feeding children both in and out of school.
KBK said it is “more important than ever for us to look after each other and offer the support we can to families who are struggling during this time”.
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The restaurant took to social media last week to seek out a charity to partner with.
“We’ve seen the news this week and we want to do our bit to help,” KBK said, “if you know of a charity who we can contact, please [let us know].”
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After deliberating upon the best charity to provide the donations to, KBK decided that the Marcus Rashford-endorsed charity FareShare – which has been operating for over 25 years – would be the most suitable, as the initiative has been working around the clock and around the nation to distribute food to families who need it most.
As many Mancunians will know, Wythenshawe-born Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford has been working with the charity since 2020.
He has so far raised enough money to enable FareShare to distribute 12.3 million meals to UK families.
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“Given what has taken place this year, FareShare seemed the perfect organisation [for us] to get behind.” KBK admitted.
Speaking more on the decision to make the meal donations, James Anderson – Operations Director at KBK- said: “We feel incredibly fortunate that we are in a position to contribute, in even a small way, to supporting Manchester’s families during what is a very difficult time.
“No child should go hungry and it is our job as a community to ensure this does not happen.”
KBK
KBK has been operating in Manchester for over 5 years now, and having started out with just one store in Ancoats, the business has grown with the city and the team has said they can think of no better time than now to show its appreciation to the people of the community.
New pie shop with Indian-inspired fillings opens at Greater Manchester train station
Emily Sergeant
At long last, Patel’s Pies – the proper pie shop with Indian-inspired fillings – has got its very own site, and we couldn’t be happier about it.
The business is already a familiar name (to the blue half of the city, of course) thanks to its matchday spot outside the Etihad Stadium, but now, Patel’s Pies will be serving its delicious savoury bakes to the people of the Heatons too – with its brand-new pie shop now opene at Heaton Chapel train station.
Here you’ll find their legendary curry pies with homemade pastry – filled with the likes of keema, butter chicken, and beef madras.
You can grab hot and cold pies to take away, all setting you back an affordable £5.95 each.
Patel’s Pies is now open at Heaton Chapel train station / Credit: The Manc Group
From 11am-2pm, you can also get your hands on the lunch deal, which is any pie, masala mash, spiced mushy peas, and gunpowder gravy.
Patel’s Pies has teamed up with Manc legends Gooey, so you can grab the bakery’s famous cookies and doughnuts here too.
There’ll also be local beers and canned drinks up for grabs.
All pies will set you back an affordable £5.95 each / Credit: The Manc Group
Inside, the shop keeps things traditional, complete with classic pie warmers on the counter and hand-painted signage by Cactus Sign Painting, giving the space the feel of a proper old-school pie shop with a modern twist.
Announcing the new venture, Steve, the owner of Patel’s Pies has said: “We’d love for you to come down, say hello, and support our new venture. It’s our very first day, so please bear with us as we get settled in, we can’t wait to serve you all.”
Patel’s Pies is open now at Heaton Chapel Train Station on Tatton Road South.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Trendy Ancoats wine bar Blossom Street Social to close after six years
Emily Sergeant
Trendy neighbourhood wine bar Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after nearly seven years serving the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social first opened its doors back in 2019, just months before the country – and the res of the world – was plunged into the COVID-19 lockdowns, but despite all the challenges during the early days, this wine bar went on to become a true staple of Ancoats life – hosting events, exhibitions, wine tastings, and everything in between.
But now, the owners have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close, saying they’ve ‘danced our last dance, played our last record, and poured our last glass of wine in Ancoats.’
Announcing the news in a statement to social media this week, Blossom Street Social said: “Blossom Street Social closes its doors after six and a half years at the heart of the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after six years / Credit: The Manc Group
“When we opened in 2019, just months before the world changed forever, we couldn’t possibly have imagined the journey ahead. Through lockdowns, uncertainty and everything that followed, we somehow managed to build something that became far more than a wine bar.
“Wine was always at the heart of what we did, but so were the conversations, the music, the art and the community that grew around it.
“We’ve hosted tastings, exhibitions, launches, celebrations, social sessions and countless memorable nights. We’ve introduced people to wines they’d never tried before, watched friendships form and shared in some truly special moments.
“We’ve watched first dates become engagements, engagements become marriages, and couples return with babies in tow. We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, new homes and countless milestones alongside you. We’ve shared conversations, laughter, music and moments that mattered from our little corner of Ancoats. We will never forget them.”
The team then went on to thank ‘every customer, artist, DJ, supplier, collaborator and friend’ who became part of their story.
The owners also gave a special thank you to the staff members who stayed ‘to the very end’ and ‘showed up when it was hard’, admitting that they couldn’t have done it without them all.
Emily Sergeant -
21st January 2021 
