One of the north’s most beloved independent burger chains has opened a new city centre site and expanded its delivery offering across Manchester today.
Fat Hippo – a group of independent burger joints founded in the North East, before opening up in Sheffield, Nottingham, and Leeds – specialises in the best burgers, loaded fries and more “good old fashioned, roll up your sleeves and get it all over your face” food.
The company’s brand new Manchester site has arrived at Lane 7 in Great Northern for takeaway from today.
But as all hospitality businesses are currently closed, with the exception of takeaway services, during England’s third national lockdown, the group is working closely with Deliveroo and has launched exclusively on the platform in Manchester, allowing customers the chance to enjoy Fat Hippo’s signature burgers in the comfort of their own home.
So what can Manchester’s foodies expect then?
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Well, alongside an extensive menu of their signature beef and boneless buttermilk chicken patties – that come with free fries as standard – Fat Hippo Manchester will also have a carefully-designed range of vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options available.
The family-friendly burger joint is also famed for its quality ingredients and quirky flavours.
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Burgers like the PB & J – a beef burger topped with peanut butter and bacon jam – is undoubtedly one of the fan favourites, and will be on the Manchester menu to try out, alongside all the classics and a great-value kids menu too.
This will be the group’s second venture with Lane 7, with their successful Fat Hippo S1 site already based in the leisure brand’s complex in Sheffield.
And as well as the several other sites in North East, Nottingham, Leeds and now Manchester, Fat Hippo also has exciting plans to continue growing, with further locations being established across the country.
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Fat Hippo Fleet also travels all over the UK, bringing its renowned burgers to thousands of national events.
Speaking on the launch of Fat Hippo Manchester, Michael Phillips – who founded Fat Hippo in the North East in 2010 – said: “The last year has been difficult for everyone, especially the hospitality sector, but we just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work with Lane 7 again and bring Fat Hippo to the North West.
“Great Northern is the perfect location for us to be based and we can’t wait for the people of Manchester to enjoy the good kind of gluttony”.
Michael Johnson – Operations Manager at Fat Hippo – added: “It’s been an incredible ride over the last ten years feeding the ever-growing herd of burger lovers, and now we can’t wait to bring the best burgers to Manchester”.
Although only open for takeaway services for the time being, Fat Hippo Manchester will open for dine in once restrictions have eased.
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You can find the full Fat Hippo menu and place your orders on Deliveroo here.
Make sure you also follow Fat Hippo’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for access to exclusive competitions, sneak peeks and to stay in the loop with this next chapter of its burger journey.
Eats
Hotly-anticipated new Lina Stores confirms Manchester opening date – and 50% off food
Daisy Jackson
Lina Stores has confirmed the opening date for its hotly-anticipated Manchester restaurant, and is slashing food bills in half while they get going.
The brand-new restaurant, delicatessen and Italian cocktail bar will be opening on Quay Street in just a few weeks, with a soft launch period offering 50% off food bills.
This will be the first time the beloved, decades-old London brand has headed outside of the capital, bringing fresh handmade pasta, deli-inspired antipasti, and indulgent desserts up north.
Lina Stores has now confirmed that it will be opening here in Manchester on Thursday 17 April 2026.
Blending coffee shop, delicatessen, restaurant, and bar, the new space will be styled in traditional Lina Stores shades of pastel green hues, warm timber woods, and terrazzo and timber flooring.
You’ll find bespoke marble tables, original vintage Bentwood chairs, dark green booth seating and opaline globe lighting inspired by the original Brewer Street delicatessen.
Lina Stores – Italian deli restaurant serving homemade pasta and more is heading to Manchester. Credit: Rebecca Hope
The amenu will feature everything from Italian-inspired breakfasts like truffle scrambled eggs, to pasta dishes like 30-egg yolk taglioni, to salads, freshly-made panini, and delicate cakes and pastries in the open-plan delicatessen.
The 150-cover, open-kitchen restaurant will be open seven days a week, with a coffee and cocktail bar specialising in aperitivo, Bar Lina, beside it.
To celebrate its opening in Manchester, Lina Stores is offering a limited number of 50% off food bookings, available during its soft launch from 11 to 16 April. To be in with a chance of securing a soft launch booking, you can sign up HERE.
Lina Stores Manchester officially opens on Thursday 17th April.
Inside The Black Friar as Salford pub unveils incredible floral display
Daisy Jackson
Spring has really sprung in Salford – legendary pub The Black Friar has just revealed a sensational makeover, with gigantic flowers sprawled across its frontage and a new seasonal menu to go with it.
The historic pub is celebrating the changing of the seasons with both a striking floral installation and a menu that celebrates spring and Salford in equal measure.
Most Mancs will by now have spotted the 4,000 flower-strong installation that now adorns the front of The Black Friar, with bright pink, yellow and purple flowers spilling from a gigantic pink tap.
And all those florals continue inside, with the pub’s Tavern – previously a cosy winter hideaway – now filled with trailing blooms and woodland installations, just off their award-winning garden.
Cheshire-based artist Kelly Louise Chapman is the woman behind this sensational transformation of the much-loved gastropub.
As for the pub’s kitchen, they’ve crafted a new very seasonal and very British menu, with plenty of nods to Black Friar’s Salford roots.
There are dishes like a Boddingtons braised ox cheek (the pub still proudly displays its Boddingtons sign outside), aged beef tartare, butternut squash and ricotta tortellini, and pan-roasted cod fillet.
Spring small plates at The Black Friar pubDelicious spring drinksInside The Tavern at The Black Friar
A popular item from the Valentine’s Day menu – the Cornish crab vol-au-vent – will be sticking around on the spring menu, along with an enhanced grill section that includes a lamb Barnsley chop cooked over coals.
Then for desserts, you’ll be spoilt with a banoffee knickerbocker glory, and passionfruit panna cotta.
And for drinks (because this is a pub, after all), The Black Friar has put together a range of seasonal drinks like a rose sangria sharer, and non-alcoholic sodas like kaffir lime and coconut.
Ben Chaplin, head chef at The Black Friar, said: “This new menu is all about celebrating the best of spring produce.
“We’ve carefully crafted each dish to highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavours, adding new depth to our offerings while still delivering the comfort that will always be associated with The Black Friar.
“My top recommendation and personal favourite dish is the Slow-Cooked Boddingtons Braised Ox Cheek.”
Neil Burke, owner of The Black Friar, commented: “We wanted to bring a taste of spring to The Black Friar, inside and out. This floral installation will transform the space and bring sunshine and smiles, whatever the weather!
“My top recommendation on the new menu is the Cumbrian Spiced Lamb Scotch Egg. It’s EXCEPTIONAL.”
To find out more about The Black Friar and to book a table, visit HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2021 
