Levenshulme’s popular natural wine bar Isca is popping up at KAMPUS for a two-week residency, bringing some of their tastiest low-intervention bottles into the city centre.
It marks the first of a summer series of food and drink pop-ups at KAMPUS, designed to champion independents of Manchester whilst heralding the new opening of the waterside gardens.
The brainchild of sommelier Caroline Dubois and Chef Isobel Jenkins, who met while working at Michelin-recognised Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In, Isca is one of the city’s most respected homes of natural wine.
The pair have pioneered natural wines and ethically-sourced produce in Manchester, and now they’ll be showcasing the best of their selection down at Manchester’s garden neighbourhood over the course of a fortnight.
Isca’s founders have put together a wine list featuring a carefully curated mix of ‘old world’ natural wines from small producers in Europe for guests to enjoy, with glasses starting from £5.
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These will sit alongside a selection of beers from independent breweries, house homemade soft drinks and organic small plates including British and Irish farmhouse cheeses.
“People don’t realise that most supermarket wine has never been touched by a human hand and we want to tell the story of some amazing natural wines from the handpicked grapes to the incredible taste,” said co-founder Caroline.
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“We’ve always had lots of demand in the city centre and Kampus is the perfect location for us to bring the natural wine experience.
“We’re working with some niche winemakers and local producers so the independent vibe Kampus is creating really appealed to us.”
Visitors can sit out in the sun or enjoy a tipple from Isca in the Kampus Bungalow, a security cabin on stilts overlooking the canal that has since been transformed into a sort of ‘village hall’ for pop-ups and community events.
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There’ll also be a bottle shop on hand so you can take any favourites home with you.
Isca will serve on Friday and Saturday for two weekends at KAMPUS from June 11, opening at the Manchester garden neighbourhood from 5pm until late.
And it’s walk-ins only, so no need to book.
Isca KAMPUS opening hours:
Friday 11 June 5-11pm Saturday 12 June 2-11pm Friday 18 June 4-11pm Saturday 19 June 2-11pm
Eats
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Daisy Jackson
A nightclub in Manchester has shared a picture of a recent customer’s bill – and to call them a big spender would be underselling it.
The luxury nightclub posted a photo of a bill that racked up to an eye-watering £88k.
Or, to be very specific, £88,589.60.
The flash customer was at The Continental Club, otherwise known as The Conti, an ‘exclusive’ bar and club on South King Street.
The bar is a drastic departure from the former nightlife spot which stood in its place – the building was previously home to South, a legendary underground club famed for its alternative soundtrack.
Now it’s got a new life as a nightlife haunt where, apparently, it’s not uncommon to spend the equivalent of a small terrace house on drinks.
The bar shared the picture of the receipt yesterday, describing it as a ‘record-breaker’.
The Continental Club has claimed that it’s not only the biggest spend in its own walls, but the most expensive bill to have ever taken place in any club in Manchester.
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Curious to see how exactly a person could spend £88k on drinks? Let’s break down some of the more expensive items.
Let’s kick things off with three bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Extra Anejo, a tequila which retails for around £2.5k but set this customer back £9,500 a pop…
Then there’s a couple of magnums of Dom Perignon rose champagne (£2,000 each), a few bottles of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne (£1,500 each), and a few £950 bottles of Chivas Regal 25 whiskey.
It makes the £850 Grey Goose at the bottom seem like child’s play.
They also slammed at least 48 Red Bulls, according to the bill.
Then on top of that you’ve got a staggering £8k worth of service charge – some very happy staff went home that night, I’d imagine.
The Continental Club wrote: “Some come to sip…others come to set records. The biggest table spend to EVER take place in a club in Manchester.”
V.Goode Pies – Michelin-recommended Manchester restaurant launches new pie shop
Daisy Jackson
A new pie shop has opened in Manchester today – and it comes from the same team behind a Michelin-recommended restaurant.
Chefs Shaun Moffat (of Winsome fame) and Sam Grainger (Madre, Belzan, Doug’s and loads more) have joined forces for V.Goode Pies.
The Oxford Road pie shop promises to serve ‘the kind of pies Manchester’s been waiting for’ that won’t cost the earth.
Shaun and Sam dreamed up the idea following the success of the pie offering at Winsome, which are a highlight of its proudly British menu.
Now open on Oxford Road, you’ll find four core individual pies as well as breakfast pies.
Expect classic flavours like cheese and onion, and meat and potato, but also less common creations like a lasagne pie and a breakfast pie too.
There’ll be the option to have your pie served in a barm, Wigan kebab-style, or have it as it comes after a hefty dunk in a vat of gravy.
Pie dinner trays at V.Goode PiesInside the breakfast pie and the lasagne pie at V.Goode PiesA pie barm at V.Goode PiesShaun Moffat and Sam GraingerTraditional British piesThe full spreadInside V.Goode PiesCredit: The Manc Group
You can also have it served on a classic dinner tray, with mash and mushy peas on the side.
As well as traditional fillings, V. Goode Pies will have more out-there bakes like a lasagne pie, where layers of pasta are packed into a pie crust.
You can also expect rotating specials and collaborations.
V.Goode Pies – or, to use its government name, Valerie Goode’s Pies – is inspired by co-founder Tom Fastiggi’s dinner lady grandmother and pie connoisseur.
V.Goode Pies will take over the old Loaf store on Oxford Road and is set to open on 18 November, with a pop-up also planned at Freight Island this winter.
The pie shop will be open Monday to Saturday, from 8am until they sell out.
Georgina Pellant -
8th June 2021 
