It’s looking like another great week for eating out in Manchester as more operators get the confidence to throw open their doors to the public.
This week marks the opening of Takk’s new project, Kerb Wines, a new haven for natural wine in Ancoats that will also function as a ‘part-time’ bar, as well as the opening of a new semi-permanent home for Liverpudlian Chinese Chippy Woo Tan Scran.
Elsewhere, Le Social Wines has just announced they’ll be popping up in the new residency spot at KAMPUS; Kong’s chicken shop has been playing around with some fried chicken roast dinners at Northern Monk that we’re very excited about – and there’s a new announcement coming from Tine later this week.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks for the week. As ever, there’s plenty to get stuck into.
Vegan ‘Char Sue’ chicken. (Yeah they know it’s Siu but their chef’s ma is called Sue) / Image: Woo Tan Scran
A full vegan Chinese chippy takeover at Stage and Radio
Liverpudlian Chinese chippy Woo Tan Scran first made its way down to Manchester during the second or third lockdown, bringing its “most ordered on Deliveroo” crown with it. After operating here for a while as takeaway only, they’ve now found a new semi-permanent home at Stage and Radio.
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Promising “a new style of Woo Tan”, there’ll be a mix of old favourites on offer going forward alongside some new flavours from the team. Think stuffed bao buns, loaded chips and a whole host of vegan dim sum, like sesame ‘prawn’ toast and jackfruit pancakes.
Find Woo Tan Scran at Stage and Radio, 43 Port St, Manchester M1 2EQ from 4 August.
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Family-run restaurant Kimji already has an incredibly popular site in Preston / Image: lancashire_eats
A brand new Korean restaurant in Ramsbottom
Popular family-run restaurant Kimji in Preston has expanded with a second new opening and can now also be found serving up its Korean favourites in Ramsbottom.
Dishing up traditional Korean classics like bibimbap and bulgogi bbq alongside stews and soups, proper homemade kimchi, crispy pancakes, Korean fried chicken and dumplings. Opening its doors on 27th, it was fully booked for its first few days but there are a few slots opening up this week.
Find Kimji’s new Korean restaurant at 41 Bolton St, Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HU.
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Coconut cherry donuts from DGHNT, made with cherry glaze, coconut glaze, coconut flakes, cherry whipped cream and coconut cookie / Image: DGHNT
The ultimate artisanal summer donut box
Founded in lockdown after baker Sulin Khng Baldwin found her travel plans suddenly canceled, DGHNT regularly releases different themed donut boxes – and this week is your last chance to get the summer one.
As well as her cherry coconut (pictured above), this new box also features an apricot ricotta creation dressed in an apricot glaze and pistachio crumb and a peach melba donut with almond frangipane, vanilla poached peach, toasted almonds and raspberry sauce.
Last but not least, it also sees the return of the iconic mango lassi donut – made with mango cardamom glaze, pistachio and dried mango, we’d say the box is a must for this one alone.
To order message DGHNT on Instagram. The summer box is available Tuesday to Saturday with some delivery and collection slots throughout the week.
Kerb wine will open as a ‘part-time’ bar on the last weekend of every month / Image: Kerb Wine
A new natural wine store and ‘part-time’ bar in Ancoats
Kerb wine, a new project from the team behind Northern Quarter coffee shop Takk and ÖL Bar & Brewery, opens this Friday 6 August in Ancoats’ Cutting Room Square – joining ranks with the likes of Le Social, Erst, Isca and Higher Ground.
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Offering a gorgeous selection of natural wine, ranging from homegrown British producers to hand-picked winemakers across Europe and further afield, everything will be available to takeaway by the bottle or on tap.
Here comes the bit we’re really keen on. Kerb will also operate as a ‘part-time’ bar on the last weekend of every month. We advise putting 27-29 August in your diaries now, and if you like the sound of drinking in the shop we’ll definitely see you there.
Find Kerb Wine at Cutting Room Square, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 5BF from Friday 6 August.
Not just any club sandwich. 10 Tib Lanes is made with chicken, truffle, smoked bacon and celeriac / Image: 10 Tib Lane
A new French bistro in the old Bock Biere site
Bock Biere Cafe was one of the earliest hospitality casualties to suffer at the start of the pandemic, so when the news finally broke that the former fondue favourite was being replaced with a new concept from the teams behind CBRB and Henry C it was very well received indeed.
Now known as 10 Tib Lane, the three-story townhouse has had quite a transformation – migrating from Belgium to France as it takes on a whole new team and cultural identity.
Gone are the fondue platters and frothy beers, in their place a new menu of small plates designed by Volta’s Alex Shaw and some serious-sounding cocktails. Think milk-washed ‘whiskey and soda’ made with two types of Chivas, burnt caramel vanilla and citric acid, to give you an idea.
Open now, head to 10 Tib Lane, Manchester, M2 4JB. Open Wednesday to Friday from 4pm-2am, and Saturday to Sunday from 12pm-2am.
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Beloved plant-based independent street food business Herbivorous is set to close imminently
Danny Jones
We hate writing this, but we have news of yet another local hospitality closure as beloved Manchester-born and pioneering plant-based brand Herbivorous has confirmed they’ll soon be calling it a day.
If you can hear us sighing through the screen, apologies – we’re just getting really fed up of saying farewell to our favourites, so god knows how rubbish those involved feel.
As you can see, the team behind the multi-location vegan street food specialists began by writing: “It’s a long one so stay with me… It seems you can’t open social media at the moment without reading about another hospitality business closing down.
“Throughout 8 years of Herbivorous years we’ve come up against many challenges from Covid 5 years ago to watching all the big vegan brands from London and beyond come to Manchester and largely disappear again to the closure of Hatch our busiest site, but with continually increasing costs its becoming really difficult to maintain a thriving business.”
Herbivorous started out life back in 2016 as a cult hit at the old outdoor food, drink and entertainment hub centring around a ‘container village’, the first of its kind in the city and soon to reopen under new owners and a new name.
Since then, co-founders Robyn and Damian have gone on to expand not just to one permanent site over in Withington but with outposts in Sheffield and York, having gained a strong reputation with stalls and pop-ups all over.
Their hospitality story might not have the ending we personally would hope for, but it’s been a brilliant one for so many foodie fans – us lot included.
Nevertheless, they go on to add in the emotional statement that external pressures such as a recent bereavement and their own ever-growing family have also contributed to the decision which, despite being an understandably hard one, “feel like the right time.”
“We are so incredibly proud of how far we’ve come from spending long days slinging duck wraps from our green vintage horse box at festivals to three Herbi locations across the North of England”, they continue, “and with that we’ve also met so many fantastic people!”
“Whether you worked for us at a few festivals over [the] summer or for years at our restaurant, we just wanted to say and massive thank you! The memories will stay with us forever and, of course, how can we not mention our fabulous customers!
“Thank you all so much for choosing Herbivorous over the years. Those of you who had our food at Festivals and then found us at one of our permanent locations, those of you who came back week after week to Hatch, Spark, Withington and beyond.”
They signed off by detailing their final business days, with their Sheffield Kommune spot having already shut for refurbishment; meanwhile, their spot in SPARK York will be wrapping up on Saturday, 19 April.
As for their flagship brick-and-mortar venue here in Greater Manchester, Herbivorous Withington will be shutting on Friday, 25 April.
Once again, there’s nothing we can say other than thank you for years of delicious food, that we’re guttted to see you go, and that everyone at The Manc Group wishes you the best whatever comes next.
AJ Tracey is playing a VERY intimate gig in Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
London rapper and respected grime artist AJ Tracey is ‘live and direct’ once again, announcing a whole host of UK dates, one of which is a rather intimate gig right here in Manchester.
It’s official: one of UK rap’s leading gents is getting back on the road and he’s showing a ‘Little More Love’ to lots of cities, including Manchester.
In a post on the UK star’s socials, AJ Tracey trades his music persona for that of a sports pundit as he announces the dates for his upcoming tour while impersonating an F1 commentator.
Anyone looking to attend Tracey’s ‘Not Even A Tour’ can catch the star up and down the country on his over 20-date tour with a stop in Manchester as soon as this month.
The rapper has reached phenomenal heights since dropping the unforgettable ‘Ladbroke Grove’ in 2019 and is heading out across the nation to make sure everyone knows about it.
Get ready to spit bars left and right as this rapper’s discography is stacked with serious tunes like ‘Dinner Guest’, ‘West Ten’, ‘Thiago Silva’ and more.
More recently, he collaborated with Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith for a flirty garage beat also known as ‘Crush’ with the video being the two artists talking it out in a good old fashioned caff.
The latest collaboration with Smith marks the start of a new era for Mr. Live and direct as it fell in line with the announcement of his third studio album.
Titled Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, we’re sure he’ll be “building a vibe” wherever he goes and probably previewing a few exclusive tracks from his upcoming project too.
This gig may come as quite a surprise for any hardcore fans of the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star as the venue in which he’s performing is definitely intimate only, holding just over 250 guests.
This rap giant is bringing his unbelievable beats to none other than the legendary small-cap city centre live music venue, The Deaf Institute, at the end of this month.
It’s safe to say you won’t get many more chances, if any, to see him in such a tight-knit space again.
AJ Tracey is bringing ‘Not Even A Tour’ to Deaf Institute in Manchester on 30 April, with tickets on sale Friday 4 April from 12 noon.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd August 2021 
