Some of the most sought-after restaurants in Manchester are raffling off tables to help feed local people in need.
Working in partnership with local charity Eat Well MCR, top restaurants like AA rosette award-winner El Gato Negro, 5-star hotel The Lowry, Mackie Mayor, District and The Creameries are just a handful to be involved in the fundraising raffle.
Launched to mark the start of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, the Eat Well MCR raffle gives people the chance to win meals worth over £100 at some venues whilst also donating to support the charity’s important work across Greater Manchester feeding vulnerable local people in need.
Image: Eat Well MCR
With tickets priced at £10 each, every sale will provide five meals to people sidelined by poverty in Manchester as well as giving the buyer a chance to bag some mega prizes worth ten times the value of their raffle ticket.
There is a total of 31 prizes up for grabs, including concert tickets for Elbow, £150 to spend at Freight Island, £100 to spend at El Gato, £100 at Mackie Mayor, and VIP tickets to Homobloc’s WHP 2021 show at Depot Mayfield.
ADVERTISEMENT
Further prizes include a meal for two at Tokyo Ramen, a £100 voucher for Tampopo, family tickets to Lightopia, and a traditional afternoon tea at five-star hotel The Lowry.
The proceeds from every ticket sale will go towards supporting families and other local Manchester people who find themselves fallen on hard times.
ADVERTISEMENT
Many people In Manchester are using food banks, living in temporary accommodation with no cooking facilities, or sheltering from domestic abuse in a refuge – and these are the people that will be most helped by the sale of these raffle tickets.
See the full list of prizes up for grabs below and click here to purchase your raffle ticket. Act fast, the raffle closes on 27 September.
The full list of prizes available to win in the MFDF x Eat Well MCR raffle:
1.£100 to spend at any restaurant in the El Gato group
ADVERTISEMENT
2.Meal for 2 at Tokyo Ramen (drinks not included)
3.Table for 2 at District for My First Crush + a bottle of wine OR 2 cocktails
4.£100 voucher for Mackie Mayor, Markethouse Alrincham or Picturehouse Macclesfield
(These vouchers can be used at any of the bars or kitchens. The vouchers are valid until 16th September 2022. The vouchers can be collected from Mackie Mayor as soon as the prize has been drawn.)
5.£100 voucher for Tampopo
ADVERTISEMENT
6.Family Ticket for Lightopia, Heaton Park Nov 2021 – Jan 2022
(Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children) to the award-winning Lightopia, enchanting light and lantern festival, from November 18th, 2021 – January 3rd, 2022, at Heaton Park. Prize subject to availability)
7.Homobloc VIP tickets x 2 – 6th November 2021, Mayfield Depot
8.£150 to spend at Freight Island
9.Honest Crust Bundle – pizza vouchers, a Hannah Valentine x Honest Crust limited edition T-shirt and tote bag and a bottle of olive oil
ADVERTISEMENT
10.Taste of Honey lunch or dinner for up to 15 people in Taste Of Honey’s secret courtyard (details TBC)
11.Traditional Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Lowry Hotel
12.The Creameries – 4 course lunch for 2 people at The Creameries (to be used within 6 months, drinks not included)
13.ELBOW Tickets x 2 – Manchester Apollo Wednesday 29th September 2021
(PLEASE NOTE: Winners must be fully compliant with all venue policies to gain entry, in particular covid compliance requirements click here to view. They should read this in plenty of time, as they may need to prepare lateral flow tests or covid passes ahead of the show. Sadly due to Covid restrictions and to reduce the risk of infection or transmission, there are no aftershow arrangements, backstage access or meet and greet opportunities on this tour. Winners are advised to keep an eye on Elbow and Apollo social media for any last minute changes.)
ADVERTISEMENT
14.Be Diddy Voucher
15.Medium Cheese Hamper Box from Chorlton Cheesemongers
(Winner to notify of any specific dietary requirements; Allergen information can be found under the product description on website. Prize includes delivery to main UK postcodes – additional charges for delivery to Highlands & Islands. Cheeses can occasionally be different to description due to seasonal availability.)
16.Batard – brunch for 2
(details TBC – to be redeemed post November 2021)
ADVERTISEMENT
17.Maison Breizh Lambig de Bretagne (Breton cider brandy) x 1 bottle
18.Beehive Foods – Chutney Selection box
19.Isca – Indulgence Box
(including a bottle of natural wine (choice of red, white or orange), maple + rosemary nuts, a jar of organic jam, a jar of organic chutney and a bar of small batch chocolate. Shipped or collection from Isca.)
20.Into The Gathering Dusk – Botanical Gin and Tonic Package
ADVERTISEMENT
(2 x 250ml varieties of gin infused with botanicals from our local area (37.5% abv). Makes approx 10 double gin and tonics with plenty of tonic cordial to spare. Comes with cute citrus wheel garnishes)
21.Jaunty Festival Scarf by Design Confections
22.Frederick & Tubs hand painted glass candle holder
23.Platt Fields Market Garden Hamper
(Contains a selection of seasonal and organically grown PFMG vegetables and herbs along with pickles, kimchi, hot sauce and sweet and savoury treats all produced by amazon chef at the PFMG onsite kitchen with own grown ingredients. Also included, organic eggs and apple juice from local supplier.)
ADVERTISEMENT
24.Adam Pester A1 print of Manchester
25.Reserve Wines – Case of 6 bottles
26.Letters of Note – collection of signed books
(Signed set of 12 mini compliations of Letters Of Note, Shaun Usher : Love, War, Art, Music, Cats, Dogs, Mothers, Fathers, Sex, Space, Grief, New York)
27.Rebecca Morris Ceramics – pair of handmade ramen bowls and Pippy Eats chilli oil set
ADVERTISEMENT
28.Kabusk plant pot
(The recipient of this prize may choose one large or two smaller items from their Collection One range to be specially made for them.)
29.Stan Chow Print of Anthony Bourdain
(designed especially for Eat Well MCR)
30.Stan Chow – Noodles Print
31.L347her Lightening Bolt Earrings
News
30 years ago, the IRA detonated a 1,500kg lorry bomb on Corporation Street in the heart of Manchester – here’s the story
Georgina Pellant
Today marks three whole decades since an explosion from the inside of a lorry parked on Corporation Street shattered windows and destroyed buildings across the city centre.
Causing an evisceration that stretched for miles, when the 1,500 kilogram IRA bomb went off in 1996, it was the biggest detonation in Great Britain since the Second World War.
Following the explosion, the city fell silent – leaving rack, rubble and ruin in its wake. Famously, one red post box was left standing – today fitted with a memorial plaque in remembrance of the tragedy.
It seems scary to think that back then, most people could only stand there, watch on and worry.
The bomb caused an estimated £700 million worth of damage to Manchester’s infrastructure and economy, and over a quarter of a century later, locals still tell the stories of where they were when it went off – and of the devastation it left behind.
Notably, one resident of the Cromford Court maisonettes on top of the Arndale – a 77-year-old RAF veteran suffering from the flu – didn’t even bother to get up when the telephone warning to evacuate hit, considering himself to have survived much worse feats during his time in military service.
Having been a rear gunner in a Lancaster in the war, he reportedly told police and authorities “he was buggered if he was going to let a small bomb affect him.”
In subsequent years, Danny O’Neill has become a part of an urban legend surrounding the bomb as his staggering story has been told time and time again.
Around 90 minutes prior to the detonation, the Provisional Irish Republican Army had telephoned in warnings – meaning that around 75,000 people were able to be evacuated from the area before the bomb went off from the back of a van.
However, the bomb squad were unable to defuse it in time, leading to over 200 injuries from people still left in the area.
Thankfully, despite those injuries, there were no fatalities, and many of those reported traumas came from the shattering of thousands of windows and other damage to buildings in which unsuspecting people were getting on with their days.
Several buildings near the explosion were damaged beyond repair and had to be demolished, while many more were closed for months for structural repairs, and this prompted the biggest regeneration of Manchester city centre ever – something that is still continuing to this day, arguably at a more rapid rate than ever.
The city lay dormant for days after the explosion, as people came to terms with what had happened and kept their distance. Many moved out of the centre for a period of time, while many more simply decided not to visit for fear of another incident.
It was a desolate place, eerily quiet, and in need of some serious TLC.
According to Home Office statistics, an estimated 400 businesses within half a mile (0.8 km) of the 1996 blast were affected, 40% of which did not recover.
Credit: Manchester Libraries
Market Street – near the explosion and at that time the second-busiest shopping street in the UK – was considered by some a “fearful” place, and one that was to be “avoided like the plague”.
The prospect of pulling Manchester’s bustling city centre out of its darkest depression was not casually approached by those in charge.
It was acknowledged as a mammoth task from the get-go, but Greater Manchester has never let anything get in its way. Despite how steep the hill is that we’re standing at the base of, we always manage to reach the peak, ready to go again.
Manchester City Council green-light new venue at Medlock Square, with Mamma Mia! The Party to open the immersive space
Danny Jones
The smash-hit ‘Mamma Mia: The Party’ is set to land in Manchester next year as the maiden event of another brand-new space set to open as part of the upcoming Medlock Square development.
Etihad Campus has seen a lot of moving pieces over the past few years, be it the building of Co-op Live, the ongoing expansion of Man City’s home ground, the soon-to-launch hotel attached to the stadium and now Medlock.
But those in control of the land are content with stopping there; this looks to be just the start of a whole new evolution for the East Manchester area, with an as yet untitled new immersive arts, experience and events venue also set to join the new slate of projects.
You see another glimpse of the purpose-built mini arena, of sorts, down below.
With plans having now been approved by the City Council, the ‘immersive’ space will be situated between the Etihad, Co-op Live and Medlock Square itself, holding up to 600 guests per performance.
Currently set to open in late 2027, following the rest of the square’s launch window being fully rolled out, we still don’t know the name of this next addition, but the structure itself will dovetail with the surrounding buildings and areas as part of seasonal activations, live shows and sports screenings, as well as pop-ups, brand collaborations and more.
Looping back, the interactive, multimedia extravaganza that is ‘Mamma Mia! The Party’ will finally be making its Manc debut as part of the 10th anniversary of the all-singing, all-dancing and even all-dining in-demand production.
As per an official press release from the Medlock Square media team, the show will combine “live music, theatre, food and storytelling” and “offer visitors an unforgettable night out.”
The original UK production at The O2 in London has now surpassed more than 1,500 performances, with a total of 700k guests attending these shows in 110 countries across the globe. Safe to say it’s rather popular.
As for Medlock Square and the surrounding Etihad Campus, Manchester City supporters have also been given another look at the soon-to-open, immersive hotel tie-in experience.
With a skywalk, rooftop bar, a new MCFC shop and various other bits set to spill out onto Medlock Square, it all feels like a period of wholesale changes over in the blue half of the city – especially with the football club bidding farewell to their manager Pep Guardiola after more than a decade.
Following the new and improved North Stand being named after him in the first of many tributes, the City Football Group (CFG) are also set to commission a statue in his honour over the coming months.
Meanwhile, Medlock Square is also due to open later this year, although an official completion date has not been confirmed.
You can stay up to date with all the latest on Mamma Mia! The Part’s Manchester shows right HERE.
Not forgetting a brand-new women’s football facility, too, there is so much stuff going on over at the Etihad that it can be hard to keep track, but here’s the latest look at some of the rooms set to feature in the hotel of the same name.
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2021 
