A new ‘haute couture’ burger bar is planning to open its first UK restaurant in Manchester.
Called The Butcher, it will join as a part of the new entertainment complex Urban Playground – billed as a ‘revolutionary new entertainment venue in Manchester’ and will be located close to Selfridges on the top floor of the Arndale.
In what promises to be a UK first, popular European burger chain The Butcher will join the new complex in the Arndale to deliver its food offering.
Starting off with a secret kitchen called KIQ (Keep It Quiet) in Amsterdam, prior to its launch in Manchester the brand has opened a number of high-end burger bars in Holland, Germany and Ibiza.
Image: The Butcher
Known for its high-end “haute couture” take on fast food, The Butcher promises to bring something a little different to the Arndale’s – and Urban Playground’s – food offering.
ADVERTISEMENT
Committed to serving what they bill as the “world’s best beef burgers”, The Butcher prepares all of its components in-house, on the day, using prime Aberdeen Angus beef in its hand-shaped patties.
Burger buns and signature sauces are also freshly made on-site, whilst further produce – ranging from herbs to vegetables – promises to be the freshest available.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: The Butcher
Bringing its global signatures along with it, hungry Mancs will be able to tuck into the likes of babganoush, avocado and truffle-laden burgers, alongside more kooky options like ‘The Benedict’ – a brunch-style burger loaded with hollandaise sauce, ham and a fried egg.
Elsewhere, veggies and vegans will find plant-powered buns like the Veggie and Vegan Delights, both combining fried mash chickpea patties with herbs, spices, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and sesame paste. Vegan cheese is available as an extra, or cheddar for veggies.
As for drinks, think signature milkshakes and some boozy options too – like a ‘dark rum ‘n’ chocolate’ milkshake, which puts a milky twist on the signature dark and stormy.
It will be opening within Urban Playground, which promises to be an “ultimate entertainment destination” and will bring an exclusive preview of ITV‘s The Cube Live experience to Manchester in what promises to be a world first.
The new entertainment complex will feature exciting games from the award-winning show, alongside a new crazy mini gold extravaganza with ‘unique technology’ called Putters.
Image: Urban Playground
Speaking on the new opening, Butcher founder and co-owner Yossi Eliyahoo says: “As a creative concept developer, I envision and feel the places I design before they actually exist.
“We knew that the UK was the next stop for our international expansion plans, and Manchester truly is a global hotspot.
ADVERTISEMENT
“A city that is constantly evolving with many exciting happenings that command worldwide attention. This is the perfect city for our first UK concept, and it had to be The Butcher that we launched – it’s fast, it’s sleek, it’s modern, but quality is never compromised.”
Feature image – The Butcher
Food & Drink
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.
You can now get a Pot Noodle as part of your Tesco meal deal
Danny Jones
If you ask us, a big key to a happy life is all about celebrating the little wins as much as possible and in this case, when we heard that you can now get a Pot Noodle as part of your Tesco meal deal, we nearly did a cartwheel.
Are we exaggerating? Only a little bit, to be fair. Is this still kind of a big deal (pardon the pun) for the millions of Brits whose lunchtime meal regularly consists of a Tesco butty, beverage and perhaps some crisps? We think so.
We only heard the joyous news through word of mouth, but it looks as though the rumours are true after being not-so-quietly confirmed via the official Pot Noodle social media channels last week, revealing that you can indeed get your flavour of choice as part of your meal deal.
That really is the headline here, let’s be honest; the fact that you can now get a Pot Noodle – something many people have for their tea or a more than satisfying late-night snack – as the bonus side along with your main item at Tesco it an absolute result.
With meal deal prices having steadily crept up across the nation over recent years, no matter which supermarket, Tesco Extra, Asda Express, Sainsbury’s Local, convenience store and so on you seem to look in, getting an extra bit of value for money like is a big win for those on a quick dinner dash.
This is just like when we figured out you could get a proper Ginsters sausage roll, Cornish pasty or steak/chicken slice as your snack too. Just as buzzing then as we are now.
The brand also recently revealed what the UK’s most popular meal choices were last year, and some of the selections might surprise you.
Once again, it’s all about enjoying the little things, and put it this way, if we’re overreacting, then so are plenty of others.
Now accepting donations so One Drunk Redneck can get to the #UK and experience a #Tesco meal deal. I only need to raise enough for a one way ticket. I'm not too worried about how I'd get back home.
Oh, I probably should take my spouse. Ok, enough for two, one way tickets.
The only slight downside is that right now, as you might have spotted in the Instagram post above, this offer has only been rolled out at select Tescos.
As for those in Greater Manchester, there are just two local shops: the Tesco Extra in Walkden in Salford, as well as the Extra on Huddersfield Road in Bolton; the next closest after that is Warrington.
Nevertheless, you would expect that if the popularity of this new deal takes off – Tesco’s lunchtime package being one of the most popular in Britain – it’s likely that they will expand their plans up and down the country at large.
Speaking on the launch in an official press release, Pot Noodle’s senior brand Madeleine Boulton said: “We know our fans are always looking to get the most bang for their buck, so our move into the Tesco Meal Deal as a side is our way of giving customers the ultimate ‘snackisfaction’ and for some, the perfect hack that will ensure their meal deal sees them through the day.”
Can’t lie, we do rather fancy a Bombay Bad Boy now.
Georgina Pellant -
1st February 2022 
