A brand new primetime show from everyone’s favourite sweary TV chef is due to hit our screens this week, merging the worlds of cooking shows with the competitive, on-screen world of business TV.
Called Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, it’s being billed as an Apprentice-style series (but for foodies), with contestants battling it out to win a £150,000 fund to help kickstart their business.
And we’ve been tipped off that early episodes airing this week will feature a Manchester-based entrepreneur keen to make her mark.
Enter Steph Buttery, the founder of Japanese inspired sour soft drinks brandsChu Lo – hand-picked by Gordon Ramsay as one of twelve of the UK’s best up-and-coming food and drink entrepreneurs.
Steph will take on the weekly cookery and business-led challenges as she battles it out against other budding entrepreneurs for the chance to win an investment from Gordon himself.
Speaking of the experience, she said: “I can’t wait for the series to launch and to see the reaction from viewers.
“It was an incredible opportunity and hopefully people are thoroughly entertained. For anyone considering applying, go for it!”
Who is Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars contestant Steph Buttery?
The Manchester-based entrepreneur has been named as one of the first contestants to appear on the first-ever BBC series of Gordon Ramsey’s Future Food Stars.
Steph is the founder of the Japanese-inspired sour soft drinks brand,Chu Lo, which she launched in 2019 after serving twelve years in the Royal navy.
Following her passion for the unique Japanese flavours she enjoyed whilst deployed in the Far East, Steph set out to create her own line of non-alcoholic, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, sour soft drinks here in the UK.
Steph Buttery is a former Navy staffer and the founder of the Japanese-inspired sour soft drinks brand,Chu Lo. / Image: Supplied
Today, Chu Lo now has four tantalising flavours available in apple, lemon, peach and cherry and the business has since secured huge deals with industry giants including YO! Sushi and Belong Gaming Arenas.
Since February this year, Chu Lo Drinks has also been supplying outlets across the US and EU.
But Steph’s success doesn’t stop there. Most recently, she joined the ensemble of business owners for the first series of Gordon Ramsay’s latest TV show endeavour, Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars.
Steph joined the series to step out of her comfort zone and challenge herself against other keen business minds.
Contestants on the show come from all across the UK. Worcestershire chef Amit has created a range of bottled Indian sauces from his family recipes and Londoner Leah creates free-from brownies for those with allergies and inolerances.
Ex-Navy chef Jamie has a mussel bar in Macclesfield and PR graduate Asher runs a jam, chutney and marmalade business from her home in the Rhondda Valley. Meanwhile, Jen from Castleford creates low-sugar bottled cocktails whilst Londoner Matthew wants to set up a zero-waste restaurant.
There’s also health coach Bola, who has created low-calorie apple cider vinegar seltzers, Michelle from Perthshire selling Scottish steamed puddings (also known as clootie dumplings), Londoner Victoria and her award-winning plantain and vegan snacks, and Italian Vincenzo who has set up his own artisan smoked salmon brand.
Last but not least, there is also Valentina who is launching a vegan cake mix and cafe in the capital.
When is the release date?
Coming soon to BBC One, the eight-part series sees the formidable chef set a series of challenges for twelve budding entrepreneurs as they compete to win a £150,000 investment for their business.
The series kicks off on Thursday 31 March on BBC One at 9pm. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
Feature image – Youtube / Supplied
News
Feel Good Club becomes Manchester’s latest independent cafe to announce ‘heartbreaking’ closure
Emily Sergeant
Manchester mental health cafe Feel Good Club is the latest independent to sadly announce it’ll be closing its doors for good.
You may know the Feel Good Club from the success of its wellbeing-focused cafe which opened in the heart of the Northern Quarter in October 2020, where it has since been brewing up quality coffee, serving all-day brunch full of all your favourite comfort foods, and hosting regular events to bring the Manchester community together.
The Feel Good Club movement actually started humblyas an Instagram page filled with uplifting messages and top tips, however, by founders Kiera and Aimie Lawlor-Skillen.
The carefully-curated social media page aimed at normalising the stigma around mental health and has since flourished into a successful platform of 530,000+ followers, and has led the pair to being able to release their own book, clothing lines, start a podcast, and so much more.
But the upcoming closure of its Northern Quarter cafe next month is one that will hit Manchester hard, amid a growing number of independent businesses struggling to stay afloat.
Feel Good Club has announced the closure of its Manchester cafe / Credit: The Manc Group
Taking to Instagram yesterday to announce the closure, Feel Good Club wrote: “We’re absolutely gutted to have to deliver this message but, just weeks before our fifth birthday, our venue in Northern Quarter will be closing on the 23 September.
“We’ve spent the past 12+ months seeing some of our favourite venues in the city closing around us, and whilst we’ve been trying to do everything in our power not to, it’s felt like an inevitability that we’ve been unable to escape, and we’ll sadly be joining the list of some incredible places that have been lost to the current hospitality crisis.
“Holding on any longer would mean risking letting down our team and suppliers, and they come first here.
The Northern Quarter cafe opened its doors in October 2020 / Credit: The Manc Group
“We’ve poured every part of ourselves, our lives. and energy into the physical venue of Feel Good Club.
“We’ve loved, we’ve lost, and we’ve had some of the best moments of our lives in that space, joined by friends, family, and the chosen family we have met along the way. From the cabarets and dancing on tables, to the weddings, the markets, the protests, the music, the memorials, and the real, raw, and important conversations.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has brought their visions to life in the club.”
Founders Kiera and Aimie then went on to thank every single visitor who’s ever come through the doors of their cafe, as well as all the staff who have worked there over the years, and ultimately, everyone who has supported them on their journey.
They also made sure to add that ‘this is not the end for Feel Good Club’ and that they are actively looking for pop-up opportunities to keep the community alive.
“We will continue to be exactly what it always has been – a safe corner of the internet for everyone and anyone that needs it,” their statement concluded.
Feel Good Club will close its doors in the Northern Quarter on Tuesday 23 September 2025, so make sure you go and show them some love before then.
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If you or anyone you know is struggling right now, please know that you are never alone and there are many different places you can reach out to for support right here in Greater Manchester.
Suffering in silence never need be the way.
Manchester Mind – An organisation that has supported people in Manchester for over 30 years. Most services are now available over the phone, by email or video call. The number is 0161 769 5732 and the opening hours are Mon to Fri, 10am-2pm.
The GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust– The local NHS helpline is open 24/7 which you can call any time, day or night, if you feel your mental health is beginning to suffer: 0800 953 0285.
Andy’s Man Club – A group dedicated to starting conversations about mental health, assuring people that it’s ok to talk. You can contact them by email on: [email protected].
CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably supports people via phone and webchat. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or speak to a support worker online. Open 5pm to midnight.
Samaritans – The Manchester & Salford Samaritans offer emotional support by telephone and email. The phone lines and email support are available 24/7. Call 116 123 or visit the website.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
Greater Manchester Mayors deliver update on Salford Red Devils situation
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham revealed details from the minutes of his meeting with the Rugby Football League (RFL) over the August bank holiday, sharing key updates from the crucial sit-down in hopes of securing the future of Salford Red Devils.
The Mayor and his Salford counterpart, Paul Dennett, met with chief executive Tony Sutton and other key RFL figures to discuss the ongoing crisis at Salford Red Devils, who remain on the brink of collapse.
Supporters marched on the streets of 0161’s second city in the immediate aftermath, expressing their dismay at the continuing struggles both behind the scenes and off the pitch, and Burnham was quick to call a meeting with the RFL as a result. The fans have remained in full voice throughout.
Posting a joint statement on social media, the pair wrote: “We would like to take the opportunity to thank the RFL and clubs across the Super League for their ongoing commitment to assist Salford Red Devils in fulfilling all other fixtures and get the club to the end of the season.
“Following that meeting, we have requested a meeting this Friday with the Jacobsen Management Group, the current owners, to discuss our serious concerns over the future of the club.
“The impending HMRC court hearing, the failure to meet tax obligations, the delay in payment of wages, and the lack of financial investment have resulted in a complete loss of confidence in the ownership among fans and the wider Salford and rugby community.”
Stating that “Salford Red Devils [still] face an uncertain future”, leading fan group The 1873 confessed that while it has been seen as a “welcome step”, it nevertheless “felt short of reassurance and commitment we’d hoped for.”
In short, they said: “We will no longer sit back while the club we love is reduced to a shell by those who do not speak to us, do not listen, and do not understand what Salford means.” They also called out the somewhat one foot in, one foot out ownership group and so-called current ‘stewards’ of the club directly.
You can read their response in full down below.
Yesterday’s statement from Andy Burnham & Paul Dennett is a welcome step, but not the one Salford fans wanted.
It felt short of reassurance and commitment we’d hoped for.
The future of the club and community deserves more.
Furthermore, Burnham and Dennett went on to add: “Following discussions between the parties involved, there is clear agreement that Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Salford City Council and the Rugby Football League are resolute in their commitment to safeguard the club.
“We are committed to working together to secure the long-term future of the club, to implement a city-wide rugby strategy, and to honour the generations of players, supporters, and communities who have carried its spirit through more than 150 years of rugby league.”
What about you, Salford Red Devils fans – what did you make of both statements, and how hopeful are you that the storm will clear around the club?