Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria quickly won the hearts (and stomachs) of Mancunians when it launched in the city last year.
Now, just a year into its journey and already many thousands of slabs later, owner Danny Keko is preparing to open a new sit down site for the eatery right in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Moving into the basement of garden-themed bar and kitchen Alvarium, formerly Cord Bar, Lazy Tony’s will be taking over the kitchen from the fine dining vegan concept Black Leaf serving up its popular lasagnas, giant mozzarella sticks and espresso martini tiramisu.
Whilst Lazy Tony’s has been hinting for the past few weeks about a new site, the location wasn’t confirmed until this weekend when Black Leaf and Alvarium both shared the news to their social media channels.
Image: Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
Speaking on Lazy Tony’s imminent arrival Lazy Tony’s, Alvarium said: “From Friday the 29th April, we will be welcoming Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria into our restaurant downstairs.
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“Lazy Tony’s are hyped for this opportunity and we’re excited to bring them in and see where we can take the Alvarium brand alongside their partnership.
“Although we will be sad to part ways with Black Leaf, our space has always been one which allows small brands to grow into their own.
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“Lazy Tony’s started in lockdown and immediately gained a great following. Each section of their menu has both veggie and vegan options and they, like ourselves and Black Leaf, are focused on becoming a concept that you know and love.
“We look forward to seeing what Black Leaf will become in the future, and what Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria have in store for us!”
Image: Alvarium MCR
Sharing the news of its departure, Black Leaf restaurant said this will not be the end of the road for the concept and that they’ve now got plans to find a new site of their own.
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They wrote: “Having been hosted in the Alvarium kitchen for over a year now, we’ve loved our subterranean home. However, we believe that we are now ready to find a new site of our own.
“Although we will be sad to leave Alvarium, and what we have built together, we are going to take some time to fine tune our concept and hope to find a new space that works better for us.
Image: Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
“This is not the end for Black Leaf, although closing for now, we will be returning as soon as possible, and bigger and better than ever.
“We are so grateful for all of the support from you and have loved every moment of our time here at Alvariumm however we now believe our brand is strong enough to fly the nest and have a space of our own to grow Black Leaf further into everything we aspire to be.
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“In the meantime, we are happy to be able to free up the space for a local, independent business who aren’t able to have their own site. This steppingstone has allowed us to grow and develop and we are excited to see who has this opportunity next.”
Whilst a date for Lazy Tony’s official opening at the site is still to be confirmed, Black Leaf has confirmed its last day at Alvarium will be 27 April. From now until then, the kitchen will be offering 25% off food Monday to Thursday for those fans who want to give it a proper send off.
Feature image – Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria
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Four rare African ducklings have been hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time
Danny Jones
More conversation celebration down the road at Chester Zoo, as the award-winning wildlife park has welcomed four African ducklings who belong to a rare breed.
As is so often the case with the work they do all year-round, their arrival could help signal the species’ survival in the long run, whose status was sadly upgraded from vulnerable to endangered on the official IUCN Red List.
The particular type of fowl we’re referring to is the Maccao duck, a stiff-tailed bird that typically belongs to the fresh and brackish inland waters of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Medium-sized, chunky, with big bills and subtle striping around their heads, they’re gorgeous creatures as is, but especially so as ducklings…
If you didn’t say ‘awww’ out loud, then you’re just lying.
As the Zoo itself put it, they are “rare, fluffy and VERY cute.” Celebrating what is “a breeding breakthrough for one of Africa’s rarest ducks […] so these little guys are kind of a big deal.”
These little delightful little duckies are known for diving down to the bottom of lakes and riverbeds to forage for aquatic invertebrates and plants; in fact, given the choice, they tend to prefer going underwater over flying pretty much full-stop.
As a resident species that doesn’t migrate like many other birds, they are native to nations like Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. They’re identifiable by their dark black heads, blue bills (among the males, at least) and presence within the wetlands.
However, their estimated numbers continue to drop, and unfortunately, just 14 of their kind currently remain in Kenya and only 100 in Tanzania, with fewer than 5,000 believed to be left across the entire African continent.
Not only is this the first time the species has ever been successfully bred by bird experts at Chester Zoo, but conservationists hope ducklings will put a spotlight on the threatened species.
Their scientific name is ‘Oxyura maccoa’.Just like human babies, they prone to stuff all over their face.As far as ducklings go, these adorable little African variants are pretty special. (Credit: Supplied)
The zoo’s Head of Birds, Andrew Owen, said of their birth: “As one of just seven zoos in Europe – and 12 zoos globally – that care for Maccoa ducks, these ducklings are very special as they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo – making it a really historic moment for our team,
“This success gives a real boost to the future of the species, and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count.
“To see them now out on the water inside our new Heart of Africa habitat, which is dedicated to helping Africa’s most threatened species thrive, makes this milestone even more special.”
Nothing short of brilliant news, we’re sure you’ll agree; better still, in addition to the crucially charitable and conversation-based tourist attraction being named one of England’s most popular destinations once again, but these are the only rare birds welcome by the zookeepers this month.
Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ is coming to Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
This Vogue-fronted experience will incorporate interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Vogue is using this show to honour anyone who has made an impact in the fashion world.The Met Gala has become a staple in everyone’s calendar year in and year out.First Northern Quarter’s Chanel show, now this… Très chic. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/GoodFon)
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January when it visits Aviva Studios this winter.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
19th April 2022 
