A new shop and cafe selling Filipino, Malaysian and other ESEA (East or South East Asian) dishes is being opened in Didsbury this year by two brilliant Manchester street food chefs.
Mama Z and Woks Cluckin, aka Zos and Yen, will be bringing pan-Asian food and drinks, retail, workshops, and supper clubs together all under one roof with a new opening called Yes Lah.
The pair first met at Hatch in 2018. whilst both undertaking street food residencies and quickly developed a strong friendship and professional bond.
Working together hosting supper clubs and helping at each other’s events, the idea of opening a space together was always on the cards. Now, it’s finally coming to fruition.
Image: Yes Lah
Having been some five years in the making, the pair were ecstatic to finally reveal the plans for and location of their new site this weekend after being ‘messed about’ for six months by a different venue they had been considering.
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Sharing the news with followers on Instagram over the weekend, Zos wrote: “Gosh I can’t believe I can finally reveal what I have kept my gob shut about since last year. It’s true.. Yen and I have now found our forever home and are opening our new venture in the heart of Didsbury!!
“Everyone kept asking me what my plan was or what I was doing next work-wise and since Sept last year we had seen a venue that we wanted to take.
“Unfortunately they messed us about for 6 months and really we had envisioned we would be in there by now. Alas, we had to start all over again but all things happen for a reason and we feel that this new space is the one we have been waiting for. We are ecstatic to have you at our new shop and café called Yes lah!
She continued to explain that the new cafe will celebrate local makers and people the pair have had the pleasure of working with along the years, ‘bringing together our passions under one roof.’
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“Expect delicious Filipino, Malaysian and other great ESEA dishes, drinks and groceries. There will be supper clubs, workshops and great local events too. It is so exciting to finally have a base and our permanent home!!!”
Image: Yes Lah
“I am finally free of this big secret which was SO hard to keep to myself for ages but I am now pinching myself that we can finally share it with you all. See you all very soon at Yes lah and maraming salamat to everyone who has supported us both through these past 5 years! EEEEKKKK!!!”
To help get Yes Lah up and running, the pair are getting ready to launch a Kickstarter campaign with a number of different pledges – likely to include meals, supper club tickets, workshops and more.
To follow their journey in the meantime, you can follow Yes Lah on its new Instagram page here and sign up for Kickstarter notifications here.
Feature image – Mama Z
News
Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK
Emily Sergeant
A handful of green spaces in Manchester have once again been handed coveted awards and named among the best in the UK.
It may be on your radar that for several years running now, parks and cemeteries in Greater Manchester have deservingly been recipients of the prestigious Green Flag Award – which is an internationally-recognised honour given annually to the parks and cemeteries that have ‘attained a high standard of green space’.
And 2026 seems to be absolutely no different, with the region coming out on top once again.
Green Flag Awards are granted by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy each year to recognise accessible green spaces that set ‘an international benchmark for management’.
Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK / Credit: Donald Judge (via Flickr) | Wikimedia Commons
Every site recognised through the scheme is assessed by experienced judges who judge the parks using eight criteria.
The criteria includes environmental management, biodiversity, landscape and heritage, community involvement, marketing and communication, and management to make sure it’s a safe and secure place for visitors of all ages.
2026 has been one of Manchester’s most successful years, as Manchester City Council has revealed this week that Blackley, Gorton, Philips Park, Manchester General, and the Southern cemeteries have all been given the Green Flag Award, as well as both Alexandra Park and Heaton Park retaining the important title too.
The awards shed light on the range of groups, volunteers, and staff who devote themselves year-round to the maintenance and upkeep of these areas.
“Come rain or shine our colleagues are out in our parks and cemeteries every day of the year, putting their time and effort into making them the internationally recognised locations they are,” commented Councillor Basat Sheikh, who is the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
“I’m deeply proud of their efforts and I want to dedicate the seven Green Flags we have been awarded to them.
“It’s no overstatement to say none of this would be possible without them.”
Featured Image – Stephen Taylor (via Geograph / Wikimedia Commons)
News
Government announces social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Default overnight curfews are set to be switched on for 16 and 17-year-olds on social media apps.
As the Government looks to take further action to back parents and ‘protect the next generation’ online, following the confirmation of the social media ban for under 16s earlier this year, it has now been announced that curfews will be introduced for 16 and 17-year-olds, as well as a crackdown on so-called ‘addictive features’.
This includes features that can keep users scrolling for longer – such as videos that automatically play one after another, and feeds that continually serve up personalised content.
Late-night curfews are set to run from midnight to 6am.
Late-night scrolling. Endless autoplay. Algorithms designed to keep you hooked.
We're changing that for 16 and 17-year-olds.
New protections will mean overnight social media curfews and addictive features will be switched off by default, helping young people get better sleep,… pic.twitter.com/ykWa9gjNRT
— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) July 15, 2026
The new protections are said to be aiming to ‘strike a balance’ between giving older teens greater safeguards online, while still allowing them to change their own settings if they wish.
“These measures will help ensure there is no cliff edge in protections as young people move into their later teenage years,” the Government said in its announcement.
Today’s measures follow a first-of-its-kind Government pilot involving more than 300 teenagers and parents across the UK, with families reporting that overnight curfews quickly became part of their routine and helped improve sleep and concentration.
The Government has announced social media curfews for 16 and 17-year-olds / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life,” explained Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall.
“We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”
Alongside these protections, the Government says it will publish new guidance for children, parents, and guardians on how to use AI ‘safely and confidently’.
Media literacy skills will also be bolstered in schools to teach children how to navigate new types of technology.
Georgina Pellant -
25th April 2022 
