Track brewery’s taproom has just welcomed the return of Rise pizza pop-up – a one-man flatbread operation that’s got us all excited again about (probably) one of the most over-saturated areas of the takeaway market.
Sam Astley-Dean is a Michelin-trained chef. He’s worked at top London restaurants Chez Bruce and Elystan Street and 5-star luxury hotels Claridge’s and The Chester Grosvenor, and now he’s here to cure our pizza fatigue.
Image: The Manc Eats
After years spent cooking in high-end kitchens, he’s switched his chef whites for jeans and a tshirt as he applies his skills to his new project, Rise – the one-man pizza pop-up that’s been quietly blowing the minds of beer lovers at taprooms and pubs across Greater Manchester.
Founded on the principles of natural, organic and ethical produce, Rise has only been going for a year – but Sam’s already making his mark on local foodies with various pop-ups in Salford Quays, Stockport, Levenshulme and more.
This month, he’s back at Track every Friday and Saturday between the hours of 3-9pm (or from 12pm on Saturdays) slinging out a choice of six different sourdough pizzas – or Pi’s, as he likes to call them.
Choices include the Cacio e Pepe, taking the classic cheese and pepper pasta dish and popping it on a pi with an added dash of fresh lemon, and the bright green OGB (Organic Garlic Butter) topped with slow-roasted garlic, parsley, lemon, mozzarella, parmesan and lemon.
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Elsewhere, you’ll find The Rebel, combining organic tomatoes with pepperoni, fior di latte and parmesan, and the Do Ya?, a simple and delicious combination of just four ingredients – tomatoes, spicy Calabrian sausage paste, mascarpone and parmesan.
Sam also does a classic margarita, which is made with burrata, and a vegan version with organic tomato, plant-based mozzarisella and prosociano.
Feature image – The Manc Group
Manchester
A popular Manc streetwear brand is hosting a big festival to mark their fifth birthday
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester streetwear and footwear brand, CLINTS Inc., is hosting its first-ever festival to mark five whole years in fashion – and it’s going to be big.
The highly sought-after clothing and sneaker make started out from a bedroom in Moston and is now a premium label in British urban, skating, UK grime and hip-hop culture, having been worn by many famous names and welcoming even more through the door of their Deansgate shop.
Located in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street next to Spinningfields, the flagship CLINTS store opened back in 2022 and is much more than a place to buy some new drip: it’s a place that showcases art, music, and a whole sub-sect of shopping beyond just skate silhouettes and trendy trainers.
As hack as it might sound to some, wearing this brand comes along with immersing yourself in the wider style and scene; the very same scene being celebrated in tandem with their fifth birthday.
Not to tease you more than the company already has, but as you can see, details are scarce.
There is no lineup or even location for this festival… only a date.
CLINTS Fest (the inaugural one, at that) will take place on Saturday, 6 September – presumably at or around the 21-23 Quay Street site, but who knows?
Fans of the brand can sign up for the mailing list for the latest details, and pre-sale tickets are also available now, with a couple of clicks on the website revealing that the event is set to start at 12 noon and wrap up around 10:30pm.
If you’re interested, you can register your interest HERE.
Credit: The Manc Group
While you can expect the festival to be packed to the rafters with die-hard followers of all things CLINTS and streetwear, they’re not the only local indie holding a special one-off this month.
In fact, this weekend, a fellow trainer specialist who is still just starting out life in the fashion game but is already making waves reminiscent of their contemporaries.
Here’s hoping this is just the beginning of the journey and they’re the next Manc brand to become a national success story.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/CLINTS Inc (via Instagram)
Manchester
This Manchester bar serves a bottomless cheese fondue with endless beer and wine
Georgina Pellant
There’s a bar in Manchester serving a bottomless cheese fondue with endless wine and beer, and it honestly sounds like the perfect treat.
While it might scream cosy winter night in, with a huge outdoor terrace, The Mews is also a firm favourite during the summer months.
Add in a board of melt-in-the-mouth charcuterie, springy pieces of garlic sourdough and a host of crunchy cheese biscuits, and you’ve got yourself the ideal afternoon if you ask us.
But there’s more. Alongside all that cheese and meat and bread, included in the price of The Mews’ bottomless fondue, cheese lovers can also enjoy 90 minutes of non-stop drinks.
Bottomless cheese fondue at The Mews on Deansgate in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Costing £37.50 each, included in the deal is a huge pot of melted Italian Fontina cheese served with homemade garlic croutons, sourdough crackers, and slices of British charcuterie.
You’ll also get to enjoy an hour and a half of endless pints of house pilsner and carafes of red or white wine to enjoy alongside.
Serving up to six people, the bottomless cheese fondue is available only when you pre-book, so make sure to get in touch ahead of your visit to let The Mews know that you’re coming.
If you’re not on the sauce, you can opt for the cheese fondue alone. Without the booze, it’s quite a bit cheaper at £25 for one, and £2.50 on top for any additional people who want to get stuck in.
Housed up on Deansgate Mews, just behind the main hustle and bustle of Deansgate, there’s plenty of space inside as well as a large, secluded terrace that is quite the suntrap (when the Manchester sun is shining).
Georgina Pellant -
30th June 2022 
