Spinningfields Thai restaurant Thaikhun is giving out free meals in Manchester tomorrow to welcome new undergraduate students.
It will park its signature tuk-tuk at the University of Manchester between 12-5pm offering freshers free rides and a private tour around the city, ending at the restaurant.
Students will be dropped at Thaikhun on Hardman Street, Spinningfields, to enjoy a pad thai on the house – a famous national dish made with your choice of protein, Thai rice noodles, egg, spring onions, sweet turnip, bean sprouts, tofu, peanuts, vegetables and a tamarind sauce.
Protein options meanwhile include chicken, pork belly, roast BBQ pork, prawn, beef, tofu and plant-based chicken, leaving plenty of choice for meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and pescetarians alike.
Normally priced at £10 a dish, for one day only students in the city will be treated to a freebie on the house.
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Kim’s pad thai recipe has stayed the same for nearly 2 decades and has won awards. / Image: Thaikhun
At the age of just 15 with big dreams and an entrepreneurial spirit, Kim left her village to set up her own Pad Thai cart. / Image: Thaikhun
Simply by taking a picture of themselves dining at Thaikhun, groups could also be in with a chance to win a complimentary meal for four.
Becky, Restaurant Manager at Thaikhun Manchester, explains: “We’re so excited to be bringing this exclusive and totally unique experience to Manchester Freshers Week, offering students a free ride in a tuk tuk and a complimentary Pad Thai at Thaikhun. We can’t wait to welcome students and freshers into our restaurant to enjoy our signature dish for free, for one day only.
“They can also win a dining experience for four guests by simply uploading a photo of themself either at the restaurant or with the Thaikhun tuk tuk, which will be based at the University campus, using #ThaikhunTakeover on Instagram. We will select a winner at random after the event and contact them the next day where they can redeem their prize within 30 days.
“We encourage all students in the city to enter, no matter what University you’re at. It certainly won’t be one to miss!”
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Image: Thaikhun
Image: Thaikhun
Located on Hardman Street, Spinningfields, Thaikhun offers Thai street food inspired by the food markets of Bangkok.
Pad thai is a dish especially close to its heart, being one of the first dishes its founder Khun Kim ever perfected .
At the age of just 15 with big dreams and an entrepreneurial spirit, Kim left her village in rural Khiri Mat for the busy streets of Bangkok. Kim’s main passion has always been food and so, in 1993, she set up her first Pad Thai cart.
Through pure dedication and hard work, she expanded the business to run several street food stalls and won an award for the delicious flavours of her Pad Thai recipe, which is still proudly used across Thaikhun’s restaurants today.
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Kim almost met her husband Martin whilst working on that stall in 1997 – and shortly after she moved to Leeds, Martin’s hometown, to start building her Thai restaurant empire.
Feature image – Thaikhun
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Hawksmoor issues statement after ‘kicking out’ Tommy Robinson from one of its restaurants
Daisy Jackson
Hawksmoor has issued a statement after a viral video captured far-right activist Tommy Robinson being asked to leave one of its restaurants.
In the video, staff at the acclaimed British steak house told Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – that he would have to go because members of staff feel uncomfortable serving you’.
The supervisor then politely told the party not to worry about the drinks and that they had been paid for, also handing over a business card for Hawksmoor CEO Will Beckett in case they wanted to discuss the matter further.
Robinson was dining in one of the group’s London restaurants with former prominent EDL member Guramit Singh Kalirai who challenged the staff and asked: “Is it because of the colour of my skin?”
The supervisor responded: “No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff. We like to look after our people, as I’m sure you can understand.”
After the video went viral on X, Hawksmoor went on to share a statement in response, saying that guests and staff ‘felt uncomfortable and complained’.
The statement, signed by CEO Will Beckett, added that the Hawksmoor team has faced ‘a huge amount’ of ‘quite concerning’ fallout from the Tommy Robinson incident.
He added that ‘this was not about politics or beliefs’.
Hawksmoor’s statement reads: “Our focus is always to give the best restaurant experience to the most people possible.
“On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. The party left peacefully and politely on request.
“This was not about politics or beliefs. Hawksmoor is not a political organisation; we’re a group of restaurants. We want to welcome as many people as possible, regardless of background or views, to our teams or as our guests.
“We’re not trying to engage in a public debate. The team has had to deal with a huge amount of fallout from this, some of which is quite concerning. We would like to get back to focussing on looking after those people, and our guests. Thank you to them, and the many of you who have been so supportive.”
Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2022 
