A local coffee shop has taken to social media to make its voice heard as coffeehouse chain Costa opens a third cafe in its neighbourhood today.
In a sassy Instagram post titled “#COSTALIVING”, Macclesfield coffee shop Yas Bean laid out the case for why we should all be supporting local businesses over big chains wherever possible.
It wrote: “Macclesfield has a new @costacoffee opening tomorrow. Our *third* Costa. In fact there are now TWO within 0.3 of a mile of each other?!?!?!
“It will “create 12 new jobs”, but sadly the benefits for the local community end abruptly there.”
It went on to explain that, unlike local businesses, Costa doesn’t use “local dairies, bakers, grocers, coffee roasters, local artists or crafters”, adding: “They don’t support local charities, join initiatives to improve their surroundings or create events.”
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It continued to make a strong case for why supporting local business is good for your neighbourhood, writing: “In these days ahead – where you spend your money makes a HUGE difference to your community.
“The above is true of many many other shops in our town, but I can only speak for ourselves. Macclesfield is ruddy rife with wonderful people! Support Local, Support independent. It’s amazing, fun and sexy.”
Tackling the subject of cost it said, by comparison, that drinks are actually cheaper because they are “better quality, more ethically sourced”, and “don’t taste like the run off from a marmite factory mixed with sugar.”
“When you buy from us you support your local butcher, baker and candlestick maker. Well, not quite but we do have some lovely cards made by locals.
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Image: Yas Bean
Yas Bean owners Mika Johnson and Dan Hardman. / Image: Yas Bean
Speaking to The Manc about the post, owner Mika Johnson elaborated: “Independent businesses like us try to use local wherever possible. So when you buy a latte from us you’re not only helping us and our staff but also the local dairy and coffee roaster and their staff too.
“There is a huge knock-on effect for the local economy. Plus seeing local business thrive and running my own shop is such a great confidence boost, it’s been huge for my mental health.
“We are seeing loads of small businesses take a leap and it’s amazing. We often collaborate with others to create fun events, raise money for charity, or help spread the word. This collaboration forms relationships that we really cherish and I think it’s beautiful.”
Asked whether he’d noticed Costa taking much business from the shop, Mika added: “As far as whether Costa are taking custom from us, I don’t think they necessarily are.
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“In Macclesfield, we luckily have a strong locally minded community. But that’s not to say it doesn’t limit the potential for individuals to grow. We all need each other now more than ever!”
To find out more about Yas Bean and check out their brilliant coffee shop, you can follow them on Instagram here.
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).
Popular Manchester restaurant bar to give out FREE sausage rolls to people called ‘Greg’
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s much-loved restaurant bars is doing a free sausage roll giveaway next week… but there’s a catch.
The catch being you have to have a certain name in particular.
It was only last week that popular high street chain Pret A Manger announced it would be slinging out free sandwiches to any Mancs with ‘Nic’ in their name over the late May bank holiday weekend, and now Tariff & Dale is getting it on the giveaway action, and it’s all to celebrate the iconic event that is National Sausage Roll Day.
In case you didn’t know – which is very likely, let’s be real – next Thursday (5 June) is the day dedicated to all things sausage roll.
So what better way to mark the occasion than with free portions of Tariff & Dale‘s legendary meaty treat?
The popular Northern Quarter restaurant bar is known for its creative comfort food, craft beers and cocktails, and laid-back industrial vibe, with one of the cult-classic dishes on its menu having always been the honey pork sausage roll – which just so happens to be a whopping 15-inches long, by the way.
Resembling something more of a pork wellington than a sausage roll, if you will, the dish is crispy, golden, and glazed with honey on top.
But to celebrate National Sausage Roll day, instead of parting with £9.50 for a portion or £48 for the full 15-inch thing, people with one specific name can actually get a slice for completely free of charge.
Tariff & Dale is giving away FREE sausage rolls to people with this name next week / Credit: Supplied
And that name is ‘Greg’, because if we’re honest, when it comes to sausage rolls, we all tend to think of Greggs.
So whether your surname is Gregory or Gregson, or you’re simply just called Greg, then all you need to do to claim your complimentary slice of sausage roll heaven is head on down to Tariff & Dale next Thursday 5 June from 12pm up until 9pm.
Georgina Pellant -
21st November 2022 
