City centre favourite Zouk is serving up ‘the world’s hottest curry’ and a number of food challenges for National Chilli Day next week. The best part is, there’s prizes up for grabs!
The popular tea bar and grill located on Chester Street just off Oxford Road is slap bang in the middle of student central and has hordes of patrons lining up day in, day out, to taste their incredible Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Now, to celebrate every spicy-food lover’s favourite day, Zouk is putting on special, limited-time-only menu to cater to all you heat freaks and speaking collectively on The Manc‘s behalf (several of us having tried it), it’s no joke.
Running for five days from Monday, 20 February to Friday, 24 February, the aptly named ‘Reaper Challenge‘ comes in three variations. Question is, are you up for any of them?
The dishes
When it came to coming up with the world’s hottest curry, Zouk didn’t have to look far for inspiration, they simply picked the world’s hottest chilli: the Carolina Reaper Chilli.
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Combining the 1,569,000 Scoville scorcher of a chilli with their much-loved and already spicy chicken karahi and vegetable karahi recipes, they knew they were on a winner. You might have to sign a waiver to eat it but that’s all part of the fun, right?
Typically prepared in a wok and cooked over hot flames with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and cumin to create the sauce base, the karahi originates from the Northwest region of Pakistan and has a great flavour. Depending on how brave you’re feeling, you can have it as a kebab or a full curry.
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That being said, this version does contain dried Carolina Reapers so you might not taste much beyond the heat of the sun after a few seconds. While the chilli is deemed suitable for human consumption, even Zouk’s chefs have admitted to struggling with the dish. Gulp. So, what can you win?
The challenge and prizes
Us Brits love a good curry and we already know that plenty of you won’t be able to resist the urge to take on the Reaper Challenge simply out of pride, so we might as well just tell you what you’ll have to eat in order to win the prizes.
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
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Complete the Reaper Kebab and win a £10 gift card
Complete the Reaper Curry (either chicken or veg) and win a Bottomless Brunch for 2 (worth £70)
Complete both and win Sunday Roast Platter for 2 plus drinks (worth £100)
If anyone eats both then two things: one, you’re crazy and two, we want you to tag us with photographic evidence or else it didn’t happen — you heard us.
The curries usually cost £14.95 for a veggie or £15.65 with chicken and the kebab will set you back just £7.95, but better still, they’re absolutely FREE if you manage to finish your respective dish. Mint.
You’ll even get some cooling ice cream to help soothe your taste buds afterwards. Trust us, you’ll need it.
Issuing a statement for National Chilli Day and the Reaper Challenge, owner Tayub Amjad said: “Our food is usually more about flavour than heat but it’s National Chilli Day, and we know our customers love this challenge.
“For those who complete the challenge, you still have chance to come back and dine on us at a future date, so you will still get to experience the real Zouk too.”
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What you thinking, Manchester? Are you up for taking on the world’s hottest curry?
‘Manny’s Loudest’ brunch event returns this month with live performances and DJ sets
Daisy Jackson
A brunch event that showcases Manchester’s vast musical talent is returning to the city this month for its second instalment.
Manny’s Loudest, created by Loud__Mcr who provide a platform for untapped talent, will again be helping artists to kick-start their careers over the bank holiday weekend.
Alongside live performances and DJ sets, there’ll be food served up by NamFuzion, which blends Vietnamese and Jamaican grill.
The first Manny’s Loudest event in February pulled in 500 people, and organisers are hoping to push this even further for part two on 26 May.
It will all be taking place at the Manchester Recording Studios in Hulme, which has a capacity of 600.
Mervin and his team will be creating an immersive audience experience around the DJ decks, which Mervin describes as ‘a niche that can be scaled into the modern day talent show but with a party twist to it’.
And every penny made from Loud__Mcr’s brunch event is put back into the process, acquiring mainstream headliners to perform and become part of their community.
It means that up-and-coming and undiscovered talent can perform on the same stage as experienced artists, providing an unparalleled platform and a chance to learn from those who have been in the industry for longer.
Loud__Mcr are proud to be providing artists with a chance to show their creative work, but also offering a supportive community.
Event organisers are also looking for any possible sponsor opportunities to help promote the event.
Manny’s Loudest will take place at Manchester Recording Studios in Hulme (3 Archway, Birley Fields, M15 5QJ) on 26 May. You can get your tickets here, and follow @Loud__mcr on Instagram for updates.
Popular activewear brand Tala launches physical shop in Selfridges
Daisy Jackson
Tala, a popular British athleisure brand famed for its flattering range of womenswear, has officially launched in Selfridges.
The fashion label has opened a pop-up in the Trafford Centre today, showcasing a selection of its beautiful clothing and accessories.
The brand, founded by entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley, is famed for its stylish sports bras, comfortable leggings, and flattering dresses and tops.
Tala has built up a loyal following thanks to collections like DayFlex, Sculpt Seamless, Signature Sweats, and 365 Sculpting Lounge, much of which will be available to browse inside Selfridges.
It’s the first time Tala has ever had a physical retail presence, launching in all four Selfridges stores across the country (including Manchester’s two department stores at the Trafford Centre and Exchange Square).
The pop-up space at Selfridges Trafford Centre has been decorated with soft neutral colours, halo lighting, and plants.
Grace Beverley, who will greet shoppers at Selfridges Trafford Centre tomorrow at Tala’s launch event, said: “Anyone who knows Tala knows that we – and I – are completely product-obsessed, so for customers to be able to try on their favorite Tala pieces in person is incredibly exciting, and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than Selfridges, a retailer that holds so much history within its walls.”
Morgan Fowles, CEO of Tala, added: “We’re very excited to be launching Tala at Selfridges. It’s a milestone moment to experience our brand in a physical retail environment for the first time, to feel and experience the quality and unique attributes of our products that set our brand apart.”
And Bosse Myhr, buying director of menswear, womenswear, and childrenswear at Selfridges, said: “Selfridges has selected a beautiful edit of new and best-selling Tala products and will bring them to life in their exciting and unique retail environment.
The fountains outside Selfridges at the Trafford Centre, Manchester
“Known for curating the finest and most innovative brands whilst sharing our commitment to ESG, Selfridges provides the perfect backdrop to connect with a broader audience whilst strengthening our bonds with our community.
“We are thrilled to welcome activewear brand, TALA to Selfridges as their first physical retail partner globally. It’s really important at Selfridges to nurture and platform emerging brands, and so we are super excited to be working with talented entrepreneur and founder Grace Beverley.”
A curated selection of highlights from Tala’s range is now available to browse in person in Selfridges Trafford Centre and Selfridges Exchange Square – and you need to get your hands on these leggings to believe how soft they are.