A stand-up dining experience with no chairs is coming to a Manchester Italian restaurant, bringing a new take on eating out to the UK for the very first time.
Taken straight from the heart of Northern Italy, Apericena (a mix of aperitivo and cena, meaning dinner) does away with the traditional formal dining setup to inject a little bit more fun into your suppertime.
A concept born in Piedmont, this sort of happy hour-meets-dinner blends the bar and restaurant together – encouraging friends and family to share good food and drinks, without the restriction of being plonked in a corner.
Now, it’s coming to Manchester courtesy of premium Piedmont Alpine Birra Menabrea, which is giving diners the chance to experience the growing trend for themselves with a series of exclusive Apericena evenings hosted across the UK this September.
Italian restaurants in Manchester, London and Glasgow are removing low tables and chairs for the first time, recreating the sort of buzzy, social atmosphere you’ll find down on the continent.
Set against the buzzing backdrop of DJ sets, attendees will enjoy delicious Piedmontese-style small plates served up alongside ice-cold Menabrea Birra brewed from the very region where the concept was first born.
Haunt MCR on Portland Street will host the Apericena event this September in partnership with Menabrea. / Image: The Manc Eats
Menabrea Birra has partnered with chef and food writer Nina Parker, who will be authentically bringing the concept to life through bespoke menus. / Image: The Manc Eats
Apericena is predominantly focused on food, using the finest quality ingredients from the Northern Italian region.
Bringing the Italian flavour, Menabrea Birra has partnered with chef and food writer Nina Parker, who will be authentically bringing the concept to life through bespoke menus.
With a passion for Italian cuisine, Nina will prepare mouth-watering and bitesize traditional Piedmontese dishes, drawing inspiration from the meticulously sourced ingredients used to brew Menabrea – Italy’s finest Alpine Birra.
Diners will also have the opportunity to learn how to recreate Apericena meals in their home.
Speaking on the event Antonina Parker, chef and writer, said: “I can’t wait to bring these unique events to the UK with Menabrea. I have a personal tie to Italian cuisine through my family heritage, so collaborating with one of Italy’s most renowned beers was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.
“I look forward to welcoming guests to the events to discover one of Italy’s best kept secrets where they can enjoy a more social and connected experience while sampling tasty food, award-winning Italian beer and music.”
Menabrea has been brewed in the Piedmont region, at the foot of the Italian Alps for more than 175 years in Italy’s oldest continuously producing brewery – now in its fifth generation.
Angus Lawrie, spokesperson at Menabrea, said: “Taking inspiration from the incredible cuisine and engaging culture of its home region, our Menabrea Apericena series will be an evening like no other.
Image: Haunt MCR
Image: Haunt MCR
“Delicious small plates will be served alongside Piedmont’s most famous Italian Alpine Birra, Menabrea, brewed with passion using only the finest quality ingredients at the foot of the Alps for five generations.
“We are so excited to bring guests a true taste of Northern Italy at the UK’s first-ever standing dining experiences across Manchester, London and Glasgow this summer.”
With no ‘tables’ to book, those wanting to experience the limited-edition Apericena evenings will need to secure a spot online to enjoy evenings across Manchester, London and Glasgow.
Northern Quarter favourite The Pen and Pencil announces massive 10th birthday party and huge offers
Daisy Jackson
The Pen and Pencil, an absolute staple for brunches and drinks in the Northern Quarter, is celebrating a major milestone this month with a huge party and some unbeatable deals.
The bar and restaurant will be marking 10 years on Tariff Street in September – and it’s only right that we all pile in to celebrate with them.
This spot is one of the city’s original bottomless brunch venues and is similarly famed for its happy hour offerings, and opened in 2015 to bring a taste of Manhattan to Manchester.
Pen and Pencil took its name from the infamous New York City bar that was seen in Mad Men.
And now as it turns 10 years old, it’ll be throwing one big party on Saturday 27 September, featuring 10 hours of DJs, free pints of Red Stripe at 10pm, and a special bottomless brunch offering.
Those DJing on the day will include Drag Race UK’s Banksie, as well as Les Croasdaile, Mark Hogg, Danny Ward and A Deeper Groove.
Pen & Pencil has amazing deals for its 10th birthdayPen & Pencil is a Northern Quarter OG
The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party will kick off from 2pm and run until late – but if you can’t make that one, there’ll be celebrations all week (and, indeed, month) long.
On Tuesday 23 September, you’ll be able to play for double prize money in The Pen and Pencil quiz, as well as enjoying happy hour drinks all night.
Then on Friday 26 September, it’ll be an all-night happy hour, with free tequila shots at 10pm and music from DJs Nev Johnson and Gareth James from 7pm.
All September long, there’ll be 50% off food every Monday, two-for-£10 cocktails every Wednesday, £10 burgers every Thursday, happy hour all night on Fridays, 10 dishes for £10 and two bloody Marys for £10 on Sundays, plus DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
There’s a new colourful art installation outside the venue inspired by the bar’s New York roots.
Owner Kevin Connor said: “We’re really excited to be celebrating being part of the Manchester community for ten years!
“New York’s Pen and Pencil was a classic steak and cocktail joint, and we’re proud to have created our very own iconic Northern Quarter hangout. We hope everyone will join us in celebrating ten years on Tariff Street.”
Walk-ins are welcome for The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party on Saturday 27 September, but booking is encouraged – book your spot HERE.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Eats
Manchester restaurant to give out FREE katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’
Emily Sergeant
In what is a small stroke of genius, a restaurant chain has decided to give out free katsu curries to anyone called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’.
Throughout September, award-winning restaurant chain Banana Tree – which has a Greater Manchester site down at Salford Quays – is shining the spotlight on its popular katsu creations, and as a clever way of celebrating National Katsu Day on 27 September has announced a pretty unique giveaway.
That’s right – the restaurant will be serving up katsu dishes to people called Kat, Sue, and every delicious variation of the names in between.
Anyone named Kat, Katie, Katherine, Sue, Suzy, Susan, Suzanne – or close enough to qualify, the list goes on – can head to their local Banana Tree restaurant, and all they’ll need to do is show proof of name and they can enjoy a free katsu dish of their choice, worth up to £16.75.
The chain’s kastu lineup includes three star dishes.
First there’s the much-loved Katsu Curry, as well as the all-new Katsu Burger, which is made from either a crispy chicken or veggie fillet, spicy mayo, puffed noodle crunch, and a drizzle of Katsu sauce tucked into a soft Shokupan bun with a side of salt n pepper chilli chips.
Then there’s also the intriguing newcomer, the Katsu Carbonara – which is described as being a daring East-meets-West mash-up and ‘unapologetically’ Banana Tree.
Banana Tree is giving away free katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’ / Credit: Banana Tree
With each of these dishes usually priced around the £16 mark, the giveaway isn’t just a way of marking National Katsu Day, but it’s also a way to sample the some of the restaurant’s biggest crowd-pleasers entirely free of charge.
To avoid any confusion on who makes the cut, Banana Tree will reveal the full qualifying list of name variations on Instagram soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
“Our Katsu range is one of our proudest creations, so National Katsu Day felt like the perfect moment to have some fun with our fans,” a Banana Tree spokesperson said ahead of the giveaway.
The free katsu offer is available for four days only from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 September, and you just need to head to the Banana Tree website to sign up to the Big Flavour Club here.
Georgina Pellant -
12th September 2023 
