Legendary Lousiana fried chicken brand, Popeyes, opens its first Manchester city centre restaurant this week and not only were we fortunate enough to get a first look but we even got to take a look inside the kitchen, make some of our own scran and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
The new One Piccadilly Gardens venue is set to launch on Thursday, 26 October and will be just the 33rd location the world-famous franchise has opened in Great Britain.
All that being said, we were very eager to see if Popeyes lived up to the hype or if it was simply just another chicken spot. After stepping into their new Manchester restaurant, seeing behind the scenes and tasting the menu for ourselves, we can confirm there’s a reason people flock to the orange bird.
Taking pride of place right in the middle of 0161’s busiest square and adjacent to countless other food posts, it speaks volumes that passersby were trying not only to get a peek inside the new location but were doing their very best to walk in and order whilst us lucky few were experiencing an exclusive look.
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Not only does the shop feel like a great mix of a fast food spot where you can grab a quick bite and a relaxed restaurant where you can sit down for a proper meal, but the thing that immediately struck us was the very evident amount of care they put into the food.
While we can’t vouch for the likes of McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King, we can now confidently say that Popeyes make almost everything from scratch and with a frankly surprising level of precision. Showing off their various frying, dredging and assembly stations, this place runs like a well-oiled machine.
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Explaining that every poultry item on their menu is cooked using individual timers and at varying temperatures, as well as showing off their unique breading technique where different items are hand-butterflied and tossed in specific types of flour for a very specific number of times, there is a lot of accuracy and technique involved in making their chicken stand out.
Multiple members of staff told us that their favourite part about working for the brand is seeing people taste their first bite of a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, and after learning that they marinate the stuff for at least 12 hours and then fry it in a combination of vegetable oil and beef tallow, we can see why.
It is no exaggeration to say that pretty much every mouthful was the perfect bite. The soft brioche bun, briney pickles, immensely juicy chicken and that oh-so-crispy coating. It’s always a good sign when your meal is so noisy that your ears are practically ringing from the crunch.
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The same goes for the tenders, which very much do what it says on the tin, wings and every other piece of chicken that comes out of their kitchen. And then there are the sides: mac and cheese, cajun-seasoned fries, biscuits and gravy, countless Louisana-style dips and many more — they all smashed.
And then we heard tales of the breakfast menu: cajun spice hash browns, a Southern-inspired sausage breakfast wrap, fluffy pancakes and more. It is often we get this excited about a franchise that most people would consider predominantly convenient cuisine, but we genuinely see why it’s so popular.
But the excitement of Popeyes’ flagship Greater Manchester opening doesn’t stop there…
Not only is 0161’s hottest new chicken spot launching this Thursday but the brand is pulling out all the stops to give Mancs a proper Mardi Gras welcome. We’re talking live band, free food, a red (orange) carpet — the works.
Opening their doors on Thursday at 11am, the first three people in the queue will with a year’s supply of FREE Popeyes chicken and the next 25 will get their hands on one of their signature Chicken Sandwiches at absolutely no cost, as well as some cheeky merch.
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They’re also giving away more freebies on Friday. Find out everything you need to know down below.
Chester Zoo’s award-winning gastro pub is extending its opening hours due to ‘phenomenal demand’
Danny Jones
Chester Zoo’s much-loved restaurant, The Oakfield, is set to extend its opening hours for the rest of the year following what they have described as ‘phenomenal demand’ from the public.
The award-winning gastro pub situated within the zoo’s grounds has been popular with visitors and Cheshire locals in general ever since it was lovingly restored in 2018, with footfall increasing as park numbers also continue to climb.
A Grade II listed building, The Oakfield was actually first opened all the way back in 1931 by Chester Zoo‘s founder, George Mottershead, and once housed everything from lions, bears, chimpanzees, pelicans, parrots and more.
Cut to today and it’s simply home to good food, a great drinks selection and wonderful service in line with Chester Zoo’s equally high standards when it comes to animal welfare and conservation – and now the restaurant is giving guests what they want be opening on additional days and for longer.
STAY IN THE ZOO UNTIL 11pm EVERY FRIDAY & SUNDAY! 🙌
That's right, you can now spend your Friday and Sunday evenings surrounded by 37,000 animals at our award-winning pub, The Oakfield
Located in the heart of the zoo, you can enjoy delicious classic pub dishes while taking in… pic.twitter.com/kdv8aGkjaj
As per an announcement from the zoo, the doors of The Oakfield will now be open every Friday and Sunday evening from 5–11pm.
Their inaugural Sunday service takes place on 12 May with doors open from 5pm and the last table reservation being taken at 19:30 – and trust us, this place can book up quickly. But don’t worry, walk-ins are still welcome and the bar serves until 10pm.
Naturally, the menu features big Sunday roasts as well as classic pub dishes such as The Oakfield’s signature steak burger, battered fish and chips and sausage and mash, just to name a few.
As for the newly rolled out Friday nights, doors open once again at 5pm with the last food bookings available until 20:45pm. The menu’s mouthwatering in this instance too, featuring the likes of Welsh black ribeye steak, a braised lamb shoulder dish and breaded aubergine with katsu curry sauce.
In the years since its return to glory, it’s won various accolades including the regional Taste Cheshire Awards and even international recognition from Traveller’s Choice Awards hosted by TripAdvisor – who just so happened to rank Chester Zoos’ gastro pub in the top 10% of restaurants in the entire world.
Speaking on the announcement, Food and Beverage Operations Manager at The Oakfield, Chloe Gill, said: “Our Friday evening trial proved to be super popular. So, in response to the phenomenal demand we’ve had, and as we head into summer months and begin to enjoy lighter evenings, we’re thrilled to extend our opening hours to include not just Fridays but Sunday evenings too!
“Our guests can enjoy our sun garden while taking in the sights and sounds of nature, brimming with bird song and the majestic roars of lions in the distance – all while knowing every sip of their drink or bite of their food supports our charity, helping to create a brighter future where wildlife thrives.”
Better still, it’s no easier to find than ever thanks to the zoo’s new events entrance on Caughall Road, Upton, which leads you straight up to the gastro pub.
If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can book a table HERE.
Lead singer of Aussie band blasts mystery Manc café for rude and ‘aggressive’ treatment by staff member
Danny Jones
The lead singer of Australian indie and alternative band, The Buoys, has come out to criticise a mystery Manchester café after receiving rude and ‘aggressive’ treatment from a member of staff.
Lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player, Zoe Catterall, hopped on the band’s TikTok account to vent and indirectly inform others about the as-yet-unnamed coffee shop ahead of the group’s show at Gorilla in the city centre this week.
Noting that much of her family originates from Manchester and she usually gets “excited” by the “sense of home” away from home whenever she comes here on tour, her visit this time around was sadly marred somewhat by the treatment by one unknown member of staff.
As Catterall details in the video, despite going out of her way to be polite and familiarise herself with a new city centre spot as a tourist, she was unfortunately met by the purportedly blunt female worker, who “rolled her eyes” at a simple question and a general rude demeanour. Here’s how she says it went down:
Admitting she “was not expecting the response that I got”, she goes on to detail the woman finger-pointing and exhibiting just a generally rude tone.
Initially suspecting that she might be holding up a queue or irking the staff in some other way, she eventually goes on to describe her behaviour as “being an arsehole for no reason” and reiterating that you “don’t have to be that mean”.
Adding that she was welling up and feeling overwhelmed by the whole incident after a jet-lagged morning without any breakfast or caffeine in her system yet, she eventually felt so uncomfortable that she decided to grab her coffee and go decompress elsewhere.
Moreover, after explaining that she ended up going on to the café’s Google reviews out of curiosity, it turned out that the Manchester spot had racked up quite a few people who also had negative experiences and rude or ‘aggressive’ treatment by staff.
We’re not going to join in on the speculation but the comments have some ideas.
To Zoe and anyone else who may have unfortunately been on the receiving end of this rude individual’s service, we’re sorry you had to put up with that and we assure you it doesn’t represent the majority of Manchester hospitality.
And for those trying to help get to the bottom of who the mystery Manc coffee shop/employee was, we hope it serves as a kick up the backside for whoever it may be and a reminder that it takes virtually nothing to be nice.
All that being said, we can’t think of any better way of helping Zoe and co. shrug it off besides plugging their gig supporting fellow Aussie alt-rockers Vacations at one of our favourite venues on Thursday night.
If you fancy going along you can grab a ticket HERE. Oh, and if you think you know which Manchester café might be, don’t go and be rude to anyone yourself – we’re better than that. We’re sure they’ll come across it themselves soon enough, don’t worry.