Warburtons and Morrisons have teamed up to give away thousands of free crumpets to anyone who ‘asks for Ellen’ this summer.
After first introducing it to huge success back in July of last year during the school holidays, and then yet again for the Easter break back in March, Bolton-born bakery Warburtons has decided to join forces with supermarket chain Morrisons for a third this summer to relaunch the popular ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative.
A whopping 100,000 portions crumpets are set to be served up to hungry families free of charge over the next couple of weeks.
The relaunching of the popular initiative means that anyone and everyone who ‘asks for Ellen’ at one of the 395 Morrisons cafes across the UK will be given toasted crumpets with a choice of topping, completely for free with “no questions asked”.
The offer will be available all day every day from 5-25 August, while stock lasts.
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Warburtons and Morrisons are giving 100,000 free crumpets across the UK this summer (Credit: Morrisons)
If you’re unfamiliar with the ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative, it aims to help “alleviate holiday hunger” and works to ease the additional financial strain that is often put on parents, carers, and guardians when children are not at school.
400,000 portions of free crumpets have already been provided as part of the much-needed scheme since it first launched, and even more are set to be given away over these next couple of weeks.
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Chris Strong, who is the Morrisons Cafe Senior Buying Manager, says the supermarket retailer is “thrilled” to collaborating with Warburtons to “bring this fantastic campaign to life once again” over the next couple of weeks.
Anyone and everyone who ‘asks for Ellen’ will get free toasted crumpets with a topping / Credit: Morrisons
“As a family-run business, we have always fostered a strong sense of community,” added Warburtons’ Chairman, Jonathan Warburton, “and that’s why we are so proud to bring back ‘Ask for Ellen’ for a fourth time.
“Since launching last year, we will have served almost half a million portions of crumpets, including the 100,000 portions this summer holiday.”
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As well as running the ‘Ask for Ellen’ initiative, Morrisons is also continuing to provide its ‘Kids Eat Free’ promotion all day, every day, throughout the summer holidays too, meaning families can get a free kids meal when purchasing an adult meal that costs £5 or more.
To get your free Warburtons crumpets this summer, all you’ll need to do is head down to your nearest Morrisons Cafe and ‘ask for Ellen’.
Featured Image – Warburtons
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Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows
Danny Jones
Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.
They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.
As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.
Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)
Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.
As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”
Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?
Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.
As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025.
You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:
Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates
Christmas Cracker
November – Fri, 28
December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23
Big Fat Bingo Of The Year
Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025
If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.
Man City to open latest Greater Manchester club shop at Trafford Centre
Danny Jones
Manchester City Football Club are set to open another brand-new store at the Trafford Centre, and just in time for Christmas.
With the festive period approaching, plenty of people will be looking to buy the latest shirts and merch of their beloved team, and with the Blues now a bigger brand than ever, they’ve put plenty of time into levelling up the club shop experience.
Their third in Greater Manchester, all told, it’s also set to be one of their largest to date.
Credit: The Manc Group
Although confirmation of the plans came back in October, City have officially announced themselves in the Trafford Centre this month.
With the hoardings going up over on Peel Avenue – the section of the huge mall arguably most well-known for its multi-storey John Lewis department store – they’ll be opening their doors just next to the branch of Waterstones.
In fact, you definitely can’t miss it because not only is there a giant MCFC badge plastered over the windows, but it also happens to be right next to the big Christmas tree.
This comes after sports and streetwear franchises like Gymshark and Urban Outfitters joined the North West tourist attraction, not to mention the massive Zara and Bershka sites that opened recently, as well as other global names like Pop Mart.
An idea of what the new Man City store in the Trafford Centre could look like, based on the Arndale shop. (Credit: The Manc)
Put simply, there’s been plenty of new arrivals this year, and there are several others to come.
Although we’ve not got an exact opening date just yet, the posters displayed across the window simply read “Coming November”, so Cityzens won’t have to wait long.
Furthermore, job vacancies for retail roles working within the upcoming location are already listed on the official Trafford Centre careers page.
Last but not least, there are scheduled be a number of other new openings in the shopping arcade, leisure and entertainment destination, so keep your eyes peeled on socials for more info soon.
Emily Sergeant -
30th July 2024 
