Spudbros have announced plans for new sites and they’re bringing their TikTok famous jacket potatoes to Manchester for the first time ever.
The streets of Manchester are about to get a whole lot carbier as the much-acclaimed and well-loved Spudbros have just revealed the location of their latest site, right here in our town centre.
Already admired by thousands every day who queue up in Preston town centre, now the capital of the North is set to be the next venture for a Spudbros’ hot potato truck.
It’s more than guaranteed that this branch in our bustling city centre is destined to be a smash as street food is practically our middle name.
There’s also some big expectations to fill as online, you can see masses of people waiting in line to get a taste of their famed potato offerings. If you can get us weather-complaining Northerners standing outside, you must be good.
Jacob Nelson, who is one half of the viral potato loving Spudbros, revealed on Instagram back in January: “This is the first time that you guys are going to hear it but the Spudbros are franchising out”.
He explained: “We have got a few stores opening up around the UK, Manchester is one of them in the North West area.”
Initially, this news came off the back of the closure of Manchester foodie staple Almost Famous, as the Preston potato van co-owner offered his condolences and jobs to those who worked for the burger chain.
In a TikTok video posted just yesterday, the pair can be seen sneaking around their new site in Manchester which looks like the Bloc building just off Market Street, possibly the old and much-loved Philpotts cafe site.
Spudbros are loved by millions online with more than three million followers and this isn’t their first rodeo branching outside of their home comforts in Preston.
Jacob and Harley Nelson, the masterminds and real life brothers behind Spudbros, also have a location in Soho, London, under the name ‘Spudbros Express’, which launched last month in December.
The Preston duo are switching up their tried and trusted potato van method for a unit just off Market Street and with a location so central to the city centre, it will certainly go down a treat.
A date for the opening of the latest Spudbros location is yet to be revealed but rest assured Mancs will definitely be walking around town with some carby goodness in the next few months.
It’s almost like you can get a whiff of their gorgeous cheese and bean jackets already…
Inside Soots, the tiny new pasta restaurant in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
There’s another success story coming out of Altrincham Market – pasta kitchen Soots has gone and opened its very own restaurant in the Northern Quarter.
Owners and co-founders Ellie Proudfoot and Ruth Duarte have taken the leap to their very own bricks and mortar site on Tib Street, where they can serve up their handmade fresh pasta in their own restaurant space.
Named after their cocker spaniel Soots, the restaurant opens officially tomorrow.
The pair had hoped that Altrincham Market would be a launchpad to them eventually opening their first restaurant – and it’s worked brilliantly.
Inside Soots, it’s a cosy space with amazing green arches along the walls and a huge window that opens out onto this iconic Northern Quarter street.
Soots will again have a fully plant-based menu, broken down into snacks, small plates, pasta and puddings.
Everything is plant-basedEverything is plant-basedThe menu at SootsFresh, handmade pastaSmall plates
Expect heritage tomatoes with stracciatella and basil oil, butternut squash and chilli arancini, and a beautiful dish of marinated beetroot.
As for the pasta, there’ll be rigatoni with browned butter and confit tomatoes, sundried tomato-filled girella, and a lovely basil pesto spaghetti (a firm favourite from their Altrincham Market days).
And it wouldn’t be a pasta kitchen without a tiramisu on the dessert menu, along with lemon and olive oil ice cream, and white chocolate mousse.
Soots Pasta has been the first solo venture for Ellie, who used to work as a private chef as well as at restaurants around the region.
She’s taken her background – which includes culinary school in France – to create this modern European menu that takes inspiration from Italy.
What’s not immediately obvious, on reading the menu or eating it, is that everything on the Soots Pasta menu is entirely vegan – and they have gluten-free pasta available on request.
Soots Pasta is on Tib Street and officially opens on Saturday 9 Augst.
A mobile Manc cocktail bar is rolling into a thriving new Greater Mancheser neighbourhood
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has plenty of up-and-coming areas both here in the city centre and out in the boroughs, and one of those – Middlewood Locks over in Salford – is about to be treated to its own mobile cocktail bar.
You’ve got to love a Manc-born and bred independent business.
The canalside New Makers Yards apartments on Middlewood Locks are some of the most desirable new homes and flats you’ll find on the outskirts of the city, but with their on-site Seven Brothers pub sadly closing earlier this year, it is lacking one key thing: somewhere to drink.
However, with Cocktail Cartel MCR rolling into town for National Rum Day, residents can get a taste of, hopefully, what’s more to come.
Cocktail Cartel is a brand new, completely independent mobile bar that’s already starting to take the events industry by storm.
Serving unique and innovative creations (including plenty involving Captain Jack’s go-to tipple), they’ll be slinging cocktails to the New Makers Yards natives along the stunning and ever-thriving Middlewood Locks this month.
Created by Katie and Erik, who have been working in Manchester’s hospitality scene for nearly 20 years combined, these two have a passion for supporting fellow local indies and bringing amazing drinks to the table wherever the opportunity presents itself.
From their ‘Grown Up Coke Float’, which has all the punch of a classic Long Island Iced Tea only with a scoop of toffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles thrown in there, to a Pedro Pascal-inspired tequila numbers (yes, really), they have a lot of fun behind that bar.
Better still, most of their spirits are coming from local legends, Spirit of Manchester, and for this particular upcoming event, it wouldn’t be right to host National Rum Day in 0161’s second city without a gorgeous bit of Salford Rum.
But it doesn’t stop at just cocktails; the Cartel will also be pouring pints from nearby Track Brewery among various other regional favourites.
Once again, they’ll be popping up at New Makers Yard on Saturday, 16 August from noon onwards, promising rum, cocktails, beer, wine, cider and softies – so let’s just hope we get plenty of sun for it.
Keep an eye on their socials for how you might be able to grab some freebies also…
If you visited the most recent edition of Middlewood Locks Fest, you know this place is buzzing when the weather hits just right and the drinks are flowing. See you there.
Thomas Melia -
28th January 2025 
