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Skof scoops Michelin Star in stunning victory for Manchester

SO DESERVED.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 10th February 2025

Skof has taken home a Michelin Star less than a year after opening in a landmark moment for Manchester.

The restaurant, which only opened in May last year, has been awarded its first Michelin Star tonight in a glittering ceremony hosted in Glasgow.

It’s a huge triumph for Manchester, which only had one Michelin Star before tonight, held by Mana in Ancoats.

Prior to Mana, the city had famously not had a star for more than 40 years.

The prestigious award for Skof has been presented to chef Tom Barnes, former L’Enclume executive chef.

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Skof lies under Simon Rogan’s UMBEL restaurant group umbrella, and opened last year in an old textile warehouse just a short stroll from Manchester Victoria.

Skof was added to the Michelin Guide last August, where judges wrote: “Located in an old textile warehouse, this restaurant from former L’Enclume Executive Chef Tom Barnes gives a nod to Manchester’s industrial heritage with its exposed brickwork and girders.

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“The cooking skilfully blends measured international flavours with those from the restaurant’s doorstep; for dessert, you’re just as likely to get amakase sorbet as you are Manchester honey ice cream.

“The meal ends with a scoop of “Barney’s Tiramisu”, touchingly inspired by Tom’s late father.

“A relaxed atmosphere is encouraged, with the chef’s hand-picked playlist and the chattering diners combining for a brilliant buzz.”

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This is a breaking news story – more to follow.

Read more: All the Greater Manchester restaurants included in the Michelin Guide

Featured image: Cristian Barnett

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Salford named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

One of Greater Manchester’s major cities has been named among the most expensive UK cities to rent a property in.

It was just last week that the Greater Manchester town of Swinton was named a ‘property hotspot’ for 2025 by Rightmove, after house prices there increased by nearly 10% on average last year, and now, the city of Salford itself is also being put under the property spotlight.

That’s because the leading property listing platform has highlighted the city as being one of the most expensive for renters in the whole of the UK.

With 2025 set to be a year of relocation for many, Rightmove has looked at rental costs across more than 50 cities in Great Britain in a bid to find the cheapest – and by contrast, the most expensive – places to rent right now.

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Salford has been named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Pexels

When it comes to the most expensive UK city to rent in, we doubt it’ll come as a shock to you that the English capital of London takes the top spot.

Some of the other expected cities featuring in the top 10 list, according to Rightmove’s research, include Oxford, Brighton, Cambridge, and the Scottish capital on Edinburgh, but a more surprising entry for Greater Manchester residents is the fact that Salford takes up the eighth spot – with an average monthly rental price of £1,739.

Top 10 most expensive UK cities to rent in

  1. London (£2,695)
  2. St. Albans (£2,330)
  3. Oxford (£2,041)
  4. Winchester (£1,985)
  5. Brighton (£1,880)
  6. Cambridge (£1,870)
  7. Chelmsford (£1,857)
  8. Salford (£1,739)
  9. Milton Keynes (£1,641)
  10. Edinburgh (£1,620)

On the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest UK city to rent a property in is Hull, with the average monthly rental price there being £799, while some of the other North West cities featuring in the top 10 include Preston, Lancaster, and Carlisle.

When taking a look nationally, the average advertised rent per calendar month stands at £1,526, as of January 2025 – which is up 4.3% compared with this time year last year.

But Rightmove says that price changes, as well as average rental prices, vary significantly depending on the location.

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Take Salford for example, which is one of the most expensive cities for renting, the monthly cost of renting has jumped by 30.5% in the last year, whereas in Dundee, prices have dropped by 3.7% during the same period.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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Chester Zoo is giving away more than 30,000 FREE tickets to children

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Kids at Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is giving away thousands of tickets to local schools to help inspire a new generation of young conservationists.

The UK’s largest charity zoo is on a mission to help nature to “survive and thrive”.

And so, in a bid to do just that, has announced that it will once again be handing out tens of thousands of tickets to schoolchildren for completely free of charge, so that they can explore the zoo up close and learn all about the inspiring work the conservation charity does.

Chester Zoo‘s free ticket scheme has been running since 2017, and has already seen more than 175,000 children get to experience all the wonders the zoo has to offer.

With the hopes of empowering as many youngsters as possible, and sparking their passion for saving species once again, the zoo has now opened the scheme back up for the 2025/26 season – with a whopping 33,000 tickets available for schools, nurseries, and colleges to claim.

Those who secure tickets will have the opportunity to visit the zoo between this November and February 2026.

Applications are open to any school in the UK that hasn’t already benefitted from the scheme within the last four academic years, while home educators are also eligible to apply as a group through a Home Educators’ Network.

Penguins at Chester Zoo
Schoolchildren at Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is giving away more than 30,000 free tickets to children this year / Credit: Chester Zoo

“We’re offering thousands of children the opportunity to experience the wonders of the natural world firsthand at the zoo,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is the Director of Conservation Education and Engagement at Chester Zoo.

“Young people are more concerned than ever about nature decline and climate change, and by working closely with schools across the UK, we can provide them with the skills, knowledge and inspiration to make a real positive difference.”

She added that “every child has the potential to be a future conservationist”.

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Places are limited each day to ensure everyone can enjoy their zoo visit – with priority given to schools who have not benefitted from the scheme before.

You can find out more and apply for free tickets here.

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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