Eats

Inside Soots, the tiny new pasta restaurant in the Northern Quarter

What a success story.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 10th August 2025

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-based
Everything is plant-based
Everything is plant-based
Everything is plant-based
The menu at Soots
The menu at Soots
Fresh, handmade pasta
Fresh, handmade pasta
Small plates
Small 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.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

A mobile Manc cocktail bar is rolling into a thriving new Greater Mancheser neighbourhood

Danny Jones Danny Jones Mobile cocktail bar coming to Middlewood Locks Salford

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.

Credit: Cocktail Cartel (via Facebook)

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.

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Featured Images — Cocktail Cartel MCR/Karen Wright Photography (supplied)

Eats

Manchester Arndale is slashing prices on food and drink across the shopping centre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson HOP Vietnamese at Manchester Arndale

Manchester Arndale’s Summer Scran Fest is back – and that means there are some absolute bargains to be had on food and drink right across the shopping centre. 

Throughout the month of August, restaurants, cafes and kiosks within Manchester Arndale will be offering some serious offers and deals. 

This ranges from 25% off to buy-one-get-one-free deals, plus free meals for kids and plenty more. 

Venues taking part in the Summer Scran Fest include Archie’s, Subway, Barburrito, Pizza Hut, HOP Vietnamese, Michaels Coffee House and plenty more. 

And the leisure destinations within Manchester Arndale are getting stuck in too – think free drinks, combos and more at venues including King Pins and Urban Playground. 

There are plenty of Manchester-born businesses getting involved and offering bargains to us all, like Archie’s giving out free soft serve when you spend £10, Barburrito offering a £10 meal deal (burrito, tortilla chips and a soft drink), and Lazy Sundae giving a free scoop of ice cream with any large drink purchase. 

Big brand deals include a £5 meal deal at McDonald’s (4 Chicken McNuggets, Cheese burger or Mayo chicken; fries; and medium cold drink), and 25% off at Pizza Hut. 

There's 20% off at Sides in the Manchester Arndale Summer Scran Fest
There’s 20% off at Sides in the Manchester Arndale Summer Scran Fest
Lazy Sundae will do a free ice cream with a large drink purchase
Lazy Sundae will do a free ice cream with a large drink purchase

Then there are newcomers to Manchester Arndale taking part in the Summer Scran Fest. 

HOP, a new Vietnamese street food venue on Market Street, is doing 25% off, while Michaels Coffee House will knock ​​15% off their seasonal favourites like an Iced Maple Oat Matcha or an Iced Rose Coconut Matcha.

There’s also a 20% discount at Sides, the chicken shop backed by YouTube sensations Sidemen.

And as for leisure destinations –  Urban Playground is doing 18 Holes of putters tech-infused mini golf, plus any three small plates from The Butcher menu for £28.20.

Kind Pins has 20% off food and drink, and Immersive Gamebox will do 20% off plus a free drink when you book a 60 or 30 minute gaming session. 

Pick up a voucher booklet in the centre or download your offers from the Manchester Arndale website from 1 August.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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