City Centre

Hundreds of Mancs queue down the street for free pizza in the city centre

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 26th April 2022

Massive queues have formed in Manchester city centre today as a local pizzeria hands out free slices.

Nell’s at Kampus announced last week that it would give away 500 of its New York-style pizza slices to celebrate the launch of its new Slice Shop.

And hungry Mancs responded in their droves, with lines of people snaking all the way down Little David Street.

Some dedicated pizza fans have queued for 30 minutes to get their hands on the popular snack.

Queues at Nell’s. Credit: The Manc Group

Locals have been spotted nipping out of the queue to go and grab a pint while they wait.

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The giveaway was pencilled in from 12pm until 3pm today – but in less than an hour, all 500 slices had been snapped up.

The restaurant opened at the new garden neighbourhood, across the water from Canal Street, last autumn, serving its famed 22-inch thin-bottomed pizzas.

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Nell’s comes from the minds behind local institutions Common, The Beagle and Port Street Beer House.

People queueing for Nell’s slices in Manchester today. Credit: The Manc Group

The Kampus restaurant is the first site dedicated to Nell’s pizza – it’s previously been served from the kitchens at other Common & Co sites.

The team have now unveiled their Slice Shop, a separate space beside the restaurant where diners can grab a slice to go.

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Flavours include the classic OG Cheese, the Burrata, and vegan-friendly options like the Marinara Plus (topped with black olives, breadcrumbs and basil oil) and the Mushroom (garlic cashew cream base, mushrooms, chilli flakes and marinara sauce).

Nell’s dips range from chilli honey to truffle mayo to jalapano and lime crema.

The Slice Shop at Kampus will be open from midday to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday, and from midday to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Featured image: The Manc Group

City Centre

Foldies – Popular Manchester pizza joint to open ‘the world’s greatest sandwich shop’

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The team behind Brewski are opening a sandwich shop called Foldies. Credit: Brewski

The team behind Manchester’s much-loved Brewski and American Pies have announced a brand-new concept.

They’re claiming that Foldies, which is opening in the city centre later this month, will be ‘the world’s greatest sandwich shop’.

The team are already the proud creators of Brewski, home of outrageous creations like the ‘batter platter‘ (which included chicken poutine butties, beef shin rag pudding and a katsu curry fondue) as well as their deep-dish pizzas over at American Pies.

They recently shifted American Pies from its spot on Mosley Street, right near the Manchester Art Gallery, to Cutting Room Square in Ancoats, leaving that prime site ready for a new concept.

Enter Foldies, where you’ll find stone-baked sandwiches filled with overnight slow-cooked or cured meats and sauces made in house daily.

These folded pizza-style butties will be ready in 60 seconds and they claim it’ll be ‘your first true sandwich love’.

Foldies sandwiches by Brewski
Foldies sandwiches by Brewski. Credit: Brewski
Foldies sandwiches by Brewski
Brewski claims Foldies will be ‘the world’s greatest sandwich shop’

The dough for the sandwiches will be made with double zero flour, proved for 12 hours before being folded and cooked on a stone at 400 degrees.

Foldies will also served breakfast sandwiches, with fillings including scrambled sage and cheddar egg, and bacon, nduja, egg and crumbled goat’s cheese.

At lunchtimes, there’ll be everything from mortadella and pistachio pesto to a ‘pizza dog’ with crispy onions, Korean BBQ and fries.

Foldies is set to open at 58 Mosley Street at the end of November, and will be open from 7.30am-11.30am for breakfast, and 11.30am-6pm for lunch.

They’re currently giving away a chance to win free sandwiches for a year too – you can see more on that HERE.

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Featured image: Brewski

City Centre

The Pop Up Club – pop-up shop for independent retailers to return to Manchester this weekend

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

The Pop Up Club is coming back to Manchester city centre this weekend, offering a prime retail space to independent businesses and small creators.

The initiative aims to transform unused public spaces and invite designers, makers and artists along to add cultural and commercial value to the local area.

Through providing this platform for these businesses, The Pop Up Club has managed to help its traders earn £1.5 million across all their previous events which run up and down the UK.

The brilliant pop-up retail space was previously on King Street in Manchester, but this time The Pop Up Club is moving into the Manchester Arndale.

Shoppers will be able to choose from the curated traders on offer, such as beautifully handpainted watercolour illustrations from By Tilly, celestial and nature inspired jewellery by Sian Mellor designs and beaded bracelets from That Wild Feeling.

It’s also helping to promote local talent as it shares the work of Manchester based unique printed homewares from Lydia Meiying.

Moonshine Prints, a trader who creates a variety of fascinating and eclectic wall art for everyone to buy and display in their homes, will also be at The Pop Up Club when it returns to Manchester.

The Pop Up Club will offer a chance to browse local traders who normally wouldn’t have a platform as big as this, while also supporting art and culture direct from the north.

Tillie Peel, creator and founder of The Pop Up Club.
Inside the incredible retail space providing opportunities for small businesses.
Peel, admiring works by small creators which are part of her small business initiative.
Credit: Publicity Pictures

The businesses The Pop Up Club uplifts and works with may be small but the amount of traders definitely isn’t – they’ve shone a spotlight on more than 500 independent retailers since setting up the social enterprise.

It’s also nice to hear that creatives who have worked with them in the past would more than likely consider working with The Pop Up Club again as according to the statistic on their website, ‘100% of traders said they would return’.

The venture was founded by Tillie Peel, who says: “Manchester has always welcomed us with open arms, and the friendly Northern spirit was calling us back once again.

“Utilising an empty space at the Manchester Arndale is a dream come true for us, as it puts us at the heart of shopping in the city and with events such as the Christmas Markets returning, the footfall of the city centre will be highly welcomed by us and all our traders in our Manchester store.

“With over 5 million small businesses in the UK*, there are so many that deserve attention and shopping small can bring huge benefits to the economy as well as supporting local income. This Christmas is the perfect time to shop from small businesses and independent traders, where a purchase can make a real difference to that brand.

“Our network of independent businesses have found being in our stores offers real value, as well as allowing them to speak to customers, see the reactions in real time to their items and to get a taste of what the high street has to offer.”

Shoppers who just can’t wait to get on down to The Pop Up Club can browse the shop in person on 16 November at Manchester Arndale.

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Featured Image: Publicity Picture

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