City Centre

TV chef Gordon Ramsay makes surprise visit to Loaf for Manchester tart

The straight-talking TV chef left local bakers at Loaf in shock yesterday after he popped in unannounced whilst filming in Manchester

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 21st June 2022

Celebrity TV chef Gordon Ramsay left local bakers surprised and elated yesterday after he dropped into their newly-opened cafe for a slice of Manchester tart.

Unable to resist the local delicacy, the no-nonsense TV chef headed to the brand new Loaf cafe at Affinity Living, Spinningfields, for a sweet pick-me-up after a day of filming a top secret new project.

To the delight of the team, he opted for this week’s new special, a slice of Manchester tart loaf cake made with a vanilla base and custard filling, coconut-infused buttercream and fresh raspberry jam.

Loaf founder Aiden Ryan shared a picture of himself beaming next to the firebrand TV chef on social media last night and described Gordon Ramsay as ‘such a gent’.

The Manchester Tart loaf cake is on as a special at Loaf cafe in Affinity Living, Spinningfields, all week. / Image: Loaf

Alongside the snap, which quickly started racking up the likes, he wrote: “We had a cheeky visit from the one and only @gordongram and his team!

“Thank you for joining us for a slice of the Manchester Tart and for the well wishes!!! Such a gent!!!

“If Gordon says it’s good, it must be good – right?!”

The quirkily-decorated new cafe, which is done up in all pinks, greens and whites, sits on the bank of the river Irwell and is a one-minute walk away from the People’s History Museum.

Image: Loaf Manchester

It specialises in old-school loaf cakes, which is something that Aiden first began baking in lockdown to raise money for the NHs, as well as serving loafnuts (their take on donuts), pastries and freshly brewed cups of coffee.]

Read more: Man who baked for NHS to fundraise in lockdown opens Salford cafe

Alongside this classic collection of nostalgic cakes, you’ll also find the Loaf Au Choc, croissant loaves and brioche loave fresh on the counter every day, all served by the slice.

Elsewhere, there’ll be artisanal sandwiches and bagels provided by Sndwch Mcr, salads and smoothies from Bondi Bowls, and naturally made soft drinks from Steep Soda Co.

Those heading down can find weekly Loaf favourites topped with Jammie Dodgers, Biscoff, Bourbon Biscuits and Custard Creams, as well as the Manchester Tart special enjoyed by Gordon Ramsay this week.

Feature image – Loaf

City Centre

Star of hit CBBC show Operation Ouch! to host live Q&A and meet and greets in Manchester this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Little Mancs can meet the star of one of their favourite TV shows at the Science and Industry Museum this summer.

In case you hadn’t heard, Operation Ouch! is back in Manchester again with a fresh new experience for 2025, and this time around, visitors can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.

Thousands of families from across Greater Manchester and beyond have already visited the city centre museum make the most of the new exhibition, and get stuck into the wide range of immersive and interactive activities it has on offer.

But for those who haven’t been able to pay a visit yet, this summer couldn’t be a more ideal opportunity to do so.

That’s because Dr Xand Van Tulleken – who is one of the presenters of the BBC show Operation Ouch! – will be at the museum in a couple of weeks time to meet visitors as part of his myth-busting mission to answer some of the public’s deepest questions about our senses.

The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled its ‘summer of senses’ programme / Credit: Science Museum Group

Dr Xand Van Tulleken will be at the Science and Industry Museum for one day only, and will not only join mini medics on their voyage through the senses, but will also be on-hand to answer brain teasers from the audience during a series of live Q&As.

Whether it’s banging on a super-sized eardrum, venturing into a massive eyeball, or even taking a whiff of a ‘smell library’, this world-premiere exhibition dives into the science behind hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell – and Dr Xand will be there every step of the way.

Dr Xand’s visit comes amid a senses-themed summer programme at the city centre museum, where visitors can enjoy everything from silent discos and science shows, to a ‘bogie lab’, brain-boggling challenges, and loads more during six weeks of activities inspired by its latest exhibition.

Book your tickets to visit Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You on Tuesday 12 August, for any of the time slots between 11:30am – 1pm, and 2:45 – 4:15pm for the opportunity to grab a selfie with Dr Xand from inside the exhibition.

Tickets will cost visitors £10 each, with those under three going free, and a range of family discounts available.

Read more:

Find out more about the exhibition and get tickets here.

Featured Image – Science Museum Group

City Centre

Road to Victory returns for massive Euro 2025 final screening at AO Arena

Danny Jones Danny Jones watch 2025 women's euros final at AO Arena Manchester screenings

England are in another final, and you know what that means: Road to Victory is returning to Manchester for another massive screening at the AO Arena as England’s women’s team prepare to defend their Euros trophy.

Sarina Weigman’s side made it to their second consecutive European final on Tuesday night following more late drama for the Lionesses against Italy.

The squad, which has seen a number of personnel changes since Euro 2022, managed to make it through to the final in the eleventh hour thanks to another stoppage-time equaliser from Michelle Agyemang and even more tense follow-up from a scuffed spot-kick by Chloe Kelly.

Will they ever stop giving us heart palpitations at major tournaments? Probably not, but the big watchalong party inside the AO Arena, which will see thousands turn up to watch the Euro 2025 final, is sure to deliver plenty of excitement either way.

For anyone unfamiliar with the massive fan zone – one of THE biggest in all Europe, in fact – Road to Victory is the unparalleled supporter party by AIX (Amplified Immersive Xperiences) Live, who specialise in the top-end of audio-visual matchday viewing vibes.

Having hosted huge screenings for the previous men’s Euros and the Qatar World Cup, and even inspiring a massive watchalong of last season’s Europa League final at the venue, Road to Victory (RtV) is just about as big and bold as it gets.

Think BOXPARK in London only bigger, more interactive and, dare we say it… better?

Yes, we do dare say it; having attended RtV on multiple occasions since it landed here back in 2022, we can confirm you won’t find an atmosphere quite like it anywhere else. At least not in Greater Manchester, anyway.

Case and point:

With doors to the women’s Euros screening opening at 4pm, there’ll be plenty of time for pre-match build-up before the game gets underway, and there’ll be plenty of entertainment, light displays, food, drinks and more – it’s just up to Manchester fans to be in full voice.

The Women’s European Championships certainly have a more all-ages, family-friendly feel to them, but Road to Victory and the AO Arena are still ensuring they deliver a palpable match-day energy.

Tickets are already live following England’s place in the last two of the Women’s Euros now confirmed, it’s merely a matter of securing yours and finding out who, out of Germany and Spain, will meet them in the final this weekend.

Once again, the 2025 Women’s Euros final kicks off at 5pm on Sunday, 27 July, and you can grab your tickets for the Road to Victory screening at the AO Arena in Manchester right HERE.

It’s coming home.

Read more:

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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