A new David Bowie-inspired gyros kitchen has opened in Manchester, with chefs borrowing a little Ziggy Stardust magic to bring their creations to life.
Launched at indie music venue Yes, it’s called We Can Be Gyros and comes from the Now Wave promoter team – also behind the popular bar and music hall.
Considering it has come from some of the city’s best independent live music and club promoters, it makes sense that there is a bit of a musical inspiration behind the concept.
The new kitchen concept is serving up the likes of ‘Lady Stardust’, a vegan chicken gyros with seasoned fries, pickled red onion, rainbow coleslaw and sriracha vegan mayo, alongside meaty and cheesy gyros stuffed with your choice of smash lamb and beef kofta, spicy sizzled chicken and golden halloumi.
Live, Lamb, Love gyros at We Can Be Gyros. / Image: The Manc Eats
The Cosmos platter at We Can Be Gyros. / Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find platters like The Cosmos, made up of vegan chicken gyros, pickled veg, rainbow slaw, sriracha vegan mayo, tomato and seasoned fries, and The OG Overloaded, a meaty chicken version with crumbled feta, honey mustard, and smoked aioli sauce.
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Add to that Firecracker Fries topped with smoked garlic aioli and smoked paprika, deep-fried courgette ribbons with a spicy seasoning, and a host of flavourful sauces including Korean BBQ, tzatziki, zesty sour cream, and Sriracha mayo, and you’re well set for a boozy late-night scran.
Honestly, the new gyros at Yes are so big we were cradling ours like a baby. They also take some skill eating, due to their epic size. Really, though, that’s what we want from gyros. So it’s fair to say the kitchen here has more than delivered.
The pickled veg is on point, too, the bread pillowy and soft. All in all, We Can Be Gyros is perfect for filling up after a few pints (or fancy cocktails). Yes is always worth a visit, now we have another reason to go.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Mongrel – New taproom and pizzeria set to move into the former Street Urchin site
Daisy Jackson
A brand new taproom, coffee shop and pizzeria concept has announced plans to move into Ancoats.
Mongrel will come from the same team behind Crust, a much-raved-about pizza joint that operated off a Stockport industrial estate until earlier this year.
They’ve now confirmed they have their sights set on the city centre, specially the magnificent corner unit that was previously home to the beloved Street Urchin.
Street Urchin suddenly closed earlier this year after co-founder and head chef Kevin suffered a heart attack, leaving them ‘unable to continue as a business’.
Rachel Choudhary, Kevin’s partner and co-founder of the neighbourhood restaurant, wrote at the time that they were ‘heartbroken’ to close the business.
Street Urchin was quietly one of the top restaurants in Ancoats and operated in a market diner fashion, creatively cooking the best catch of the day for an ever-changing menu that honoured each season.
Thankfully, this key corner unit won’t be quiet for much longer, with another local operator now lined up to move in.
Inside Street Urchin before its closure – the site will now become a pizzeria called Mongrel. Credit: The Manc Group
Mongrel has so far shared that it’s set to be a ‘coffee shop, pizza place and taproom, all under one roof’.
Upon closing Crust in Stockport they confirmed this will be ‘a huge step up from the Crüst you know and love’.
They posted on Instagram: “Thanks to everyone who’s popped down over the last year. We’re eternally grateful for the support from our fantastic customers, and will look back on this period with huge gratitude.
“It’s with great sadness that we announce our departure from Stockport. We know this will come as a disappointment to our Crüst family – we haven’t made this decision lightly.
“We have been looking for a new premesis in Stockport for a while, however after multiple applications going nowhere, we have finally found a new home in Manchester City Center!
“Our new home will be a huge step up from the Crüst you know and love… We can’t to reveal what’s to come!
Mongrel is set to open its taproom and pizzeria on Great Ancoats Street, in the former Street Urchin site, in November.
Legendary Borough Market doughnut bakery Bread Ahead is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Bread Ahead – creators of the cult creme brulee doughnuts – is finally coming to Manchester (and soon).
The doughnut bakery is one of the most famous traders at Borough Market in London thanks to its artisan dough, classic fillings, and creative specials.
And to celebrate its arrival into the North, Bread Ahead will be giving away 1,000 free doughnuts across its first two days in Manchester.
The Borough Market bakery institution has announced a three-month stint inside Harvey Nichols, where Mancs will be able to pick up flavours including their world-famous creme brulee doughnut, a custard-filled beauty with a crunchy torched brown sugar top.
That particular flavour is so popular, they sell around 5,000 daily down in London.
Other Bread Ahead doughnuts include vanilla, jam, sea salted caramel, pistachio, and regional/seasonal specials like pumpkin creme brulee, smores, lemon curd, coconut, and blackcurrant cheesecake.
The giveaway of 1,000 free doughnuts will start at 10am on Monday 3 November, with 500 handed out while stocks last.
Bread Ahead is bringing its legendary doughnuts to Manchester for the first time
Then on Tuesday 4 November there’ll be another 500 up for grabs on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Founder Matthew Jones says: “We’ve long wanted to branch out regionally, and this felt like the perfect way to do it.
“Baking and education are so important to us, so we’re really excited to bring our doughnuts to the people of Manchester and thrilled to be working with Harvey Nichols.
“We hope this is just the first of many visits – there’s so much more to come!”
The creme brulee doughnuts from Bread Ahead are coming to Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Gavin Hudson, General Manager at Harvey Nichols Manchester said: “Bread Ahead is a true institution in Borough Market, so when Matthew and the team got in touch, we knew that their offer would definitely resonate with our customers.
“We’re excited to be bringing their full selection of doughnut flavours to the city and we are sure that their trademark Crème Brûlée doughnut will become a firm favourite here too.”
Bread Ahead will open at Harvey Nichols Manchester from Monday 3 November.
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2023 
