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
The best restaurants and bars in Manchester have been named at the MFDF Awards 2025
Daisy Jackson
The winners of this year’s Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards have been named, in a night of celebration of our city’s hospitality scene.
The prestigious awards have highlighted 18 winners across Greater Manchester tonight, including the best restaurant, chef, newcomer, bar, and loads more.
In a glittering ceremony held at New Century, hundreds of hospitality insiders gathered together to toast one another and to celebrate another year of brilliant work.
The MFDF Awards, sponsored by Therme Manchester, had a whopping 130 nominees this year, with categories that recognise both the businesses and the talented individuals who shape the region’s culinary scene.
Therme Manchester will be a huge wellbeing destination with pools, saunas, waterslides, and wellbeing therapies – and they’ve sponsored the new Community Food and Drink Project of the Year, which recognises initiatives making a real difference in Greater Manchester.
The winners of this award will receive a £1000 funding boost from Therme, as well as a further £2000 to kick off a joint legacy project.
The awards were handed out based on a combination of public votes, and anonymous visits by a judging panel made up of food and drink experts, writers, and critics.
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Awards Director of Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards commented: “We’re incredibly proud to announce this year’s winners, who together represent the excellence, creativity and resilience of Greater Manchester’s hospitality sector.
“At a time when the industry continues to face tough head winds, it’s more important than ever to recognise and celebrate the people and venues doing exceptional work every day.
“We’re hugely grateful to Therme for their support of the awards, and for backing a sector that plays such a vital role in the life of the city. Manchester continues to lead the way as one of the world’s most exciting food destinations, and we hope this year’s winners and nominees inspire food lovers to go out and support the brilliant venues right on their doorstep.”
Ben Dutson, Head of Food Operations at Therme RPC, added: “We’re delighted to have sponsored this year’s awards and play a part in supporting and celebrating the brilliant food and drink businesses that make Manchester such a phenomenal place.
“It’s been fantastic to also recognise those incredible organisations that give back to the community with our brand new award – we’re looking forward to working with the winner and creating an ongoing legacy.
“Therme is all about living well and having fun – and making wellness more accessible for the community, so I can’t think of a better way of embodying that than by supporting all the great businesses and community groups that we have recognised tonight.”
All the winners in the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2025
Affordable Eats Venue of the Year
WINNER: Double Zero
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Noodle Alley, Pho Cue, Cafe Sanjuan, Hong Thai, Seoul Kimchi, Wow Báhn Mì, Rabbie’s Thai
Takeaway of the Year
WINNER: This & That
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Ceresis, Ad Maiora, Home Chinese, Viet Deli, Pancho’s Burritos, Rack, Mughli Charcoal Pit
Café or Coffee Shop of the Year
WINNER: Something More Productive
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Cafe Sanjuan, Oscillate Coffee, Federal Cafe Bar, Just Between Friends Coffee, Sipp Coffee, à bloc, The Old Fire Station Bakery
Double ZeroRackPollen
Wine offering of the Year (new for 2025)
WINNER: Flawd Wine
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Ad Hoc, Higher Ground, The Beeswing, Salut Wines, Reserve Wines, Where the Light Gets In, Kerb
Food Trader of the Year
WINNER: Rack
SHORTLISTED VENUES: The Little Sri Lankan, House of Habesha, Baity, Rita’s Reign, Taiko Ramen, Thatziki, Little Scarfs
Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year
WINNER: Stockport
SHORTLISTED NEIGHBOURHOODS: Urmston, Levenshulme, Chorlton, Monton, Salford, Altrincham, Sale
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Independent Drink Producer of the Year
WINNER: Track Brewing Co
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Balance Brewing & Blending, Pod Pea Vodka, Stiff Tea Brewing Company, Sureshot Brewing, Runaway Brewery, Seven Bro7hers, Weekend Project Brewing Co
The PearlStretford CanteenStow
Independent Food Producer of the Year
WINNER: Pollen Bakery
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Long Boi’s Bakehouse, Holy Grain Sourdough, Littlewoods Butchers, Lily’s Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, Wong Wong Bakery, Half Dozen Other, Mayya Bakery
Neighbourhood Venue of the Year
WINNER: Stretford Canteen
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SHORTLISTED VENUES: Fold Bistro & Bottle Shop, The Pearl, Lupo, Cantaloupe, Tawny Stores, The Perfect Match, Gladstone Barber and Bistro
Pub or Beer Bar of the Year
WINNER: The Marble Arch
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Victoria Tap, Runaway Brewery, City Arms, The Magnet Freehouse, Café Beermoth, North Westward Ho, Track Taproom
Great Service Award
WINNER: Maray
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Tast Catala, Atomeca, Higher Ground, Adam Reid at The French, Federal Cafe Bar, Blacklock Manchester, Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar
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Low or No Offering of the Year (new for 2025)
WINNER: Nell’s Pizza
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Cloudwater Brew Co, Dishoom, Red Light, Blinker Bar, Hinterland, Lina Stores, Speak in Code
Bar of the Year
WINNER: Speak In Code
SHORTLISTED VENUES: Stray, Schofield’s Bar, Red Light, Pray Tell, Renae, Libero, Flawd Wine
Newcomer of the Year
WINNER: Stow
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SHORTLISTED VENUES: Cantaloupe, Bangkok Diners Club, Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar, Café Continental, Winsome, Royal Nawaab Pyramid, Kung Fu Noodle
Chef of the Year
WINNER: Matt Bennett (The Pearl)
SHORTLISTED NAMES: Rosie Maguire (Higher Ground), Shaun Moffat (Winsome), Adam Reid (Adam Reid at The French), Mary-Ellen McTague (Pip), Patrick Withington (Erst), Jamie Pickles (Stow), Jack Fields (Restaurant Orme)
Restaurant of the Year
WINNER: Skof
SHORTLISTED VENUES: mana, Adam Reid At The French, Winsome, Higher Ground, Stow, Erst, Cantaloupe
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Community Food & Drink Project of the Year (sponsored by Therme)
WINNER: Platt Fields Market Garden
The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement
Popeyes is opening FIVE new fried chicken takeaways in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Popeyes is set to open five new restaurants in Greater Manchester alone this year, including a brand-new takeaway at Manchester Piccadilly.
The popular Louisiana fried chicken restaurant has already confirmed three brand-new spots in Greater Manchester, with two more to be announced later this year.
Popeyes first arrived in Manchester in 2023, bringing a taste of the deep south to our region with its famous fried chicken sandwiches.
Since then, it has opened new locations all across the North West and beyond, including within Manchester Arndale and a drive-thru in Prestwich, with loads more coming in 2026.
The new restaurant openings will more than double Popeyes’ footprint in Greater Manchester.
One of those will be taking over the former Leon takeaway at Manchester Piccadilly, with another coming to Elk Mill Retail Park in Oldham and a third to Wilmslow Road.
Previous openings have seen fans queueing for more than 24 hours to nab freebies in the Popeyes opening celebrations.
On the menus you’ll find chicken sandwiches, hot wings, tenders, and signature chicken wraps, all with the signature Popeyes ‘shatter crunch’ and Louisiana-style seasoning.
Tom Crowley, Popeyes UK Chief Executive Officer, said: “Greater Manchester has an incredible food scene, and we’re excited to announce five new restaurant openings across the region, our biggest regional investment of 2026.
“From the city’s busiest transport hub to vibrant communities like Oldham, we can’t wait to welcome new fans, serve up our world-famous chicken and bring the unforgettable launch-day energy Popeyes is known for.”
Georgina Pellant -
27th July 2023 
