Here in Manchester, ramen places have always been a bit like buses. For years, there’s hardly been any, then all of a sudden a load appears all at once.
Thanks to the arrival of Toyko Ramen, CBRB, and Lucky Ramen these past few years, city folk are now well-catered to – but for those in the suburbs, good ramen can still be a hard thing to find.
Thankfully Chorlton has just welcomed a brand new addition in the form of Shogun Ramen and Bar, where noodle fiends can slurp down umami-rich broth, nori, and gooey eggs to their heart’s content.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Opened inside what was formerly Peck & Yard, Shogun might be a new concept but it all still comes from the same team.
On the menu, you’ll find six different styles of ramen served in either a rich and flavoursome pork bone tonkotsu complete with a secret base, a 6-hour chicken broth for non-pork eaters, or vegan-based miso and shitake mushroom broth.
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The eponymous Shogun tonkotsu is the signature dish here and made even more indulgent with the addition of truffles, whilst the ‘owner’s favourite’ ike no tonkotsu features shitake mushroom, double nitamago eggs, sweetcorn, and chilli flakes.
Traditional tonkotsu fans, meanwhile, will definitely want to try the ‘original’ which combines thick slices of barbecue pork belly with kikurage mushrooms and a dusting of spring onions.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
In a nod to the site’s past as a beloved chicken shop, there’s also a chicken teriyaki ramen served in a 6-hour broth with radish. nitamago egg, mushrooms, spring onions, sesame seeds and sweetcorn.
As for vegans, they’re well looked after too, with a plant-based bowl featuring wilted pak choi, kikurage mushrooms, spring onions and sesame seeds.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find nibbles like edamame, fried vegetable gyoza, chicken yakitori and stuffed bao buns to get your appetite going, alongside a selection of cocktails and Japanese beers.
The new concept sees the team behind Peck & Yard breathe new life into their restaurant as they give things one more shot after announcing a heartbreaking closure earlier this year.
In the summer, the team said they ‘did [their] best but unfortunately it wasn’t enough’, sharing a farewell video last month that showed staff members hugging one another and ‘holding back tears’
Now they’re back, reopening under a new name and switching up their concept from fried chicken to steaming bowls of ramen.
Having previously considered opening a ramen shop prior to launching Peck & Yard, owners said that now seemed as good a time as any to give things ‘one last shot’ – and we’re so glad they did.
Open from 5pm – 10pm Thursday to Friday, 1-11pm Saturday and 1-9pm Sunday, head down to the restaurant on Manchester Road to get your traditional ramen fix.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
A new champagne bar, and the UK’s first ‘champagne boutique’, is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new ‘champagne boutique’ is opening in Manchester next week, boasting more than 250 different champagnes to our city.
Portfolio will be a new bar and ‘immersive wine experience’, which will have one of the largest and most diverse champagne collections in the UK.
Mancs will be able to order champagne by the glass from just £12.50, along with plenty of accessible bottles.
To kick things off, Portfolio will open with a bar food offering that includes Welsh charcuterie, British cheeses and accoutrements, created by co-founder Julian Pizer, formerly of Another Hand and the Edinburgh Castle.
But later down the line, there’ll be a run, relaxed tasting menu, ranging from a few bites to a full dining experience, obviously paired with the best champagne list in the country.
Inside Portfolio, you’ll be greeted by a striking champagne wall of 100 different bottles, plus a wall of photos from the team’s trips to Champagne in France.
Every drink will be served in exclusive Lehmann glassware imported from Reims, with more than 10 different glass styles and a strict no flutes policy.
There’ll be an open chef’s pass and sommelier station with bar seating, plus a working champagne cellar that will function as a private dining room and event space.
Julian Pizer has created Portfolio with Cameron Foster, founder of Duex Six which specialises in providing exclusive grower champagnes to the UK.
They’ll be joined by Wayne Baxendale as food and beverage director, who has more than 30 years of global wine experience including from Michelin starred restaurants, and Nikolai Kuklenko as general manager, who previously held a role as Head Sommelier at Mana.
Portfolio will be a wine boutique packed with rare grower bottles and vintage prestige cuvées and hopes to ‘strip away the snobbery and make champagne accessible’.
As well as well known names, guests will be able to enjoy rare and highly sought-after cuvées, including Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, Jérôme Prévost, Cédric Bouchard, Larmandier Bernier and Egly Ouriet.
There will also be vintage prestige cuvées from Cristal, Philipponnat, Pommery, Jacquesson, Pierre Peters and Bollinger, some dating back to the 1990s.
As Cameron Foster explains: “We want to strip back the snobbery of Champagne and make it a wine for everyone, whether that’s a quick glass after work, a special celebration, or discovering grower champagne for the first time.”
Portfolio will open on 9 December at 67 Bridge Street, Manchester, with the full restaurant experience launching in February 2026.
A build-your-own banana pudding bar is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s now-viral banana pudding brand, Buttercup, is opening its first permanent spot – with a build-you-own pudding bar.
The local business has brought banana pudding – a dessert made world-famous by the Magnolia Bakery in New York City – to our city.
And now Buttercup is making things permanent, opening a banana pudding bar at Deansgate Square where you can customise your perfect pot of this nostalgic dessert.
Each pot comes with a base of vanilla custard whipped with cream, soft sponge, and fresh banana, which you can then customise with rotating flavours and toppings (previous signatures have included brown butter Biscoff, matcha and white chocolate, and tiramisu).
Expect toppings like homemade cookie crumb, brownie bites, chocolate chips, and pretzels, and drizzles like cinnamon honey, raspberry, and pistachio.
This cult dessert spot will be taking on a permanent residence at General Store Deansgate Square, in partnership with HUBB Coffee.
It’s the first permanent home for Buttercup since founder, 22-year-old Natasha Black, launched the idea from home in July 2025.
A build-your-own banana pudding pot from Buttercup. Credit: The Manc Group
Buttercup founder Natasha Black at a recent pop-up. Credit: The Manc Group
Since its inception, Buttercup has sold thousands of banana puddings around Greater Manchester, hosted sell-out pop-ups, and collaborated with big local brands.
Classic puddings will start at £5.50, with rotating flavours at £6, and toppings from 50p. There’ll also be a range of other homemade bakes.
To celebrate the launch, Buttercup and HUBB will be offering free classic banana puddings to the first 20 customers on Saturday 6 December from 12pm, followed by a special £5 combo deal offering a pot of classic banana pudding paired with HUBB’s banana latte, running until 3pm.
Natasha Black, Buttercup founder, said: “This residency feels like the perfect next step for Buttercup. I’ve been absolutely blown away by the response to our banana pudding in just three months and wanted to give our customers a regular spot to enjoy it.
“General Store and HUBB have created such an amazing, supportive space for independents and I’m so excited for people to build their own pudding pots and try all the new flavours we’ve been working on.”
Mital Morar, founder of General Store, also commented: “Buttercup has been a standout example of the collaborations we love to support. Their rapid growth and loyal following have been incredible to see.
Buttercup banana pudding pots. Credit: The Manc Group
Buttercup banana pudding pots. Credit: The Manc Group
“We’re delighted to welcome them in-house alongside HUBB Coffee as a permanent fixture. Natasha and her team bring real creativity and commitment, and we’re excited to work with them through Christmas and into the New Year.”
Dean Hans, Co-founder of HUBB Coffee also comments: “We’ve had a fantastic introduction to Manchester since launching our coffee bar in September. Teaming up with Buttercup strengthens the whole concept – it allows us to focus on what we do best: delivering top-quality coffee, matcha, and beverages, while Buttercup shines on the sweet-treats and pudding side.
“Bringing the two brands together just makes sense, and we’re excited to explore the mash-ups we can create between our coffee and Buttercup’s pudding range.”
The residency will open 12pm-7pm at General Store Deansgate Square, opening on Wednesday 3 December.
Georgina Pellant -
7th October 2022 
