With the festive season fast approaching, people up and down the country are getting into the yuletide spirit in preparation for the big day.
The UK government has sadly already conceded that “Christmas cannot be normal this year” amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and while it has been announced this week that up to three families can form a Christmas bubble between 23rd – 27th December, for a lot of people, this still means there will be friends and family members they are unable to spend time with.
This is presumably why many are seeing the greater value in gift giving this year, and if there’s one thing we’re all certain of, it’s that hampers are a classic Christmas present.
There’s just something extra special about about a hamper, right?
And whether it be food, beer, gin, or even Christmas trimmings, there’s plenty of independent businesses across Greater Manchester that are embracing the popularity of the hamper this year and offering their own unique spin on them.
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There’s so many places that are #StillServingMCR in our local area this Christmas, and there’s never been a more vital time to support independent hospitality.
We’ve rounded up some of the best Christmas hamper gifts we’ve seen.
Don Giovanni’s Christmas Hampers are really quite special this year.
Stuffed with premium Italian goodies – like parmigiano, truffle oil, homemade bottles of limoncello, truffles salami, tricolore fusilli, olives and balsamic vinegar from Modena – these are not the sort of products you can pick up in your local supermarket.
All sourced directly the restaurant from luxury Italian artisan suppliers, each hamper is designed to give your Christmas that extra bit of sparkle.
You can pre-order your Don’s at Home – Christmas Hampers via the Don Giovanni website here.
If you’re looking for a unique Christmas present this year, you need look no further than everything you’d need for a top-quality tapas night all wrapped up in a hamper.
The Abeja Tapas Bar Christmas Board-in-a-Box is packed with all the gourmet goodness you expect from Manchester’s smallest tapas bar, including – your choice of wine, Vermouth from Cordoba (250ml), meat and/or cheese board, your choice of artisan chutney, olives, extra-virgin olive oil (50ml), flatbreads, and a stocking filled with Spanish Christmas sweets.
All hampers are beautifully-prepared by hand, and are wrapped up in eco-friendly packaging.
Get your orders in for the Christmas Board-in-a-Box by by Friday 18th December for UK-wide Christmas delivery (via UPS) here.
If it’s premium gin you’re looking for this Christmas, you won’t find a much better option than the wide array of gift sets and hampers that Atlas Bar has put together, as the Castlefield favourite hangout currently has an impressive 270+ tipples stocked on its online gin shop.
The real standout is by far the This Christmas Home Gin Experience Pack at just £25.
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This contains four double gins – Tarquin’s Figgy Pudding, Four Pillars Christmas Edition, Bols Genever and Ferdinand Saar Quince Gin – and alongside these, you’ll also receive four premium Double Dutch Tonics, a Ginger Beer, and botanicals to complement your gins too.
You’ll even receive a link to an online virtual gin tasting experience, and information about your gins.
Herd’s Christmas Trimmings Hamper could be a real lifesaver this year.
Designed to “take the stress out of Christmas day cooking” with everything prepared as much as possible so you can “enjoy more time out of the kitchen and more time getting merry after this dreadful year”, each hamper comes loaded with everything you need to accompany the perfect Christmas dinner.
You can take your pick from a hamper for two (£35), four (£55), or six people (£75).
The Christmas Trimmings Hampers are available to purchase now for collection from the 22nd – 24th December and will come with full reheating and cooking instructions, plus a little Christmas treat.
Salford Roasters’ Xmas Boutique is your one-stop-shop for Christmas gift boxes this year.
Described as “a place to shop with simplicity for all your coffee gift set needs” and presented perfectly in recyclable kraft boxes and ribbon, you can choose your coffee, hot chocolate and coffee kit combinations, and it has also teamed up with local Salford Businesses – Seven Bro7hers and Sis4ers Distillery – to provide you with an awesome Festive Bonanza Bundle too.
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There’s six gift boxes to choose from, ranging in price from £21 – £60.
You can grab your Xmas Boutique gift set boxes directly via the Salford Roasters website here.
Life may still be on pause for the time being, but Salvi’s is “bursting at the seems” with the very best, hand-selected, imported produce from Italy and is inviting Mancunians to “grab a small slice of Neapolitan life during lockdown” in the lead up to Christmas.
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You can now even get your hands on a bespoke Christmas hamper too, filled with all the best deli goods.
Head on down to Salvi’s Deli in the Corn Exchange to grab yours.
Albert Street Bakery in Eccles – a truly independent and family-run bakery that proudly claims to produce “the only Eccles Cakes actually made in Eccles” – is currently taking orders for Christmas Hampers ahead of the festive season.
Each hamper comes packed with a selection of artisan breads, local cheeses and chutneys, festive filled tarts, homemade mince pies, triple chocolate brownie Christmas puds, and of course, Eccles cakes.
All of this baked goodness delivered to your door for only £45 too.
You can place your orders for the Albert Street Bakery Christmas Hampers before 14th December for delivery on 19th or 23rd here.
The Hampton & Vouis H&V Gift Bundle is the perfect way to “treat yourself or someone special”.
For just £25, you get a H&V Tote Bag (choice of colours Pale Grey or Pastel Pink), a H&V Re-Usable Cup (12oz Gray Goo or Pink, or 8oz Molto Grizio), a box of Brew Tea Co Tea Bags, and an Independent Coffee Guide No 5, and all items when bought separately would usually come out at an RRP of £43.98, so you’re making a cracking saving too.
You can grab your H&V Gift Bundle via the Hampton & Vouis website here.
Hip Flask Craft Beer’s Manchester Box is designed to “highlight the unique identity of Manchester”.
Inside this ‘Best of Manchester’ box of craft beer is a diverse range of lagers, pale ales and IPAs created in breweries across the region, and each box contains 12 beers (5x 440ml cans and 7x 330ml cans), making it an ideal gift for any beer lover, or someone with a special place in their heart for Manchester.
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There’s brews from beloved Greater Manchester breweries – Alphabet, Beatnikz Republic, Brightside, First Chop, Seven Bro7hers, and Shindigger – inside each hamper, all for £35.
You can find more information about each brew and grab your Manchester Boxhere.
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The Manc Group has partnered with Deliveroo to help local restaurants deliver during lockdown as part of our #StillServingMCR campaign.
Working alongside Deliveroo, The Manc will ensure all restaurants on the service will get the amplification they need across our social platforms. We’ll update our one million-strong audience on your latest updates and deals and we’ll create conversations with the masses about our favourite scran from your menus.
Basically, we will champion you, and we will go above and beyond to do it.
A massive bowling, games and entertainment bar is coming to Manchester next year
Danny Jones
A popular bowling and table games bar that has already proved a hit in Liverpool is coming to Manchester for the very first time next year.
If you’re from the North West, PINS Social Club may not be a new name to you; nevertheless, this will be its Manc debut, with the location not only their first beyond Merseyside but just their second site to date.
As the name would suggest, PINS is primarily about bowling and socialising, but there is plenty more going on at this social club as you’ll find out soon enough.
Scheduled to open in late spring 2026, Manchester and our nearby neighbours in Liverpool are about to strike up a firm party partnership.
CGIs of PINS Social Club Manchester (Credit: Supplied)
Selecting the shifting face of Sunlight House for the space – already home to the likes of Schofield’s Bar – the 25,000 sq ft unit will span three whole floors, offering a next-generation social and entertainment experience in one of Manchester’s most stunning buildings.
A Grade II-listed, Art Deco structure, Sunlight House is undergoing a major £35 million refurbishment, with ‘grade A’ offices set to take up a significant chunk, but it’s soon set to house the latest PINS venue.
Sitting on Quay Street, just off the main Deansgate strip, the busy Peter St corner, and adjacent to Spinningfields, PINS Manchester is springing up right in the midst of arguably the city’s busiest stretches for nightlife.
Promising not only bowling, darts, and table games like pool, shuffleboard and beer pong, but karaoke, live music and all the biggest sporting events on the box, PINS Social Club really does aim to be a one-stop shop for all your needs on a night out.
For instance, their food offerings will run all the way from breakfast through to the late evening, and PINS Manchester is also set to feature a main stage on the ground floor for “electric half-time shows”, with the gaming mezzanine looming just above.
Not only is this going to be PINS’ biggest venue yet, but it’s well and truly on track to be one of the biggest hospitality openings coming in the next 12 months.
Headed up by MD Daniel Kelly, who has also been helping run the resurrected Almost Famous brand here in Manchester, the team knows all about this city. Speaking on the announcement, Kelly said: “Manchester is a city that thrives on energy, culture, and community – everything that PINS is about.
“This new venue will be our biggest yet, offering a bold and exciting social space that’s purpose-built for entertainment, competition, and ultimately, having a great time. We can’t wait to bring our concept to Manchester’s incredible social scene. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon.”
Julien Buronfosse, Managing Director at Karrev (the estate company who have leased the building to the business) added: “The PINS offering is diverse, dynamic and will provide tenants and the local community with an unparalleled leisure experience.
“We wanted to work with an operator that understood our vision of breathing new life into a historic building, contributing to the new era that Sunlight House is entering. The building has ambitions to be much more than Grade A office space, with a specific emphasis on community building. The addition of PINS to Sunlight House will contribute greatly to that.”
Consider us here at The Manc GroupVERY excited for this one.
As you can see, they’ve got plenty of room to work with. (Credit: Calmafftaylor via Wikimedia Commons)
Featured Images — CGIs (supplied)/Wikimedia Commons
Eats
Didsbury favourite Rustik adjust plans to close after overwhelming support
Danny Jones
Didsbury favourite Rustik recently announced that they would soon be closing, seemingly for good, after more than a decade, but after a fortunate twist of fate, there looks to be a sliver of hope, and like they could be staying open after all.
The beloved neighbourhood cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but the independent Irish eatery confirmed that they were due to shut down permanently by the end of last month.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
To no surprise whatsoever, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution, which has also helped lead to a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
Updating their followers via social media on Monday, 13 October, Rustik wrote: “We Need You More Than Ever […] We know it’s been quiet since we closed our doors — and honestly, it’s been a tough time behind the scenes.
“So many of you reached out, checked in, sent kind words, and we’ve felt every bit of that love. Thank you. Truly. When we said goodbye, we weren’t sure what the future looked like. But due to unexpected changes and plans falling through, things have come back around… and now, we’re reopening.
“It’s not easy to say this, but like so many in hospitality right now, it’s tough. We know we’re not alone in this — many small businesses are facing incredibly difficult decisions. But instead of closing the chapter, we’ve decided to give it one more shot. With everything we have.
“So, we’re reopening this Wednesday, 15 October, with a brand new brunch menu and the same Rustik heart you’ve always known. For now, we won’t be open in the evenings — but that might change. What matters most is that our doors will be open again, and we can welcome you back.”
Not only is this obviously brilliant news, but Burton Road favourite is also offering guests a 20% discount off the menu until Halloween (31 Oct) – their way of not only encouraging new customers to come through their doors, but also as a thank you to all their loyal patrons over the years.
Again, the return of late dining and their usual full programme of nighttime events still looks uncertain, but for now, they’ll be “serving coffee and brunch Wednesday to Sunday, 9am–4pm, and hoping to see as many familiar (and new) faces as possible.”
They signed off by adding: “This is a fresh start, but we can’t do it without you. If you’ve ever loved what we do, now is the time we need you most. Your support, your presence, even just sharing this with someone who might pop in – it means everything. With love, gratitude, and a little bit of hope — The Rustik Team.”
This positive turn of events comes just a few weeks after what fans thought was the endgame for the West Dids community cornerstone.
Posting across all of their accounts on 17 September, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
Expressing their gratitude after the best part of a decade in the south Manchester suburb, they touched upon the post-COVID recovery period, rising business rates, supply chain costs and many of the same challenges that other hospitality venues have cited as reasons for the initial decision.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
We sincerely hope the talk of closing proves to be merely a blip and that this next chapter signals the start of an incredible new era for Rustik, and as for you local foodies, we urge you to meet the further call for support and visit them during this crunch period.
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2020 
