A brand new Salford restaurant will celebrate its launch today by giving away 1000 katsu curries, completely free.
Banana Tree is an award-winning Pan-Asian restaurant that started life down in London more than three decades ago.
It’s since expanded with restaurants across the UK, but this will be its first trip up to Greater Manchester.
The new Salford venue will officially open its doors today, Monday 12 February, at the Lowry Outlet Mall.
The restaurant will have space for 150 diners inside, and an extra 70 outside on an all-weather terrace.
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Dishes on the Banana Tree menu will include pad Thai, ramen, and katsu curry dishes, plus bottomless brunches seven days a week, and an all-day menu that will suit the pre-theatre crowd.
The menu champions traditional meals from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, including noodles, salads, curries and stir-fries.
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More than 40% of the menu is also plant-based.
Banana Tree is celebrating its arrival in Salford with a 1000-katsu-curry giveaway, running throughout the first seven weeks of its opening (or until curries run out).
To claim a free katsu curry, diners will need to fill out a form and book a table, with more than 500 slots available.
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Inside Banana Tree as it opens in SalfordBanana Tree will serve a Pan-Asian menu in Salford at the Lowry Outlet Mall
There’ll be both chicken and vegan options available, each coated in a crispy panko crumb and served with katsu curry sauce, rice, and edamame.
But if you miss out on the free dish tables, worry not – Banana Tree will also be running 50% off all menu dishes for the first five weeks of opening as part of its soft launch. Just book a table to claim your discount.
Banana Tree marketing director Tom Patrick said: “We’re so excited to be opening our first restaurant in the north and open our first restaurant in the vibrant city of Salford. This will be our 19th restaurant and we couldn’t have secured a better location!
“With an all day menu taking you on a tour of South East Asian cuisine, we know that there really is something for everyone. From Pad Thai to Ramen, Katsu to 2-4-1 cocktails we’re the perfect spot for a pre-show meal, a light lunch with friends or a full Pan Asian feast!
“To celebrate our arrival into Salford we’re giving away 1000 FREE Katsu curries with no strings attached!
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“The 30 strong team have been training hard in our sister restaurants throughout the country for several weeks, and now our team are training in site, we think our Salford restaurant could be our best looking one yet! We’re looking forward to welcoming you to our award winning restaurant.”
Click here to book your table and claim your free katsu curry.
Huge bakery chain Gail’s confirms move to Prestwich – but spells village’s name wrong in signs
Daisy Jackson
After months of swirling rumours, bakery group Gail’s has finally confirmed it’s moving to Prestwich – but locals have spotted a glaring error at the first hurdle.
The popular artisan bakery will be moving onto Bury New Road, right in the heart of the suburb and directly opposite the new Rudy’s pizzeria.
Prestwich locals have been hearing whispers of a Gail’s arriving for a few months, and finally the London-founded cafe has stuck up signs to confirm it’s on the way.
But the sign contains one crucial mistake – it’s spelled Prestwich wrong.
The red window displays now read ‘Hello Preswich. We’ll be baking here soon’.
One local messaged Gail’s to point out the error and to say it’s ‘not a great first impression for the locals…’.
Gail’s has since confirmed it’s in the process of fixing the signs.
The arrival of both Gail’s and Rudy’s has already caused a stir in Prestwich, which has always been fiercely independent and has only a handful of chains within it (Greggs and Costa are perched by the tram stop).
In fact, one local business-owner shared a moving statement about his concerns for the future of local businesses just a few weeks ago.
Gail’s has confirmed it’s opening a bakery in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
First formed in the early 1990s as a wholesale-only operation, Gail’s opened its first cafe on Hampstead High Street in 2005.
Today the brand has more than 100 sites spread across London, Oxford, Brighton and further afield, and is known more as a customer-facing cafe and bakery.
It’s famed for its freshly-baked loaves, cinnamon buns, ham and cheese croissants and coffees, and is likely to go down a storm in Prestwich.
But the signs have been causing a bit of a stir in the wrong way this weekend – in a local Facebook group, one person commented: “Not locals who own it then.”
Another described it as an ‘epic fail’.
And one person said: “Oh the DRAMA of it all.”
Someone else joked: “I cannot wait for Gais to come to Preswich.”
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Daisy Jackson
It’s funny how we all turn a blind eye to the temperature outside when it comes to the Christmas Markets.
At a time of year where should probably all be hibernating inside, droves of us instead head out to brave the elements all in the name of the festivities.
Of course, the Manchester Christmas Markets sell all sorts of wares to take the edge off, and we’re not just talking about the stalls selling woollen mittens everywhere.
Our favourite winter warmers tend to take the form of a tray of piping hot garlic potatoes, or a mug of hot chocolate, or another boozy beverage that’s massively underrated.
The drink in question is a Hot Blob, which is listed on the menu at the Piccadilly Gardens markets as ‘legendary’.
A bold claim, but a lot of long-time Manc residents will understand why.
The Hot Blob is a jaw-clenchingly sweet concoction served piping hot at the Manchester Christmas Market, similar to a hot toddy.
It’s made with Australian fortified white wine, lemon, sugar, and boiling water.
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it? Credit: The Manc Group
The drink was first invented by Yates, that well-known pub chain, which started life as Yates’s Wine Lodge up the road in Oldham.
According to Pubs of Manchester, the Hot Blob has a tendency to ‘speed up drunkenness to a young drinker’.
These days, it’s pretty rare to come across one on a menu, but back in 1990s it was a staple in a few pubs around town.
There even used to be a ‘Blob Shop’ on High Street, run by local legend Ged Ford (now in charge of the equally legendary Millstone pub), which found itself in a state of utter carnage when the IRA bomb went off.
The long-lost institution specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’.
The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester. Credit: deltrems@flickr
Ged sold 6,000 a week.
And while the drink may have fallen out of favour since then, there are still healthy numbers being sold at this time of year, even if they are a damn sight more expensive than they were in the 1990s (£6 a pop, plus a glass deposit).
Anyway. If you’re sick to the back teeth of the endless gluhwein being peddled across the markets, make a beeline for Manchester Winter Ale House at Piccadilly Gardens, where you can find Hot Blobs as well as boozy Vimto and cask ales.
The Manchester Christmas Markets officially end on 22 December.
Daisy Jackson -
12th February 2024 
