The kitchens of the award-winning Edinburgh Castle pub are set to be taken over by a brand new offering – the Bangkok Diners Club is moving in.
Taking a step away from the gastropub’s previous menu of elevated British classics (its old head chef Shaun Moffatt recently opened his own restaurant, Winsome, where you can still eat that), this entirely new offering will bring a taste of Thai barbecue to Ancoats.
The exciting new opening will have a meat-focused menu cooked with wood smoke from an in-house smoker.
Chef Ben Humpheys – formerly of the futuristic Thai restaurant District, in the Northern Quarter – will combine his 20-year obsession with Thai cuisine with a ‘new-found love for low-n-slow cooking’.
That’ll mean slow-smoked meats, which Ben fell in love with in Miami, bringing a new take to traditional dishes like ex-dairy beef Nam Tok and BBQ pork jowl with burnt tomato Nam Jim Jaew.
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There’ll also be dishes like Gaeng Khua, a southern curry of smoked mutton ribs, and Thai omelette with smoked mushroom and Nam Prik Pao.
Ben has honed the menu with his wife Bo, who was born and raised in the northeastern Isan region, before moving to Bangkok as a teenager.
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He said: “Barbecue is huge in Thailand, but it’s usually fast and furious over fire. Last year we spent some time in Miami – we had so much mega BBQ, and I found for me the best dishes had Mexican or Korean heat and citrus which cut through the richness of the meat.
“It got me thinking about how I could do that with Thai flavours and techniques.”
Credit: Shaun PeckhamCredit: The Manc GroupBangkok Diners Club is taking over the kitchens at the Edinburgh Castle pub
Ben added that the menu at Bangkok Diners Club will draw inspiration from right across the country, as is common of the cuisine in Bangkok itself, whether it’s using fresh turmeric common in the south or herbs and dry spices from the mountains in Northern Thailand.
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He said: “That exciting approach is what we’re trying to do here – it’s all rooted in a deep respect for the Thai cooking traditions and an obsessive understanding of how Thai dishes are built; how the flavours are layered and the heat builds – but without the constraints of identifying with a single region.”
Partner Danny Collins added: “We’ve spent countless nights cooking and celebrating with Bo’s family in Bangkok, and we want to bring that same energy to Manchester, and to the pub.
“We hope to give people something you can’t really get anywhere else, while offering a dining experience that’s fun, communal, and full of flavour.”
Bangkok Diners Club will open at the Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats on 2 April, with bookings live now HERE.
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Insomnia Cookies is giving away FREE cookies to anyone with these two names
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s late-night sweet treat spot Insomnia Cookies is dishing out freebies this week… but there’s a catch.
You have to be called one of two specific names to get one.
With the long bank holiday weekend upon us, those in-the-know will also have noticed that this Sunday isn’t just Easter Sunday, it also happens to be 4/20… and that means Insomnia Cookies is back with its ‘blazing’ £4.20 deal, giving you the chance to bag a box of four warm cookies while saving nearly £7 at the same time.
But even better still, if you happen to have either the first or middle name ‘Mary’ or ‘Jane’, then you can also get yourself a warm tasty cookie for free.
To mark both 4/20, and celebrate the launch of its newest strain of mouthwatering cookie, the Mary Jane, anyone called Mary or Jane can pop into either of Insomnia Cookies’ two Manchester city centre sites – Cross Street and University Green – show their valid ID with their name on, and walk alway with a cookie free of charge.
If you want to try the new Mary Jane cookie, then this limited-edition special is made up of a cookies n cream dough base, packed with rainbow sprinkles.
The freebie deal has been running all week, and you have up until 3am on Monday 21 April to take advantage of it.
Customers will be limited to one free cookie per day.
Insomnia Cookies is giving away free cookies to anyone with these two names / Credit: Insomnia Cookies UK
If you aren’t lucky enough to be called one of those two names though, then thankfully you can still make some great savings on a classic four-pack of cookies over the spring bank holiday weekend, and for every four-pack sold, £1 will be donated to Groundwork – a charity helping make Manchester greener for nature and for local people.
“We’re calling for Marys and Janes to join us to live the high life with free cookies all week,” commented Millie Ralston, Head of Marketing at Insomnia Cookies.
Daisy Jackson -
20th March 2025 
