A group of restaurants in Manchester has launched its festive food offering – featuring gravity-defying Christmas food.
The Botanist – which has sites on Deansgate, at MediaCityUK, and in Didsbury – will be serving a festive twist on its popular hanging kebabs this year.
The Christmas skewers will feature orange glazed turkey with all the trimmings, The Hoot reports.
There’s also now an option to turn it into a sharing kebab that includes a chicken, a crispy halloumi and a lamb kofta kebab on a triple-skewer rack.
Served with properly seasoned fries, coleslaw, hummus and flatbread, it’s the perfect option for three diners to tuck into.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Supplied
Another delicious new addition is the turkey and camembert burger with maple glazed bacon and cranberry sauce. The best bit? It comes with a giant pig in blanket sat right on top of it.
There’s also a great selection of new starters and side dishes on the menu, including straight up bowls of pigs in blankets glazed with orange and cranberry, a sharing baked truffle camembert fondue and a three-cheese baked mac ‘n’ cheese.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Supplied
Can’t decide between all these festive goodies? Don’t worry because you don’t have to. The Botanist’s hot sharing board now comes with tater tot poutine, turkey koftas, Cumberland scotch egg, mussels in fragrant curry sauce and mac ‘n’ cheese.
The vegan option includes bang bang cauliflower, superfood salad, sweet potato houmous, crispy porcini gnocchi with truffle mustard mayo and roasted tomato soup. It’s the perfect food to nibble on whilst enjoying a few festive drinks between friends.
Image: Supplied
The sweet toothed out there can tuck into The Botanist’s signature warm cookie dough dessert that has had a seasonal makeover and now comes with After Eights or Celebrations.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking bout the launch of the new seasonal dishes, James Scott, Executive Chef at The Botanist said: “This time of year is all about celebration and enjoying good food with loved ones and that feels even more so the case this winter after our get-togethers have been restricted for the past couple of Christmases.
Image: Supplied
“With this menu we wanted to showcase a modern take on comfort food with festive flavours that taste luxurious and indulgent, offering our diners a seasonal update to the signature dishes they’ve come to know and love when visiting our restaurants.”
You can now have dinner in the actual dressing rooms at Co-op Live
Daisy Jackson
Co-op Live has now launched exclusive backstage dining experiences – which means you could be having dinner inside the very dressing rooms that have hosted music megastars.
These new groundbreaking new Backstage Private Dining experiences feature menus curated by Simon Rimmer.
This will be the first time that the arena’s most exclusive artist areas have been open to guests.
There’ll be 10 selected dates from May 2026, where ticket-holders can eat dinner in dressing rooms that were previously occupied by the likes of Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen.
Guests will be able to choose from several packages, from intimate receptions and private three-course dinners inside the dressing rooms, to lavish extras like a Bentley chauffeur-driven arrival, live entertainment, and extended backstage access.
The most premium package will also offer access to Co-op Live’s adidas Originals recording studio.
Proceeds from the Backstage Private Dining will go towards supporting Co-op Live’s official charity partner, the Co-op Foundation, which tackles inequality and supports communities across the UK.
Chef Simon Rimmer commented: “Having worked with Co-op Live for some time, it’s incredibly exciting to now be involved with this unique series of Backstage Private Dining.
“It’s a rare opportunity to further combine the world-class music venue with exceptional food, and I can’t wait to showcase how these experiences can come to life together, creating truly unforgettable evenings for our guests.”
Becci Thomson, Chief Commercial Officer at Co-op Live, said: “From day one, our ambition has been to challenge expectations of what an arena can deliver, and we’re now delighted to introduce a new dimension of premium hospitality at Co-op Live.
“This collaboration unlocks new creative potential within the venue, offering experiences that have not previously been possible. It reflects our commitment to innovation and meaningful impact within the communities we support.”
Designed and delivered in partnership with Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), Founder and CEO Liz Taylor said: “Opportunities like this are rare. Co-op Live is a venue built for scale, spectacle and ambition — and that’s exactly how we are approaching these events.
“Whether it’s an intimate milestone celebration or a brand hosting at the highest level, these will be immersive, one-night-only experiences designed to deliver real impact. We are proud to have been chosen to help shape this next chapter, bringing creativity, precision and bold thinking to a space that demands nothing less.”
Salford industrial estate bakery with incredible cinnamon rolls to open new site
Daisy Jackson
Mayya Bakery, a local ‘hidden gem’ with incredible cinnamon rolls, is set to open a brand-new bakery that will make it significantly less hidden.
Until now, Mayya has been quietly trading from an industrial estate in Salford, where it’s built a great reputation for its bakes despite an off-the-beaten-track-location and relatively little social media fanfare.
It opened its doors in 2024, operated by former primary school teacher Meli and her husband, dentist Oguz.
This is an artisan bakery with a real Turkish flare, with plenty of comfort food like freshly made gözleme (or gozzies for short) and bigger dishes if you fancy sitting in.
Their counters are stuffed with sweet bakes, like their perfect cinnamon rolls, plus loaves, babka, cookies, and homemade cheesecake.
For bigger dishes, you’ll find breakfast dishes like Turkish eggs, Simit (a traditional sesame bagel) breakfasts, and menemen.
The counters at Mayya Bakery’s current locationIncredible cheesecake at Mayya BakerySigns on Chapel Street Salford for the new Mayya Bakery
And now Mayya Bakery has revealed plans to open a new location in a much more prominent spot in town, with signs appearing in the windows of a unit on Chapel Street.
The sign reads: “Everything is homemade – including this picture.”
It also quips: “They called us hidden gem… not hidden anymore.”
Mayya will open on Chapel Street soon – keep an eye on our food and drink Instagram page The Manc Eats for the latest.
Clementine Hall -
19th November 2022 
