Noodle heads, rejoice because legendary late-night spot Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun is coming back to the Manchester hospitality scene — well, for one night only, at least.
Over a year on from its shock closure, the much-loved Manc ramen restaurant and bar often referred to simply as CBRB has delighted its die-hard followers, lovers of Japanese cuisine and fans of late-night scran all over the region by staging a special and exclusive return.
Named as the next noodle experts set to take over the kitchens at fellow industry favourites New Wave Ramen over on Tib Lane as part of their crossover series, this being the third edition so far this year, foodies will once again be able to taste some of the best broths to ever grace the game.
You best believe you can sign us up for as many bowls of the Nagoya as we’re allowed and there’ll probably be tears of joy left in it once we’re done.
With New Wave being packed out for the previous two takeovers by Matsudai Ramen and most recently Kanada-Ya — two brands that have received plenty of praise around the UK — it’s hard to understate just how big a deal it is to have one of our own and most celebrated coming back.
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Rumblings of something happening with the ‘Girl Gang’ who served up some of the very best if not the best ramen in Manchester started after CBRB posted nothing but a plain black screen to their Instagram story after pretty much complete silence since they sadly closed their doors on 12 February 2023.
Having only really made noise to announce that their “OG”, former chef and bar manager turned chef-owner Tom Potts would be taking over the Oldham Street venue to open the first brick-and-mortar Kong’s Kitchen fried chicken concept, it’s been dark mode ever since — but no longer.
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As for New Wave, when they too opened up their own standalone site, we were delighted to hear that one of the chefs had come directly from Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun, so they were already doing their bit to help keep the spirit alive and choosing them for the next takeover just makes sense.
Set to take over New Wave for Easter Sunday on 31 March, both teams are obviously expecting an extremely high demand for bookings, so you best be quick if you want to secure an exclusive table and take one last slurp of the good stuff so many used to enjoy into the early hours — you can do so HERE.
Speaking in a statement, New Wave Ramen summed up the limited-time-only event with their mission statement: “Native Produce, Japanese Soul; and visitors can expect nothing short of that during the CBRB takeover. Guests can once again experience the dishes they became so loved for including the spicy Nagoya, soft shell crab Kare ramen and the vegan Tantanmen.
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“This particular collaboration, as part of a series of takeovers at New Wave means both former CBRB patrons and newcomers can enjoy the nostalgia and esteemed dishes respectively, whilst experiencing the excellent service in a relaxed space New Wave prides itself on.” What a way to close out the month.
Now, we’re not going to get carried away and get ahead of ourselves but let’s just say we’re very happy to be hearing Girl Gang’s return and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that moments like this might one day mean we get them back full-time.
In the meantime, if you want to know exactly how much this place means to this particular ramen-obsessed writer, you can always read this — and good luck to those going for a table, we sincerely hope you land one.
Music legend Billy Ocean pays a visit to Mama Flo’s in Stockport
Danny Jones
Cult Stockport foodie favourite Mama Flo’s has been visited by yet another shock famous face when music legend Billy Ocean ‘Suddenly’ popped into the takeaway this week.
What a lovely surprise for the local hero.
Mama Flo’s is not just a go-to eatery for many in the Great Moor neighbourhood; its glowing reviews and long-standing reputation have meant that it’s frequently patronised by out-of-town tourists as well as plenty of celebrities.
Florence Beryl Coke, now in her 70s, is no stranger to welcoming household names, but given the Caribbean royalty in question, she was clearly blown away when the ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ singer came through the door.
Billy Ocean, 75 himself, played the O2 Apollo in June on his most recent headline tour, but the Trinidadian-born British soul and pop singer has still but up and down the country throughout the year.
We’re not too sure why he was up in Greater Manchester this week, but we’re glad he was.
Writing on Facebook, Flo wrote: “What a good night, tonight. Feeling so tired and having a break – then guess who walked in? The greatest Billy Ocean, and boy, we had a great night chatting away with his entourage. Thank you, Billy, for a splendid night.”
Following up with another grateful post on Friday morning, 14 November, she quoted the title of his most famous hit, before adding: “We love you, Billy Ocean. Thanks for the support last night and [thank you to] your team, love.”
Knowing how hard Flo works, having become famous for her incredible work ethic and regularly working overtime to serve the community, this will no doubt have felt like a well-earned reward after another long, hard day.
Kyle Walker is one of many footballers who’ve been.Couldn’t agree more.Credit: Mama Flo’s
She doesn’t just get one-time visitors either: regulars include The Stone Roses’ Ian Brown, nearby actor Will Mellor, and a plethora of regional soap stars.
In this case, Billy Ocean was just the latest celeb to get out of her dreams and into her shop – and yes, that may be a rather stretched pun, but it was worth it, nevertheless.
So, if you’ve still never been to one of the best food spots in Stockport, Mama Flo’s now has the certified Billy Ocean seal of approval to its name, as well as having featured on our very own Takeaway Champions a little while back. We can’t think of any better advert to go and try it for yourself.
Featured Images — Mama Flo’s (via Facebook)/The Manc Eats
Eats
Viral Manchester Christmas Markets trader shares apology for ‘below standard’ bakes
Daisy Jackson
One of the most popular traders at the Manchester Christmas Markets has shared a public apology statement after noticing its viral bakes ‘weren’t at the usual standard’.
The Flat Baker, which has been so popular in previous years Manchester City Council had to install a queueing system, thanked customers for their patience.
The bakery is famed for its Brazilian-inspired pastries, with its Christmas Markets offering featuring croissants served in a pot of molten pistachio sauce, and hot chocolates in an edible cookie cup.
But they said that an electrical issue at the stall left their viral croissants ‘cold and without texture’ and the team ended up pulling more than 20 boxes of croissants from sale.
The Flat Baker said they are ‘truly sorry’ to those who were served a croissant that wasn’t their usual standard, and assured fans that their electric warming cabinet is now back up and running, with every croissant ‘fresh, warm, and exactly as it should be’.
The bakery is run by couple Matt and Deb, who recently opened their first proper cafe in Ancoats, just down the road from their original hatch.
They described this as a ‘tough week’ for the business and wrote: “Over the past week, some of you noticed that our croissants at the Christmas Market weren’t quite up to the usual Flat Baker standard, and you were right.
“Unfortunately, due to electrical issues at our stall (managed by the event organisers), our warming cabinet couldn’t be used at all. That meant we couldn’t keep our croissants at their ideal temperature and texture throughout the day – something that’s essential for maintaining the quality we’re known for.
“We honestly didn’t realise how much this would affect the quality until it was too late, and that’s on us. Some of the croissants we served weren’t at our usual standard, and for that, we’re truly sorry.
“Without the warmer, their “shelf life” became much shorter, and they turned cold and lost texture far too quickly. We ended up bringing back over 20 boxes of croissants that we chose not to sell, because serving anything below our best just isn’t who we we are.”
They continued: “And as for those 20 boxes… nothing will go to waste. We’re already turning them into something new, warm, and seriously delicious, you’ll find out soon.
“Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and your continued love for what we do. We’ll always choose quality, honesty, and creativity, even when things don’t go as planned.”
The Flat Baker are back at the Manchester Christmas Markets now, and you can find them at Piccadilly Gardens.
Danny Jones -
20th March 2024 
