Eats

Deliveroo predicts 3D-printed meal plans and VR dinner parties in our future

According to the new Snack to the Future report, AI could be choosing your meals for you by 2040.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 28th June 2023

Can you believe it? It has been ten years since Deliveroo arrived in our lives, transforming our takeaway options from pizzas and kebabs to run the length and breadth of Manchester’s restaurant scene.

A decade ago, the idea of being able to order a meal from your favourite restaurant to your door seemed like a real curveball. To be honest, It just wasn’t done – but now it seems like the most normal thing ever.

So, come 2040, will we all be as accepting of VR dinner parties, 3D printed meal plans and breath prints? Experts working for Deliveroo certainly seem to think so.

The Delivery giant has published a unique look into the future of food, and released its Snack To The Future report to mark its 10th anniversary.

Bringing together leading futurists and experts from the worlds of food, science, technology and innovation, the report offers a forward-looking view of how the nation will be eating by 2040 and how our dinner tables are set to revolutionise.

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Image: Supplied

Research commissioned by Deliveroo has revealed that in the next ten years, you’ll be able to virtually smell and taste your takeaway before choosing your order, amongst other things.

The report from Deliveroo and guest experts including Georgie Barrat (Technology Journalist and TV Presenter on The Gadget Show) and Tom Cheesewright (applied Futurist), reveals key predictions and technological advancements by 2040 that are set to rock consumers’ worlds.

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These include breath-prints, me-ganism Diets, foodgasms, edible beauty, 3D printed meal plans, VR dinner parties and restorative restaurants by 2040, as well as ‘wine cordials’ that will mimic the flavour of alcohol and personal AI diet planning assistants.

Dystopian? A little.

Image: Supplied

Deliveroo’s new report outlines exactly what these terms mean and how experts think they will manifest in the next decade. Keep reading to find out the key points made by experts.

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What is in Deliveroo’s Snack to the Future report?

o    BREATH-PRINTS: Find out how breath-prints will make our future food decisions for us. Expect personal tech devices to be enabled with BreathTech, meaning you can breathe on your device and get a deep level of insight into what foods you should be eating to have optimal impact on your individual health and wellbeing

o    ME-GANSIM: Move over Keto, the predicted next big thing in dieting and set to be the mainstream diet of the future, is the Me-gan diet (Me-ganism); a hyper-personalised diet which is fully bespoke to your individual nutritional needs,  powered by AI technology

o    PERSONAL AIs: Underpinning the Me-gan diet and lifestyle, AI technology will offer you your own personal AI (a life long AI buddy) which will help automate and tailor what you are eating based on preferences and needs at any given time

o    FOODGASMS: Food that makes you feel… food delivery services will be using additional digital audio and visual content to elevate the meal enjoyment experience, so much so that it could take food pleasure to the next level with ‘foodgasms’ (braingasms via what you eat)

o    EDIBLE BEAUTY: Get ready to see the food and beauty industry become more integrated than ever with a rise in edible beauty products like anti-aging ice-cream and the chance to dine from hormone-balancing and dopamine driving menus

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o    3D PRINTED MEAL PLANS: From packed lunches to printed lunches, food prep is about to become a lot easier with advances in 3D printing technology helping you create perfectly portioned and nutritionally balanced meals, of your choice, at home

o    VR DINNER PARTIES: Dine with celebrities, royals and late loved ones in your favourite holiday destination, or recreate food moments from famous movies thanks to VR technology, which will simulate dining experiences from the comfort of your home – think: enjoying a delightful breakfast at Tiffany’s, while you’re tucking into a bacon sandwich on the sofa

o    FAREWELL FUSSY EATERS: Thanks to VR and AR technology, your brains could be tricked into thinking you are eating something you are not, for example, if you are a fussy eater who doesn’t want to eat vegetables, you could put on smart glasses and think you are eating chocolate or sweets

o    RESTORATIVE RESTAURANTS: New restaurant concepts will remove outside world distractions, with personal tech devices banned at entry and a rise in the popularity of silent cafés and restaurants, ONLY offering tables for one to encourage mindful eating

o    PASS THE AMARANTH: Whole grain staples, such as corn or maize, are about to look very different with alternatives such as amaranth, fonio, sorghum, teff, khorasan, einkorn and emmer,  all likely to be mainstream in 2040

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o    ALT-OHOL: As the nation increasingly seeks alcohol alternatives, we can expect to see a rise in popularity of ‘wine’ cordials that mimic the taste and flavour profile of real wine, without the negatives

Speaking on the report and the predictions for the future of food Will Shu, Founder and CEO of Deliveroo, said: “I started Deliveroo in 2013 with a mission to connect people to the best quality food from local restaurants and deliver it directly to people’s doors.

“It has been an incredible ride over the past ten years and I am really proud of what we have built.

“As we look towards the next decade and beyond, Deliveroo will continue to create exciting new innovations in food delivery, build new and better consumer experiences and take Deliveroo beyond functionality and convenience to really capture the passion and emotion of food.”

Featured image – Supplied

Eats

Legendary Borough Market doughnut bakery Bread Ahead is coming to Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Bread Ahead is famed for its creme brulee doughnuts

Bread Ahead – creators of the cult creme brulee doughnuts – is finally coming to Manchester (and soon).

The doughnut bakery is one of the most famous traders at Borough Market in London thanks to its artisan dough, classic fillings, and creative specials.

And to celebrate its arrival into the North, Bread Ahead will be giving away 1,000 free doughnuts across its first two days in Manchester.

The Borough Market bakery institution has announced a three-month stint inside Harvey Nichols, where Mancs will be able to pick up flavours including their world-famous creme brulee doughnut, a custard-filled beauty with a crunchy torched brown sugar top.

That particular flavour is so popular, they sell around 5,000 daily down in London.

Other Bread Ahead doughnuts include vanilla, jam, sea salted caramel, pistachio, and regional/seasonal specials like pumpkin creme brulee, smores, lemon curd, coconut, and blackcurrant cheesecake.

The giveaway of 1,000 free doughnuts will start at 10am on Monday 3 November, with 500 handed out while stocks last.

Bread Ahead is bringing its legendary doughnuts to Manchester for the first time
Bread Ahead is bringing its legendary doughnuts to Manchester for the first time

Then on Tuesday 4 November there’ll be another 500 up for grabs on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Founder Matthew Jones says: “We’ve long wanted to branch out regionally, and this felt like the perfect way to do it.

“Baking and education are so important to us, so we’re really excited to bring our doughnuts to the people of Manchester and thrilled to be working with Harvey Nichols.

“We hope this is just the first of many visits – there’s so much more to come!”

The creme brulee doughnuts from Bread Ahead are coming to Manchester. Credit: Supplied
The creme brulee doughnuts from Bread Ahead are coming to Manchester. Credit: Supplied

Gavin Hudson, General Manager at Harvey Nichols Manchester said: “Bread Ahead is a true institution in Borough Market, so when Matthew and the team got in touch, we knew that their offer would definitely resonate with our customers.

“We’re excited to be bringing their full selection of doughnut flavours to the city and we are sure that their trademark Crème Brûlée doughnut will become a firm favourite here too.”

Bread Ahead will open at Harvey Nichols Manchester from Monday 3 November.

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Featured image: Supplied

Eats

The best pasta places in and around Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones the best pasta places in manchester

Besides the all-season pizza, we would argue that pasta is arguably the pizza we will happily eat pretty much any time of you (god, the Italians really do have it cracked, don’t they?), so we thought it was about high time we put together a list of the best places to find it in and around Manchester.

That’s right, it’s time for another ‘listicle’, so buckle up and unbutton your pants.

Whether it be a city centre star or a beloved off-the-beaten-path favourite out in the boroughs, Greater Manchester as a whole really does do Italian restaurants well and pasta, specifically, if you ask.

From well-known names you’ve probably eaten at already yourselves, to hopefully a few hidden gems that have somehow flown under your radar, here is The Manc‘s round-up of the best pasta places the Manchester foodie scene has to offer.

The best places for pasta in the city centre

1. Lina Stores – St. John’s

Up first is one we’ve visited a fair few times since it landed here from London and really has taken to life up North rather well. Lina MCR, just opposite Spinningfields and just off Deansgate on Quay Street, is their first foray into our city and captures the same laid-back split between delicatessen and restaurant.

Actually, it’s even more than that; this place rolls cafe, bar and evening eatery all into one, serving up stunning pasta dishes, delectable desserts, a great wine selection and some seriously stunning starters, sides and small plates to boot – we’re thinking of the fried ricotta, specifically…

lina stores manchester
lina stores desserts
Credit: The Manc Eats

2. The Pasta Factory – Shudehill

Onto number two, and not only one of the most popular Manchester pasta spots, but a place that has recently surpassed more than 10 years here in the city centre. To some of us, it seems like just yesterday that they first opened their doors, but they’ve been serving us for a good long while now.

The parents of nearby Noi Quattro, which sits just across the road in the Northern Quarter, Pasta Factory sits just on the corner around from Victoria, and their prawn-filled miso butter pasta with burrata is to die for. Better still, you can buy their various shapes, styles and sauces to take home on your way out.

3. Anatra – Exhibition

They say three is the magic number, so they must have been talking about Anatra, which is well and truly something special. Popping up in the increasingly enticing Exhibition food hall and bar over on Peter Street back in August 2025, they’ve made a great first impression.

Head chef Grant may be from Stoke, but he still knows all about serving up tasty and substantial food to Northerners fed up of getting home after a rainy day and warming up a ready meal. Think thick, handmade pasta with the perfect bite, with big flavours like saffron, burnt chilli and brown crab butter.

best pasta places in manchester
best italian restraurants in manchester
Credit: The Manc Group

4. Soots – Tib Street

For number four, we have nothing but praise for the purely plant-based excellence that is Soots Pasta, created by owners and co-founders Ellie Proudfoot and Ruth Duarte, who’ve quietly become not only one of the best pasta restaurants in town but one of the best vegan restaurants in Manchester, too.

Named after their dog and starting out life in Altrincham Market, they’ve become a real lovely hospitality story in what is an increasingly difficult sector. We can’t speak highly enough of how much we love these guys; in fact, so much so that you can read even more about this wonderful place down below.

Inside Soots, the tiny new pasta restaurant in the Northern Quarter

5. Onda – Circle Square

Now, naturally, we couldn’t possibly right up a list of the best pasta places in Manchester city centre, the UK, or otherwise, without mentioning the social media sensation that is Onda, which on its day really does live up to the hype. At least it has every time we’ve managed to visit, anyway.

Starting out as an Ancoats pop-up over at New Cross, they quickly became famous for their viral ‘Tiramisu Drawer’, where they pull out giant scoops of the classic Italian dessert by the big spoonful. However, they are also known for VERY good pasta, such as their carbonara and vodka ‘nduja lamache.

@the.manc @Onda Pasta Bar finally has its own restaurant, with beautiful pasta and of course, the viral tiramisu drawer 🤤 #onda #manchester #newopening #manchesterfood #pasta #foodie ♬ Hip Hop Background(813690) – Pavel

6. Salvi’s – Corn Exchange

From the new school to the old faithful, there aren’t many Italian restaurants that’ve been doing this in Manchester as long as Salvi’s has, and you could argue that they set many trends in motion decades before they ever took off. They’re part of the city’s dining heritage, as far as we’re concerned.

For instance, they’re still one of the places we remember doing a mozzarella bar, or offering customers the chance to buy authentic ingredients from ‘il Bel Paese‘, and if you’ve never sat down for a bowl of pasta in here, you haven’t lived basically. Hyperbole? Maybe, but the food is bloody good, that’s no lie.

salvi's menu manchester
italian delis manchester
Credit: The Manc

7. Circolo Popolare – St. Michael’s

Another new kid on the block that’s trying to carve out its own space in Manchester’s Italian food scene is one that we don’t just fully expect to do so, but would wager already has, even if it hasn’t only been in our neck of the woods for what feels like five minutes. Part of Big Mamma Group, Circolo is a juggernaut.

One of the most beautiful spaces we’ve ever stepped foot in – and no, that isn’t a slight exaggeration – the Italian restaurant sat at the foot of Gary Neville’s growing St. Michael’s skyscraper is a tribute to lemons and indulgence. It may have competition in Chotto Matte, but it’ll certainly handle itself.

@the.manc At last, Circolo Popolare is ready to open in Manchester, with jasmine-covered ceilings, huge pasta bowls, and a gigantic wibbly-wobbly tower of a lemon meringue pie. 🍋 It's officially opening on 6 June and this is one you want to get straight in your calendar. #themanc #manchester #manc #mcr #circolopopolare #bigmammagroup #italian #italianfood #newopening #manchesterfood #manchestereats #manchesterfoodie #manchesterrestaurants ♬ original sound – The Manc

8. The Sparrows – Cheetham Hill

From glitteringly gorgeous rooms to even more beautiful food, we’ve lost track of how many times someone has told us that their favourite restaurant in Manchester is The Sparrows Continental Pasta & Spätzle, to give them they’re rarely used full title.

And, to be honest, we wouldn’t disagree; even in all our years of eating incredible food in Manchester city centre and further afield, the Green Quarter spot offers some of the most unique takes on pasta noodles you’ll ever test, bringing in various global influences and some of the highest quality ingredients around.

The best local restaurants in Greater Manchester have been named by the Good Food Guide
They were always bound to end up here.

9. Bruco – Ancoats

Heading over to Ancoats, and it’s safe to say that the brilliant Bruco has some very big fans in the office over here, not to mention many more throughout the district and the Manc culinary community as a whole. This Italian spot still feels criminally unsung by the masses, but we’re big cheerleaders.

Striking that balance between bar and kitchen, they specialise in small plates and spritzes, but dishes like butternut squash gnocchi, minted lamb ragu pappardelle, fennel sausage orecchiette and slow-cooked short rib lasagne would stand out on the menu of any of the best pasta restaurants in Manchester.

bruco manchester menu
bruco ancoats
Credit: The Manc

10. Italiana Fifty Five – Great Northern, Liverpool Road and Didsbury

And in a number 10, we have to give a special shout-out to one of the most reliable Italian restaurant groups in Manchester: Italiana Fifty Five, formerly known as Cibo, but still serving up solid pasta and more for some of the best prices you’ll find in the city centre.

They may have rebranded, but this small but accessible chain rarely disappoints, and it’s also worth noting that they regularly rotate deals and promotions to keep sitting down to eat good scran in town as affordably as possible. It’s important work, and we’re glad they take it seriously and are consistent, too.

Where to go for pasta beyond central Manchester

11. Lucky Mama’s – Chorlton

Moving out of the city limits and towards the outskirts and various different areas that are each wrapped up in a scran-obsessed world of their own, we’re heading to the ever-charming Chorlton and that stretch of Barlow Moor Road that is long enough to offer up so many good places to eat and drink.

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It’s possible that you know Lucky Mama’s best for their big pizzas, but of late, we’re becoming much more enamoured with their somewhat ridiculous but undeniably delicious pasta-filled pizza bowls. Yes, you heard us right, and yes, it is as fantastic and filling as it sounds. Here’s more carbs on carbs.

@the.manc Carbs inside carbs? We’ll be dreaming about this place for weeks. 😍 For this week’s Takeaway Champions we hopped on over to Chorlton to visit @LUCKY MAMA’S for their famous pasta inside a pizza bowl plus a brand new 2-in-1 dish. #themanc #manchester #luckymamas #chorlton #manchesterrestaurants #italian #pizza #pasta #manchesterfood #manchestereats #takeaway #manchestertakeaway #takeawayfood ♬ original sound – The Manc

12. Ornella’s Kitchen – Denton (and MCR city centre)

Over to Tameside now and Ornella’s, which is also up there in the conversation for the most raved-about Italian restaurants and pasta spots in Greater Manchester; that’s not just our opinion, either, ask the hundreds of incredible five-star reviews they have online. And rightly so, we hasten to add.

Not too long ago, they opened up a second location in Freight Island, meaning we city folk don’t have to go too far to try their amazing food, but in all honesty, we’d travel miles and miles for this stuff. Take it from us, you simply cannot leave without trying the pistachio carbonara and the beef shin pappardelle.

13. Lupo Caffè Italiano – Prestwich

Moving in the Bury direction now and over to the leafy suburb of Prestwich, how does eating some of the best Italian food you’ve probably ever had in this country in a rustic cafe, bar, pasticceria and restaurant in an unsuspecting old industrial estate? We’ll assume we have your attention…

It might sound rough and ready on the surface, but trust us, there’s no trade-off between style and substance; it’s one of the coolest places to eat in Greater Manchester and does some of the best pasta around, for our money. The amatriciana is unreal, and the fennel sausage one is also unbelievable.

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14. Casa Italia – Didsbury

Our penultimate pick is another south Manchester outpost famous for fantastic restaurants, so it’s no surprise that they also have plenty of great Italians, too: Casa Italia being just one of them, but perhaps our favourite of the lot – at least in this Didsbury, anyway.

More of a chill deli with pretty stocks of produce lining the walls and a healthy counter packed full of goodies, both savoury and sweet, we’ve had many memorable meals in here, and it was actually one of the first places we tried a cannelloni. You always remember your first, and we always will.

casa italia didsbury
casa italia manchester
Make sure to check out their digital store as well. (Credit: The Manc)

15. Little Scarfs – Stockport

Last but not least, please ignore the grammatical error: they don’t care about tense here, they’re just interested in serving you up really good plates of pasta, and they do; in fact, they might be some of the best you’ll find in Stockport, full stop.

A little birdie who recently moved to the town told us about this one, and all we’ll say is that there’s some just so wholesome about it from top to bottom. They also have one of the prettiest aesthetics we’ve come across of late – see for yourself, then go try the food and let us know how mint it was.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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