Eats

A new food rewards app is offering one lucky Manc the dream job of eating and drinking around the city for free

You'd be a fool to not at least try.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 5th August 2024

Dream role alert: a new customer rewards brand is looking to recruit one lucky sod as a tester for their upcoming app and the job description is basically just eat a load of free food and drink around Manchester city centre.

This is one of those ‘I’d do and go to heaven’ opportunities that you simply have to throw your name in the hat for whenever they come up.

Brand new foodie rewards startup, Shuffle, is looking for a fittingly named ‘Taste and Tech Tester’ to put their new app through its paces.

The app is a pretty straightforward but super exciting concept: use it to score randomised rewards ranging anywhere from a minimum of 2% to a whopping 100% off their full bill at some of Manchester’s best dining spots and drinks venues – and you can be in from the ground floor.

Choosing Manchester as the flagship city to debut the new service, Shuffle quite rightly chose us because of our thriving hospitality scene, with the likes of Madre, Medlock Canteen, Trof, Bold Street Coffee and more already on board.

ADVERTISEMENT

The company is committed to investing an initial £2.5 million into the city’s thriving hospitality network during this testing phase ahead of their full launch later this year.

In support of phase one, Shuffle is advertising the dream job of being able to try out the app at all the current and future venues – meaning one very fortunate foodie will be able to eat and drink around Manchester for FREE in exchange for their invaluable feedback.

ADVERTISEMENT

To be in with a chance of winning, candidates must be over 18, live within commuting distance of central Manchester and complete a short application form explaining why they should be Shuffle’s first-ever official tester.

Applicants will be asked to provide examples of how often they eat and drink out, their favourite pub for a fun night with friends, the best bakery for a flaky croissant and a number of other key references. The full job description and application form can be found HERE.

Breakfast at Medlock
Cocktails at Trof
Sunday roasts at Madre
Just a small sample of what you’ll get to eat. (Credit: The Manc Eats via The Manc Group)

Read more:

Ollie Purdue, co-founder of Shuffle said: “Our mission is to revolutionise the hospitality game by providing much-needed up-front investment to operators while also rewarding customers for spending at their venues.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Our app offers the excitement of randomised rewards to customers and we can’t wait to launch in Manchester. That’s why we’re on the hunt for someone who loves the city as much as we do, and will provide us with the valuable insight to help Shuffle become the most-used app and go-to investor in the hospitality sector.”

You can apply now for your chance to score the dream job of eating wave after wave of free food and drink in Manchester and be sure to follow the Shuffle rewards app on Instagram for updates, as well download the rewards app for yourself – it’s just common sense at this point.

Best of luck to those going for it but, with all due respect, do know that we’ll resent you forever.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Shuffle (supplied)/The Manc Group

Eats

Maray’s Middle Eastern-inspired Sunday roasts are returning to Manchester – and they’re FREE for one day only

Danny Jones Danny Jones Free Sunday Middle Eastern roasts at Maray Manchester

We know Sunday roasts very much fall into the ‘if ain’t broke don’t fix it’ category of British food -and rightly so, they’re absolutely glorious – but every now and again they’re made fresh and exciting again, and that’s exactly what Maray have done with theirs.

Plus, who on Earth is ignoring a FREE roast dinner?

That’s right, not only are Maray’s incredible Middle-Eastern twists on the classic carvery combination of lovingly cooked joints of meat, exquisitely cooked vegetables and their take on firm favourites like the potato (the best bit, let’s be honest), but they’re also going to be dishing them out for absolutely nothing.

What better way to celebrate one of the best Sunday roasts in Manchester than by serving up heaping plates at absolutely no cost to the hordes of customers bound to line up regardless?

Credit: The Manc Eats

Now, if you’re wondering what exactly it is that makes a Sunday roast from Maray so special and, crucially, showcases those Middle-Eastern influences, then let us tell you: crispy fenugreek roasties, butternut squash Tershi and, the true star of the show, the truly immense protein options.

Whether you want a simple roast beef picanha sirloin that would slot in perfectly on any roast dinner around the country, a spiced chickpea nut roast for the plant-free patrons, or the quite frankly stunning lemon, za’atar and saffron spiced chicken, either way, your collective mouths will be absolutely singing.

But they’re doing much more than just the standard staples of a Sunday plate. Along with proper Yorkshire puddings as big as your head and the addition of the new ‘disco’ cauliflower cheese side, you can also start and end your meal with a true taste of the East.

Be it a selection of traditional mezze such as whipped goats’ cheese with pickled apple, dukkah and basil oil; creamy hummus, complemented with aromatic falafels or scooped up with soft flatbreads to start, or the peoples’ favourite Baklava cheesecake whilst polishing off a bottle of red, Sunday truly is a holy day once again.

As for copping a complimentary one, it’s all very straightforward…

Read more:

Waves of free Sunday roasts will be dished up by the staff at Maray over on 14 Brazennose St (just between Albert and Lincoln Square) on a first-come-first-served basis from midday on 22 September.

It’s strictly no bookings, just walk-ins and they’ll be giving away the freebies until they run out, so you best get there early to secure a spot and some Sunday goodness.

The same deal is happening over in Liverpool a week later their roast offerings will be available at each restaurant from these respective dates onwards starting from £19pp. Simple as that.

There’s a reason this roast was named one of the best in the country back in January – it genuinely lives up to the hype and it’s definitely the go-to option if you’re looking to mix up your roast dinner game. Don’t miss out, seriously.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

Eats

A huge festival dedicated to tequila and mezcal is coming to Manchester this month

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson A tequila and mezcal festival is heading on Manchester. Credit: Suplied

Manchester’s first-ever Mezcal and Tequila Festival is taking place this month, filling Manchester Cathedral with tastings, masterclasses, cocktails and street food. 

The massive event will see the Grade I-listed building transformed into an agave spirits tasting floor, featuring more than 100 varieties of premium tequilas and mezcals from some of Mexico’s best producers including El Jimador, Ojo de Tigre, El Sueno, Los Arcos, Del Maguey, Cazcabel, Komos, Nixta, Tapatio, El Tequileno, Tiempo and many more.

Festival-goers will be able to gain exclusive insights into the craftsmanship behind these spirits, sampling (responsibly, of course) from dozens of stands. 

All samples, plus a limited-edition clay tasting copita, will be included in the ticket price – there’s no token system here and no extra charges for samples. 

The new Mexican-inspired drinks festival only debuted in Glasgow back in Spring 2023 but it unsurprisingly went down an absolute storm – after all, what’s not to like a big festival full of booze?

Bartenders will stir up cocktails at the bespoke cocktail bar while the crowds are kept fed by delicious street food, including Mexican-inspired Taco Or Don’t, previously featured at the British Streetfood Awards. 

And it’d be remiss of you to leave the festival empty-handed when you can take a taste of Mexico home from the exclusive bottle shop provided by Drinkmonger on site (with discount tokens included in the ticket price). 

A tequila and mezcal festival is heading on Manchester. Credit: Supplied
A tequila and mezcal festival is heading on Manchester. Credit: Supplied
A tequila and mezcal festival is heading on Manchester. Credit: Supplied

Colin Campbell, one of Copita’s co-founders said: “We’re really excited to be bringing Copita to Manchester. It’s gone down brilliantly in Glasgow the last two years so we felt now was the right time to take it on the road and we couldn’t think of a better place than Manchester to head to next! 

“It’s a really easy-going event with a great atmosphere, lots of local street food, shopping and music, so whether you’re an aficionado or a casual sipper we’re confident you’ll have a great time.”

The Copita Mezcal and Tequila Festival will be at Manchester Cathedral on Saturday 14 September. 

Tickets cost £35 and you can get yours here. 

Sessions last three and a half hours and will take place from 12.30pm to 4pm, and 5.15pm to 8.45pm.

Read more: Lina Stores – Italian deli restaurant serving homemade pasta and more is heading to Manchester

Featured image: Supplied

More Eats

Eats

Lina Stores – Italian deli restaurant serving homemade pasta and more is heading to Manchester

Get Baked has shared an update on its plans to open in Manchester. Credit: Get Baked

Eats

Viral bakery Get Baked shares major update on Manchester opening

TA-TA, LAMB OF TARTARY Another day, another big closure for Manchester, and this time we’re waving off a newcomer. 🥺 The Lamb of Tartary only opened six months ago, transforming the old Cottonopolis site into a beautiful, modern pub and restaurant space. Despite a recent rebrand and overhaul of its menu just weeks ago, the gorgeous space now appears to have gone dark. Big sad. 🔗 Click the link in our bio for the full story. #themanc #themanceats #manchester #lamboftartary #northernquarter

Eats

Northern Quarter pub Lamb of Tartary has suddenly closed after only six months

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches