Eat Well MCR has officially launched ‘Marketplace’ – an online shop selling produce and meal kits from the region’s best restaurants, growers, producers and makers – today.
The Marketplace comes after a successful six months for Eat Well MCR – launched by founder Mary Ellen McTague in response to the growing food crisis worsened by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – and will see all the profits generated go directly back into Eat Well MCR’s other focus of producing and distributing meals for the vulnerable in the Greater Manchester region.
This his new one-stop-shop will feature a star lineup each week of top quality fruit and veg from Manchester Urban Diggers, selected cuts from Littlewoods Butchers, cheeses from the renowned Courtyard Dairy, gorgeous natural wines, and they’ve not forgotten the treats either, with Krum, Siop Shop and Pollen are all involved too.
Every week, different restaurants – Honest Crust, The Creameries, Elite Bistros and Tampopo – will also offer the best ready meals and meal kits you’ll ever get your hands on.
Pippy Eats’ notoriously difficult-to-snag crispy chilli oil will be available alongside Into the Gathering Dusk’s intricately crafted homemade vermouths and concoctions, ready to be poured over ice whilst you wait for the oven to warm up.
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In bringing the best in local produce, provisions and delicious booze to your door every week, Eat Well MCR is able to direct all profits into continuing their work for the Greater Manchester community and provide nutritious meals cooked with love to those most in need.
The organic veg boxes and locally farmed meat are sourced from within a 50 mile radius of Manchester.
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This allows the collective to extend their support to the region’s farmers and the wider supply chain, who are all caught up in the collateral damage caused by the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on the hospitality industry.
Speaking on the launch of Marketplace, Mary Ellen McTague – Founder of Eat Well MCR – said: “We are so proud of what we created during the lockdown.
“Since we started all this, two things have become very clear to us – firstly that we couldn’t lose the momentum we had gathered; we have an incredible group of people doing incredible things. And secondly, the businesses in our collective have thankfully reopened so we knew it was imperative to evolve in order to continue.
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“Food inequality is endemic in Greater Manchester and we are not about to walk away from that.
Thanks to those fabulous people who have supported us and bought through the Eat Well Marketplace. We love you 🧡 pic.twitter.com/SMuOUq9FQX
She continued: “Manchester is ringed by wonderful growers, producers and makers.
“We also wanted to shine a light on them through the Marketplace, and support our local food economy during a tough time whilst holding our main goal of helping to tackle food inequality at the heart of what we do.”
Orders for the first round of deliveries from the Marketplace can be placed between 12pm on Friday 2nd October – 5pm on Monday 5th October, with the first deliveries being fulfilled on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October.
Click-and-collect services from Cloudwater Brewery will also be available on these dates.
You can find more about the Marketplace from Eat Well MCR here.
Eats
Inside Prologue, Stockport’s brand new independent bookshop, cafe, and wine bar
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Stockport is celebrating the arrival of a stunning new bookshop, which doubles up as a cosy café by day and a swanky wine bar by night. What more could we possibly ask for?
Created by the team behind Bramhall’s award-winning independent bookshop, Simply Books, you know we’re in good hands – with a selection of literary events, book clubs, and comedy nights, as well as live music, language classes, and writing workshops all under one roof.
Prologue can be found nestled inside Weir Mill, the new Capital&Centric development by the River Mersey, which houses 253 homes inside Grade II-listed cotton mills and industrial-style new builds.
It’s described as a meeting point for readers, writers, and creatives to connect with like-minded people, learn new skills, and explore new authors or music – with at least two live ticketed events a week.
This new bookstore concept is a welcome addition to the growing selection of independent local businesses popping up across Stockport in recent months, providing further space for the community to thrive.
Upon entering, you are met with every literature-lover’s dream bookcase – a 10m wall of books equipped with two rolling ladders, stocking every kind of genre imagineable, alongside a stylish bar area.
A miso martini and mango picante at ProloguePrologue will host events all week roundBasket of books
The ‘best book sellers in town’ are also doing things a little differently with a concierge desk for buying books, joining clubs or asking for recommendations, instead of a regular checkout.
However, the centre piece of the space is definitely the purpose built stage to accommodate a range of speaking events and live music, contrasted by the cosiest reading nooks lining the perimeter.
Not to mention a lovely outdoor area which will be absolutely perfect in the warmer months.
Prologue has a wide selection of specialty coffees on offer, seamlessly flowing into a sleek wine and cocktail bar in the evening, with drinks like a miso martini and a mango picante.
This one isn’t just for adults, there are also plenty of children’s books stocked making it the perfect location for a waterside café family day trip, down under the viaduct.
Cosy reading nooks at PrologueA huge range of curated books
Ben Johns, co-founder of Simply Books and Prologue, said: “We’ve always believed that bookshops are a place of connection. With Prologue, we wanted to create something special for Stockport – somewhere everyone can feel right at home. We can’t wait to get to know a whole new community of readers.”
If you like it as much as we did, there is also the opportunity to join the Prologue Society. As a member you gain presale access to all events, treats throughout your membership like a free birthday book or coffees and tickets for quarterly special events such as supper clubs and bookshop lock-ins.
Not to mention exclusive access to new releases and early entry to events.
Opening Saturday 3 October at Prologue, Weir Mill, Stockport, SK3 0GS.
Bar Fringe – The decades-old eccentric Manchester pub with one of the city’s best beer selections
Harry Quick
If you’re looking for some of the best European beers in Manchester, there’s one quirky boozer you need to know about.
This is Bar Fringe on Swan Street, and it’s been serving Belgian and continental beers since 1996 – meaning a very happy 30th birthday to this absolute cult classic.
The whole place was built around a love of North European beer culture, bringing a bit of that classic Belgian café feel to Manchester.
And while the beer list is always changing, at the minute they’re celebrating Oktoberfest, so the German stuff is very much the flavour of the month.
And the beer really is the star of the show. You’ll find a huge selection of Belgian and continental bottles, Trappist ales, lagers and changing cask beers, with plenty of interesting and unusual options you’re unlikely to find in your average pub.
It’s also earned a proper reputation with CAMRA and real-ale drinkers over the years, so if you’re serious about your beer, this is definitely one to have on your radar.
But there’s much more to Fringe than what’s behind the bar.
Look around and you’ll find cartoons, pink elephants, a motorbike and an old jukebox firing out everything from vintage metal to indie classics.
Bar Fringe is an eccentric pub specialising in European beers in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
And then there’s the beer garden.
Tucked away at the back, it’s a surprisingly chilled little spot, packed with plenty of nooks and crannies to settle into with a pint.
And with such a huge selection behind the bar, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be drinking something you’ve almost definitely never tried before.
So, if you’re into European beer, slightly eccentric pubs and places with a bit of proper Manchester character, put Bar Fringe on your list.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd October 2020 
