Legendary Lousiana fried chicken brand, Popeyes, opens its first Manchester city centre restaurant this week and not only were we fortunate enough to get a first look but we even got to take a look inside the kitchen, make some of our own scran and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
The new One Piccadilly Gardens venue is set to launch on Thursday, 26 October and will be just the 33rd location the world-famous franchise has opened in Great Britain.
All that being said, we were very eager to see if Popeyes lived up to the hype or if it was simply just another chicken spot. After stepping into their new Manchester restaurant, seeing behind the scenes and tasting the menu for ourselves, we can confirm there’s a reason people flock to the orange bird.
Taking pride of place right in the middle of 0161’s busiest square and adjacent to countless other food posts, it speaks volumes that passersby were trying not only to get a peek inside the new location but were doing their very best to walk in and order whilst us lucky few were experiencing an exclusive look.
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Not only does the shop feel like a great mix of a fast food spot where you can grab a quick bite and a relaxed restaurant where you can sit down for a proper meal, but the thing that immediately struck us was the very evident amount of care they put into the food.
While we can’t vouch for the likes of McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King, we can now confidently say that Popeyes make almost everything from scratch and with a frankly surprising level of precision. Showing off their various frying, dredging and assembly stations, this place runs like a well-oiled machine.
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Explaining that every poultry item on their menu is cooked using individual timers and at varying temperatures, as well as showing off their unique breading technique where different items are hand-butterflied and tossed in specific types of flour for a very specific number of times, there is a lot of accuracy and technique involved in making their chicken stand out.
(Credit: The Manc Group via Instagram)
Multiple members of staff told us that their favourite part about working for the brand is seeing people taste their first bite of a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, and after learning that they marinate the stuff for at least 12 hours and then fry it in a combination of vegetable oil and beef tallow, we can see why.
It is no exaggeration to say that pretty much every mouthful was the perfect bite. The soft brioche bun, briney pickles, immensely juicy chicken and that oh-so-crispy coating. It’s always a good sign when your meal is so noisy that your ears are practically ringing from the crunch.
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The same goes for the tenders, which very much do what it says on the tin, wings and every other piece of chicken that comes out of their kitchen. And then there are the sides: mac and cheese, cajun-seasoned fries, biscuits and gravy, countless Louisana-style dips and many more — they all smashed.
And then we heard tales of the breakfast menu: cajun spice hash browns, a Southern-inspired sausage breakfast wrap, fluffy pancakes and more. It is often we get this excited about a franchise that most people would consider predominantly convenient cuisine, but we genuinely see why it’s so popular.
But the excitement of Popeyes’ flagship Greater Manchester opening doesn’t stop there…
Not only is 0161’s hottest new chicken spot launching this Thursday but the brand is pulling out all the stops to give Mancs a proper Mardi Gras welcome. We’re talking live band, free food, a red (orange) carpet — the works.
Opening their doors on Thursday at 11am, the first three people in the queue will with a year’s supply of FREE Popeyes chicken and the next 25 will get their hands on one of their signature Chicken Sandwiches at absolutely no cost, as well as some cheeky merch.
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They’re also giving away more freebies on Friday. Find out everything you need to know down below.
Live your Come Dine With Me dreams with this all-new dining concept
Thomas Melia
Across the world, one app has been uniting strangers in 235 cities, matching six lucky diners for an evening meal at a surprise restaurant table and now Manchester is the latest city to open its taste buds to this pseudo-Come Dine With Me concept. Only this one involves less cooking.
Guests are expected to partake in an evening of food, booze and plenty of interesting conversations between six total strangers, only with hopefully less drama than the hit Channel 4 show. Strictly no Jane’s spoiling anything…
The concept is being pushed by French entrepreneur Maxime Barbier and his company ‘TimeLeft’. He has a lengthy career in the nightlife industry behind him and now wants to further strengthen good food and good times via this app.
And it’s clearly working: according to the company’s official website, 96% of dining groups consider themselves compatible meaning their carefully selected pairings are pretty accurate.
All curious diners have to do is download Timeleft and take a personality test before they’re whisked away for a night of entertainment and lush catering picked out by the pioneering new app.
Fear not, there will be a ‘Break the ice’ game where you can get to know the like-minded and compatible strangers you’re spending the rest of the evening with.
Once the table fills up and the evening is well away, everyone round the table will receive a notification to continue the night at a nearby bar chosen once again by this new dining concept app.
This new mealtime experience is a really good way of making connections, especially for newcomers to the city who are looking to expand their friendship group and navigate Manchester with some similar fresh-faced companions. There’s crucially much less cooking involved too, by which we mean none.
Throughout their website, the company shares a range of blogs breaking down everything from ‘6 tips for smoothing over a heated conversation’ to ‘the ultimate guide to Timeleft’.
In a standout piece entitled, ‘The 10 types of strangers at your table‘, they discuss the different types of personalities that you may come across during your meal.
From the simpler and recognisable labels like the introvert and extrovert to the more complex like the contemplative and the humourist, these little excerpts are handy to anyone who may have any nerves ahead of the meeting.
So, anyone located in Greater Manchester who might be interested in this new dining concept can participate by downloading the TimeLeft app and seeing where the night takes them.
You might not go home with £1,000 in cash but you’ll certainly create some memories and come pretty close to living out your Come Dine With Me fantasy – there really is an app for everything.
The stalls causing massive queues at the Manchester Christmas Markets
Daisy Jackson
If you looked at our comment sections during the Manchester Christmas Markets you’d assume everyone hates them – but one look at the queues forming again this year proves that is FAR from the case.
The annual festive event is back with a vengeance for another year, with wooden sheds and pop-up bars all over the place.
Whether you’re after a traditional mulled wine and bratwurst, or a loaded mac and cheese and shimmery cocktail, you’ll find it.
And while the Manchester Christmas Markets always get busy, especially at the weekends, this year is looking especially lively.
Videos shared online show huge queues of gridlocked people on Market Street, in Piccadilly Gardens and on King Street.
The cause of one of the biggest queues is again The Flat Baker – the Ancoats indie debuted at the markets last year with huge croissants served with pots of dipping sauce including pistachio and dulce de leche.
For 2024 they’ve introduced hot chocolates served in an edible cookie cup.
It went viral last year, it’s gone viral again this year, and the queues have gone so wild there’s now actual fences, Disney-style, specifically to manage The Flat Baker crowds.
These wind all the way from their stall in Piccadilly Gardens to the outside of the markets, travelling along the Piccadilly Wall.
And while getting your hands on a Flat Baker croissant requires some grit and determination, it’s not the only spot where you’ll be facing a wait.
Molten dark, milk and even golden chocolate can be bought here in an edible chocolate cup, poured over brownies and strawberries, or used as a base for hot chocolates and affogatos.
The Flat Baker are at The Winter Gardens in Manchester Christmas Markets and causing big queuesWaffle Kart are back at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2024
The team here move fast but if you go at peak times you’ll still be looking at a queue.
Down on the King Street section of the Manchester Christmas Markets you’ll find Waffle Kart, a brilliant little business serving fun family recipes inspired by Hong Kong street food.
Expect fried chicken and waffles, waffle prawn toast and loaded waffle fries – and a bit of a queue that’s worth the wait.
And finally, the biggest queue of the lot is just Market Street in general.
This is Manchester’s main shopping street so ahead of Christmas it’s always busy, but now that there are stalls all the way down it luring shoppers in, it’s totally gridlocked.
Danny Jones -
24th October 2023 
