Eats

A festival showing off some of the North West’s best street food coming to Circle Square

Here's hoping for lots of sun for immaculate vibes.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 23rd June 2024

Summer’s finally here and we’re pretty much permanently dreaming of sitting in the sun, cheersing drinks with mates and munching on endless scran, which is why we’re so buzzing to hear that there’s a big street food festival coming to Manchester’s Circle Square.

Taking over the thriving city centre district this week, Food.Fest will be showcasing some of the best and most beloved street food brands Greater Manchester and the North West have to offer.

Kicking off at noon on Thursday, 27 June on the main square along Oxford Road, this is going to be the perfect place to go and grab something for dinner (yes, we mean lunch) or turn that penultimate day of the working week into a good excuse for an early dart.

With pizzas, burgers, baos and more on offer from a great lineup of familiar street food traders you know and love, we’re about to eat a serious amount of calories.

street food festival
circle square festival
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Circle Square is set to welcome a summery street food festival to Manchester (Credit: Supplied)

So who’s taking part in Food.Fest then? Well, for starters, you’ve got Prestwich‘s prized Triple B X Eat New York, a big favourite of ours and always queuing around the block when it lands at the Christmas Markets, who will be offering their infamous smashed burgers and mouth-watering bagels.

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Next up is Macclesfield’s Neapolitan-style pizza expert Tommy’s Pizza, who’ll be firing up their pizza oven and serving slice after slice of their incredible creations dripping in flavour.

In at number three, you’ve got Little Bao Boy, who have already grown a great following in the area by operating out of their home at North Taproom on Circle Square itself, but you’d be mad not to take a bao at Food.Fest – especially as they’ll be dishing up their signature Chicken and Gravy Baos.

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Last but by no means least, you’ve got the masters of top-flight Asian street food, Hello Oriental, who’ll be opening their doors to create a special grab-and-go offering for the event with a selection of menu favourites and must-tries.

little bao boy manchester
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Credit: The Manc Eats

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If you aren’t already salivating at the thought of this street food festival then we simply can’t be friends, sorry, those are the rules.

In all seriousness, we highly recommend you popping along later this week and making the most of this event – we’ll handle all the praying for good weather on our end.

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Once again, Food.Fest will be taking place at Circle Square from 12-4pm on Thursday, 27 June. Catch you there.

Credit: Supplied

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/Supplied

Eats

New disco-inspired cocktail bar promising ‘Manchester’s biggest happy hour’ to open this autumn

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson New disco-inspired cocktail bar Simons is promising the 'biggest happy hour' in Manchester

A new bar is set to open on Deansgate soon, promising an intoxicating combination of ‘cocktails, dreams and disco’.

This is Simmons, a wildly successful name from down in London, and it’s finally making its way up north to Manchester.

You can’t miss the location – they’ve slapped a gigantic mirror, daubed with neon pink writing, outside the site where the bar is being built.

Now the capital’s go-to party palace, Simmons will bring the ‘biggest happy hour’ in Manchester to Deansgate when it opens.

That means two-for-one cocktails, £2.50 spirit and mixers (or £5 doubles), £3 beer and wine, and £12 bottles of wine, plus cocktail teapots for £15.

The Simmons happy hour runs until 9pm Sunday to Friday, while on Saturdays it’s two-for-one cocktails and £15 teapots until 9pm.

The brand is famed for its kitsch, colourful interiors, with hot pink neon lights, bold wallpapers, and always a disco ball.

There are already 22 locations across London but this will be the first Simmons bar to open outside the capital.

An existing Simmons bar in London before it heads to Manchester. Credit: Simmons
An existing Simmons bar in London before it heads to Manchester. Credit: Simmons

On their website, Simmons says: “Hi my name’s Simmons, I’m well known for being the best bar group in London (and probably the world).

“I’m a late night cocktail bar offering you the perfect place for after work drinks or a cheeky dance, people like me because I look real good and sell nice drinks.

“People say I am sexy and good looking but I just shrug it off and don’t let my ego get too big, no one likes a show off.

“I am located in lots of different places across London, I can be hired out for private parties and I have a notoriously eclectic musical taste; ranging from hip-hop, to disco, to funk, to 80’s, to 90’s to classic party bangers!

Simmons happy hour deals in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Simmons happy hour deals in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside another London Simmons. Credit: Simmons
Inside another London Simmons. Credit: Simmons

“Come check me out, sip on a cocktail in a teacup and play on my SEGA Megadrive.”

Sneak peeks of the work taking place in Manchester show that the former Botanist site will be transformed with Deansgate’s biggest dance floor, surrounded by raised stages for dancing.

If you head down to Deansgate and scan the QR code outside the bar (or, you know, just click this link) you can secure your spot on the list for their free bar launch parties.

Yeah, we said free bar.

Simmons will open this autumn on Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Legendary chef Rick Stein praises ‘trendy’ Manchester restaurant on BBC Breakfast

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Legendary chef Rick Stein praises 'trendy' Manchester restaurant on BBC Breakfast. Credit: BBC Breakfast

Rick Stein has just appeared on BBC Breakfast and given a massive shout-out to Manchester favourite restaurant Bundobust.

The celebrity chef was on the popular breakfast show to talk about his latest series, Rick Stein’s Food Stories, but made a special effort to celebrate this much-loved restaurant.

Bundobust was founded in Leeds a whole decade ago, but now also has two restaurants (including an on-site brewery) in Manchester too.

And Rick Stein is apparently a big fan, describing Bundobust as ‘really trendy’, The Hoot Leeds reports.

The 77-year-old chef and presenter was chatting to Charlie Stayt and Nina Warhurst.

He said: “One other place in Leeds actually, a place called Bundobust, where they’re serve craft beer and vegetarian Gujarati Indian food.

“I particularly like that place because it’s not like the sort of old-fashioned Indian restaurants with flock wallpaper and all that.

“It’s really trendy and a bit sort of…”

At this point Nina jumps in to help him with a suggestion of ‘Hipster?’

Legendary chef Rick Stein praises 'trendy' Manchester restaurant on BBC Breakfast. Credit: BBC Breakfast
Legendary chef Rick Stein praises ‘trendy’ Manchester restaurant on BBC Breakfast. Credit: BBC Breakfast
Inside Manchester's Bundobust Brewery, which Rick Stein has just shouted out. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside Bundobust Brewery in Manchester, which Rick Stein has just shouted out. Credit: The Manc Group

“Hipster is exactly the word!” Rick said. “It’s a word I don’t use much at my age.”

Bundobust has quickly spotted its star turn on BBC Breakfast (probably helped by hundreds of us sliding into their DMs).

Bundobust shared a clip of Rick Stein and wrote: “Catching hipster allegations on BBC Breakfast!! Almost spat out our chai. (It’s Rick though, we’ll allow it)”

The Indian restaurant opened a decade ago on Mill Hill in Leeds and its success has grown and grown, now also having two restaurants (and a brewery) in Manchester as well as a spot in Liverpool.

It’s the second time Rick has heaped praise on a Manchester restaurant, having previously said that Higher Ground is one of his favourites in the entire UK.

It’s a firm favourite for us here at The Manc – love you forever Bundo.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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