More freebies are being handed out in town today to celebrate Manchester United’s final Champions League group game, courtesy of the popular chain, German Doner Kebab, who will be handing free kebabs to those first in line.
However, there’s a catch…
With United playing Bundesliga and European football giants Bayern Munich as they cling on to a sliver of hope that they might somehow make it through to the knockouts, you can only get your hands on a free kebab from the city centre food spot if you order in German.
And no, you can’t just say ‘kebab bitte‘.
Between 11am and 5pm on Tuesday, 12 December, German Doner Kebab’s Oxford Road site will be handing out a total of 100 free kebabs to the first people in line, so long as you say the right phrase when ordering.
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But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a fluent German speaker because they’ve given you the sentence in full: “Kann ich bitte einen OG Kebab bestellen?” (‘Can I please order an OG kebab?’).
We’re already sincerely looking forward to you all butchering Deutschland’s beautiful albeit sometimes aggressive-sounding language.
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There might be plenty at stake for Man United tonight and a history of fierce rivalry between the two clubs (‘late in May in 1999…’), but I’m sure we can all come together in harmony over one universal truth — free food is the best kind of food. Mancunian or German, we can all agree on that, surely?
Once again, this offer will only be available to the first 100 people to say the German phrase to an acceptable level at the Oxford Road location, and you can enjoy it right there in-store or to takeaway.
For those of you who’ve never tried one of their kebabs before, they’re well worth queuing up for regardless; prepared right in front of you, they combine premium, lean meats imported from Germany, fresh, locally sourced salad, served in their world-famous toasted waffle bread and with unique signature sauces.
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The brand has been a big hit with local fans since it opened in late 2021 and now has over 130 restaurants in the UK alone, including four here in Greater Manchester, but only one is handing out free kebabs.
Lastly, while that might be German Doner’s only proviso for getting your hands on a free kebab, our only condition for sharing this information with you is that you don’t show yourself if you bump into an opposition fan in the line: we want well behaved Mancs doing their best to speak the language.
The cosy Peak District pub serving a pick’n’mix sausage and mash menu
Daisy Jackson
There’s a Peak District pub that’s turned one of Britain’s most beloved comfort foods into a full-on pick’n’mix.
Tucked away in the postcard-perfect village of Castleton, Ye Olde Nags Head is serving up a fully customisable menu of sausage and mash dishes.
We’re talking near-endless combinations of proper pub grub.
You start by choosing your sausages from a daily rotating selection (not a sentence you hear every day, but we’re into it).
Expect classics like Cumberland alongside more adventurous options like venison and mustard, or even wild boar and orange, plus a veggie sausage daily.
Then it’s onto the mash – you can go for flavours like cheese and onion, wholegrain mustard, or even black pudding mash.
Classic cumberland, mustard mash, and mushroom sauceVeggie sausage with cheese and onion mash and classic gravyTucking in
To finish? A choice of rich, hearty gravies and sauces to bring it all together, whether that’s a classic onion gravy, a peppercorn sauce, or a creamy wild mushroom sauce.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can even upgrade your bangers and mash pick’n’mix by having it all served inside a giant Yorkshire pudding.
Ye Olde Nags Head is a historic 17th-century pub, with a roaring fire in every room and cosy bedrooms upstairs.
Inside Ye Olde Nags Head pub in the Peak DistrictYe Olde Nags Head pub is near Mam Tor
It’s one of those flagstone-floored, beamed-ceilinged, mismatched-furniture type pubs that welcomes everyone in every state, whether you’re caked in mud from a hike or popping in on a coach tour.
Another of the pub’s specialties is the Derbyshire Breakfast, a hearty plate of sausage, smoked bacon, black pudding, free range egg, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
The pub also offers takeaway breakfast butties, so you can use it for both a pre-hike stop and a post-hike pint.
Given it’s just minutes from the ever-popular Mam Tor hike, this is one pub you’ll definitely want to add to your next Peak District day out itinerary.
The hillside farm in the Peak District making its own ice cream
Daisy Jackson
Did you know there’s a 300-year-old farm in the Peak District serving up some of the freshest ice cream you’ll ever taste? And yes, you can meet the cows that made it while you’re there.
Welcome to Hope Valley Ice Cream, a family-run gem where things are kept refreshingly simple: happy cows, proper farming, and seriously good ice cream.
Set in the heart of the Peak District countryside, this place is about as wholesome as it gets.
The ice cream is made on-site in the farmhouse, literally just metres from where the dairy herd are out grazing.
You can watch the animals, wander around the farm, and then tuck into a scoop or three perched on a milk pail stool, or a picnic bench (or even a decorative tractor).
Hope Valley Ice Cream has some amazing seasonal ice creams, like lemon curd, elderflower, and blackberry, alongside all the classics and a rather delicious tiramisu.
You can grab a cone, sit down with a coffee (again, made with milk from the nearby cows), or go all in with a freshly-made waffle if you’re feeling fancy.
Takeaway tubs from Hope Valley Ice CreamYou can get a mini pail of ice creamMeet the newborn calves at Hope Valley Ice CreamTuck into your ice cream on a milk pail stoolHope Valley Ice Cream
And if you’re the type who really loves ice cream? You can actually order a full pail of it, with four huge scoops plus whipped cream and sauce.
The farm itself is run by the Marsden family, who’ve been working this land for generations. It shows in everything – they’ve created a place that feels genuinely welcoming, not just another tourist stop.
Beyond the ice cream, you’ve got plenty of reasons to stick around. There are calves (including the newest tiny arrivals), plus donkeys and pigs to say hello to.
Whether you’re heading out on a hike or just fancy a drive into the Peaks, this is one pitstop that’s absolutely worth it – and honestly, it’s worth the trip on its own.
Danny Jones -
12th December 2023 
