With office parties sadly off the menu this year, an independent wine specialist in Manchester has launched a host of innovative ways to celebrate Christmas a little differently.
Salut – an independent wine specialist in the heart of the city centre offering the most diverse and impressive hand-picked range of wines from around the globe – has launched a Party in a Box, which allows companies the chance to enjoy wine, cheese and games, all while supporting independent business and a local charity initiative at the same time.
It means that whatever the workplace situation, colleagues can still get together to celebrate and share in excellent wine this Christmas.
After a phone consultation with the party organiser/employee, Salut will then build a bespoke box (or boxes) dependent on the requirements of the business, so for companies who want to celebrate in the office with their workplace bubble, the perfect wine experience can be delivered direct to the office door – plus optional matched cheeses from the Crafty Cheese Man too – for a hassle-free, COVID-safe Christmas office celebration that still keeps things feeling special.
Salut can even provide the glassware to avoid the dreaded ‘wine from your favourite office mug’ situation too.
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If it’s a ‘virtual’ get together however, Salut will help despatch wine to multiple destinations and then host a wine tasting via Zoom for teams to enjoy in their own homes.
Salut WinesSalut Wines
Whilst traditional office party games may be a no-go for a COVID-safe Christmas, Salut has decided to join forces with Forever Manchester – a charity that raises money to fund and support community activity right across the region – to bring some light-hearted office competition to the workplace celebrations.
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The Big Forever Manchester Quiz of the Year is an online charity quiz that can be played anywhere – hosted by well-known Manchester personalities including Julie Hesmondhalgh and Justin Moorhouse – and Salut has made a donation to Forever Manchester to license the quiz (usually £100 to play) as part of its Party in a Box to be able to include it free to the first 50 to purchase a box.
Not only that, but this is a box that donates to the charity on your behalf too.
Wine gifts for employees are also a Salut-speciality, with passionate and knowledgeable staff on hand to help businesses pick the perfect gift to suit the budget and package, and despatch for a hassle-free way to ensure teams feel valued after a tough year.
And if a more foodie celebration is in order, Salut has also teamed up with Open Kitchen – Manchester’s leading sustainable catering company – to create fabulous food and wine-matched packages that can be delivered straight to the workplace, with Open Kitchen’s passionate chefs having created beautiful and unique menus to compliment Salut’s Christmas wine boxes.
All profits from Open Kitchen also go towards providing food and supplying meals for people in crisis across Greater Manchester too, which really makes Salut’s Party in a Box the ultimate independent and thoughtful corporate Christmas solution.
You can view potential packages and find out more information via the Salut website here.
Eats
Salon Madre – A new tequila bar and pool hall is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A new tequila bar and pool hall is set to open in Manchester in a couple of weeks, from the same team behind Madre.
The huge new space, Salon Madre, will be serving up the tacos and burritos that have made the Mexican restaurant at Kampus so well-loved.
And all that’s alongside a drinks menu that centres around tequila, including frozen, classic and flavoured margaritas and palomas.
Can’t stomach tequila? There’ll also be wines on draft, Corona and local beers.
The food menu will show off signature dishes like al pastor tacos, with daily rotating specials, plus Gringas, nachos and Madre’s huge burritos.
Salon Madre has taken over a spot just off Kampus’s lush garden that was previously home to a Seven Brothers taproom, right next door to Madre itself.
Salon Madre is a new Mexican pool hall and tequila bar in Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupSalon Madre is a new Mexican pool hall and tequila bar in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
As well as all the Mexican food and drink goodness, the bar will have four pool tables and will be screening Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling) and American sports.
The dream is to bring the fun and liveliness of a Mexican pool hall to the heart of Manchester, in this beautiful spot right near Piccadilly and Canal Street.
Salon Madre will open on 6 December at Kampus, with bookings for Christmas groups and parties now available.
First look at Stow as beautiful new open-fire restaurant opens in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new restaurant is set to open in Manchester this week, from the same team behind the Northern Quarter’s well-established Trof.
Stow is opening on Bridge Street this Friday, bringing live fire cooking and a seasonal menu, plus plenty of local beers to the mosaic-clad spot in the city centre.
The new Stow site has, at various points over the last few years, been a Grindsmith coffee shop, Thai BBQ Neon Tiger, and Juicebox wine bar.
We’ve had a sneak peek inside today ahead of its official launch later this week, and the Stow team have transformed this place into a cosy, relaxed restaurant space.
There are low pendant lights, white brick walls, and a beautiful tiled bar, in an understated and neutral interior.
As for the food, the entire Stow menu will be cooked over a custom-built grill from Firemade in Somerset, fuelled by wood and charcoal, with a concise menu of meet and fish plus veg-centric sides and snacks sourced from the ‘best produce they can get their hands on’.
Stow will be owned and operated by Matt Nellant and Jamie Pickles from Trof, who want to celebrate the ‘simplicity of great ingredients cooked over open fire with very little faff’.
The wine list will be exclusively French but the beer list will show off local breweries, and cocktails will feature classics with a twist like a Cremant Cocktail.
Inside Stow, a new restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Jame and Matt both come with a proper hospitality pedigree.
Jamie left restaurant management in 2018 to return to his hometown in the Peak District, working in The Devonshire Arms pub in Pilsley before holding a kitchen residency at Saint Francis Provisions in Kinsale, Ireland.
Once back in Manchester, he’s been developing dishes and writing menus for various restaurants, including Trof.
Dishes at Stow are seasonal and cooked over open fire. Credit: The Manc GroupStow is a new restaurant from the team at Trof. Credit: The Manc Group
Matt took over as general manager of Trof and eventually acquired the business from Mission Mars in 2020.
His career started in cocktail bartending but includes management roles for large groups like Living Ventures and Revolution.
Stow will open to the public on 22 November on Bridge Street in Manchester.
Emily Sergeant -
17th December 2020 
