A few weeks back, Manchester City and England star Jack Grealish gave another vintage interview where he delighted fans by revealing he orders a big, dirty Chinese takeaway after every game.
In the era of footballers having dedicated dieticians and personal chefs waiting for them at home, it kind of warms the cockles of our hearts to hear that some players don’t always take food as seriously and still like to channel the Jamie Vardy vibes of port, pizza and Red Bull.
With that in mind, although we might not know how Grealish fuels himself before a game, we do know what he rewards himself with after every single match: a massive five-item order from the one and only Wing’s Restaurant in Spinningfields.
This has been a regular haunt for footballers and famous faces for decades now, with the legendary dining spot collecting countless autographs on their signature plates dotted around the room, but this Brummy baller likes to get a special order to take home with him.
Wing’s never used to do takeaway, but they started dipping their toes in during the pandemic and since Grealish arrived at Manchester City, he’s been ordering the same thing after every game: Singapore chow mein, salt and peppers prawns, salt and peppers chips, egg fried rice and curry sauce. Bosh.
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I mean, as far as Chinese takeaway orders go, it’s a pretty strong choice and certainly similar to the kind of thing we’d have ourselves, the only difference is that since he’s ordering it from a restaurant that has regularly featured on the Michelin guide, his costs a whopping £56.20. Good job he’s a footballer, eh!
Now, we don’t know if Pep and the fitness coaches necessarily approve of the 27-year-old’s carb-heavy post-match meal, but we certainly did when we ordered it this past week.
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Piling the plate high with the tried and true staples of egg fried rice and salt and pepper chips — both of which are as simple but delicious as you’d expect — before dumping on a big helping of the chow mein, packed with flavourful sautéed veg, spicy prawns and more carbs, this thing was spilling over the sides.
The Jack Grealish takeaway order (Credit: The Manc Group)
The maddest part was that we weren’t even close to being done; ‘Super Jack’ supposedly scrans this whole thing and we still had the enormous juicy king prawns to get through, the curry sauce, a mix of classic and Thai-style prawns crackered, as well as more of everything else we’d already plated up.
All that said, once we tucked in, it was pretty easy to see why Jack keeps coming back. The rice noodles were light, glassy and lovely, soaking up every bit of seasoning; salt and pepper chips are undefeated, the big prawns were bursting with flavour and the whole thing was smothered in a spicy curry sauce.
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How can you possibly go wrong with that?
When we took further inspiration from the Wings-loving winger and started mixing the whole thing together in a “big free-for-all”, we’ll admit the plate looked pretty messy, but every mouthful tasted of delicious chip-shop style curry sauce and that is never a bad thing.
As we described it on the day, it became a big, saucy Chinese orgy.
After finishing a whole heaping plateful, we still somehow had about half a tub of every item left — including even more curry sauce — and while some of us put more of a dent in it than others, it ended up taking four people to finish off every last scrap.
We don’t like waste in The Manc office.
So, although we certainly couldn’t manage the Jack Grealish takeaway order before 90 minutes of running around, we can totally see why it’s his go-to treat after a game.
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And who knows, perhaps the secret to luxurious locks, big calves and playing for one of the best teams in the world is to just grab yourself a big, naughty Chinese for tea.
Featured Image — The Manc Group/Jack Grealish (via Instagram)
Eats
Plans to open a brand-new pub on the site of the Rovers Return
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new pub is set to open in Manchester city centre net month, with treats in store like complimentary bowls of crisps, an outdoor terrace, and a games parlour.
The Stables Tavern is taking shape in the St John’s district, poetically on the same site that was once home to Coronation Street’s iconic Rovers Return pub.
They’re promising this will be a ‘historic tavern reimagined for today’s lover of a proper pint’.
The pub will come from Shiko Group, which is also behind Courts Club, where you can play tennis or basketball followed by court-side pints, and Side Street, a bar-restaurant-events space with a mid-Century interior.
Neighbouring the Bonded Warehouse, The Stables Tavern will join this rapidly blossoming new creative district, just across the yard from Caravan, The Trading Route and Aviva Studios.
Inside, punters will find multiple beer taps with local beers, served with complimentary bowls of crisps as well as a menu of pub snacks like handmade sausage rolls and local pies.
The pub will be split into three sections – an outside terrace, a main bar, and a parlour area at the back of the pub for live entertainment, old school games, and rounds of whiskey.
This might be a new district but it’s a historic area for the city – the same building was a busy watering hole back in the early 19th century for workers, merchants and visitors who made use of the nearby canals and cobbled streets.
It was then the home of the Rovers Return, back when this area was the home of Granada Studios.
Hayley Sammé, Marketing Director, said: “We’re so excited to bring The Stables Tavern back to St John’s. The area’s extensive historical backdrop and burgeoning hospitality scene provides the perfect landscape for a traditional British pub.
“It’s the perfect addition to the existing scene, and we hope it’s going to become a popular spot in our new creative district.”
The Stables Tavern will open at St John’s on Friday 6 June.
‘Classy, clever, confident’ – New Manchester restaurant receives glowing Guardian review
Daisy Jackson
Winsome, one of the newest restaurants on Manchester’s dining scene, has gone and received a seriously glowing review in The Guardian this weekend.
Legendary restaurant criticGrace Dent said that the British bistro ‘may well be my new favourite restaurant’, lauding chef patron Shaun Moffat’s ‘elegant but plentiful modern cooking’.
She said that there’s even a teeny touch of Toby Carvery in their Sunday offering, with meaty and saucy dishes and ‘cartoon-esque XL yorkshire puddings’.
Winsome opened back in March under the steer of three hospitality heavyweights – ex-Edinburgh Castle chef Shaun Moffat, former Schofields head bartender Tom Fastiggi, and Belzan founder Owain Williams.
It’s a beautiful, stripped-back space at the foot of the Whitworth Locke aparthotel and Moffat’s first venture as a chef patron.
Based on this Guardian review, he’s doing a pretty good job so far…
Grace Dent said of Winsome’s nostalgic yet modern menu (featuring dippy eggs and puddings that sound like school dinner puds): “This is Cool Britannia wearing a napkin bib with a side portion of rhubarb jelly and custard for pudding.”
Novelty crockery at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupChef patron Shaun Moffat at Winsome. Credit: The Manc GroupDippy egg and asparagus. Credit: The Manc GroupInside WInsome on Princess Street. Credit: The Manc Group
She also wrote that it’s ‘far from a novelty restaurant’ in spite of its animal-shaped crockery.
And Dent added that while there’s an element of fine dining, it’s unpretentious enough that you’re happy to smear it all over the tablecloths and, indeed, yourself.
‘Deeply nostalgic’, ‘forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff’, is how she described her Winsome experience.
“This is confident, clever cooking that stays just the right side of earnest, or at least as earnest as a chef can be when he also serves up a dessert that is essentially a 1980s school sponge pudding with a scoop of milk ice-cream flecked with multicoloured sprinkles, or hundreds and thousands as they will for ever be known in my heart,” she wrote.
Grace Dent’s Guardian review concluded with: “Winsome may well be my new favourite restaurant, and it’s the new, big, generous beating heart of Manchester hospitality. It’s classy but come-all – bring your gran, bring your baby, no one need feel conspicuous.
“There’s something about the place that makes me want to use it as a canteen, not least out of sheer curiosity as to what Moffat will put on the menu next. Great cooking, and forward-thinking fine dining without any of the faff.
“Bring your appetite and don’t wear pale colours. Aaah, Manchester, you have so much to answer for. Winsome will seriously impact your waistline.”
Winsome said in a post on Instagram: “It doesn’t get much better than that! We’re over the moon, full of pride and could not be more grateful to the team who’ve worked so hard to help us deliver this dream.”
Danny Jones -
8th April 2023 
