To mark the end of October half term and a little bit of your sanity returning, the kind folks over at Yard and Coop have decided to extend their Kids Eat Free deal for another week.
That’s at least one night’s tea sorted and still managing to save some pennies, no less.
While they might hold this promotion during most school holidays throughout the year, Manc favourite Yard and Coop have decided to once again be the legends that they are by celebrating/commiserating (depending on what kind of parent you are) back-to-school time with more free chicken.
Yes, for one more week only as we prepare for the end of spooky season and half term, kids can eat absolutely free at Yard and Coop right up until this Friday, 3 November.
The catch is simple because there isn’t one, really: you can get a free children’s meal with every adult main purchased and since you’re the one taking them there in the first place, it’s not like you weren’t going to eat, is it?
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If you’ve eaten at the Northern Quarter institution before, (we hope that’s all of you), you’ll know the kid’s menu is just as good value for money as the adult one. Promising a main and a dessert for just a fiver, you can get their chicken ‘nugz’, chicken mayo burger, or even vegan fried chicken — all of which come with a drink and either chips, mac n’ cheese or salad.
Dessert’s a simpler one that no child is going to turn down: ice cream with sprinkles or flavoured milk of your choice. Bob’s your uncle — and if he has kids, we’d recommend he bring them here too.
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The best part of all is if you’re still waiting for your energy to return after a long couple of weeks of having the kids at home, there are games, LEGO, crayons and other bits to keep the little ones busy whilst you sit back and reward yourself for another top parenting job done well. And, of course, you can still eat for a tenner too.
Once again, this deal only usually applied during the school holidays but luckily owners Carl and Laura Morris have kids of their own and know how much little deals like this can help appease the tiny terrors on a weeknight, so they’re giving you a few more days to make the most of it.
As for the food side of stuff, they never fail to deliver some of the best chicken in Manchester at good prices and in this case of you students, you’ll be glad to know that ‘Wing Wednesdays’ are back too.
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 -
30th October 2023 
