Many of our beloved local restaurants are once again gathering together to help raise money for Greater Manchester’s homeless community this winterthrough the vital homeless relief scheme, StreetSmart.
While homelessness remains a pressing issue all year round, the prevailing social crisis always comes to the forefront as we approach the colder months and, as they have done every year for more than two decades, Manchester’s hospitality industry is trying to do its bit to combat the problem.
Launching StreetSmart winter 2023 drive this month, an initiative which encourages restaurants in the area to generate funds for homeless people all across Greater Manchester, many of our beloved food spots in the city centre and beyond will be asking diners to get involved in the simplest way imaginable.
This year marking the 25th anniversary of the StreetSmart scheme in Manchester, a total of 16 different restaurants are taking part by simply adding £1 pound to every bill at the end of their meal, with all the money going directly to helping curb rough sleeping wherever possible.
A truly wonderful initiative we can all get behind, we’re sure you’ll agree and given it is now a long-standing tradition amongst the Manchester food scene, it’s great to see more and more venues getting involved with this charitable drive.
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In previous years, StreetSmart has seen an incredible £34,000 raised by Manchester restaurants and with so many pressures on homeless charities right now (with demand for beds and support having sadly soared over the last 12 months) the StreetSmart team are keen to make this a record-breaking year.
The funds raised each go straight towards the critical work of organisations local to the region, including Centrepoint Manchester, a youth homelessness charity, and The Booth Centre, a community centre for rough sleepers located over in Cheetham Hill.
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All of these homegrown charities and initiatives aim to provide a bed and personal support for anyone who is sleeping on the streets or at imminent risk of homelessness. By simply adding a pound to your bill, you could provide someone with a bed for the night and contribute to making a huge difference overall.
Centrepoint ManchesterThe Booth CentrePlaces like these benefit directly from the annual StreetSmart scheme and have a huge impact on local lives.
More importantly, though, the charities also focus on helping individuals break the cycle, regain their dignity and rebuild their lives via positive action, as well as providing crisis and emergency shelter and food during the current cost of living crisis.
With the national scheme sponsored by LandAid for 2023 — a national organisation which invests over £2 million in projects to end youth homelessness every year —they are hoping to have more restaurants sign up than ever; here is the full list of those taking part in Greater Manchester so far:
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mana – Ancoats
Hawksmoor – Deansgate
Tampopo – Albert Square
Tampopo – Corn Exchange
Banyan – Corn Exchange
Banyan – Spinningfields
Manahatta – Deansgate
BOX – Deansgate
Bottega by San Carlo at Selfridges -Exchange Square
20 Stories – Spinningfields
Street Urchin – Ancoats
HOME Bar and Kitchen – First Street
The Lead Station – Chorlton
Tariff and Dale – Northern Quarter
Stretford Canteen – Stretford
Thankfully, there’s plenty of time to get involved before the end of the year either as a customer or a business, as restaurants that want to join and potentially transform lives can do so by getting in touch with [email protected] or [email protected].
StreetSmart has raised over £10 million since its foundation back in 1998 and more than 50 different homelessness charities now benefit each year, with funds supporting services such as beds, housing, mental health advice and employment support. The importance of their work cannot be overstated.
Credit: The Manc GroupMore Manc restaurants are being urged to come forward and take part.
Speaking on the 2023 scheme, StreetSmart’s Director Glenn Pougnet said: “We are so grateful to the local restaurants who have come together to make a difference this year and we know that the generosity of Greater Mancunians will play a huge part too.
“Sadly, it is always the poorest in society who are most deeply affected by challenges like the cost of living crisis… Our mission to eradicate homelessness from the streets remains firmly at the heart of what we do at StreetSmart, and we’d love to welcome even more restaurants to the scheme this Christmas. Please get in touch!”
As for local hospitality, Michelin-Starred Ancoats restaurant mana’s Chef Patron, Simon Martin, said: “The team at mana are keen to work with StreetSmart again this winter. We’re proud of our quiet corner of Manchester, but it does not shelter us from the reality of homelessness. We feel a responsibility to promote such a meaningful cause, knowing that real action is being taken to improve lives.”
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Well said. Now get out there, grab something to eat and leave not only with a full belly but with the sense that you’ve helped do your bit. This isn’t a Tesco advert but every little bit really does help. That’s why we’re proud to see people all around the city trying to tackle this issue year in, year out.
Featured Image — StreetSmart/Helen Davies (via Flickr)
Eats
The Manchester restaurant serving up the ‘world’s hottest curry’ for just a few days
Danny Jones
City centre favourite Zouk is serving up ‘the world’s hottest curry’ again to celebrate National Chilli Day next week.
The popular tea bar and grill located on Chester Street just off Oxford Road is slap bang in the middle of student central and has hordes of patrons lining up day in, day out, to taste their incredible Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Now, to celebrate every spicy-food lover’s favourite day, Zouk is putting on special, limited-time-only menu to cater to all you heat freaks and speaking collectively on The Manc‘s behalf (several of us having tried it), it’s no joke.
The World’s Hottest Curry will be available for five days from Monday 24 to Friday 28 February, with a challenge on Thursday 27 February with prizes to anyone who can finish the fiery karahi.
The dishes
When it came to coming up with the world’s hottest curry, Zouk didn’t have to look far for inspiration, they simply picked the world’s hottest chilli: the Carolina Reaper Chilli.
Combining the 1,569,000 Scoville scorcher of a chilli with their much-loved and already spicy chicken karahi and vegetable karahi recipes, they knew they were on a winner. You might have to sign a waiver to eat it but that’s all part of the fun, right?
Typically prepared in a wok and cooked over hot flames with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and cumin to create the sauce base, the karahi originates from the Northwest region of Pakistan and has a great flavour. Depending on how brave you’re feeling, you can have it as a kebab or a full curry.
Credit: Supplied
That being said, this version does contain dried Carolina Reapers so you might not taste much beyond the heat of the sun after a few seconds. While the chilli is deemed suitable for human consumption, even Zouk’s chefs have admitted to struggling with the dish. Gulp. So, what can you win?
The challenge and prizes
Us Brits love a good curry and we already know that plenty of you won’t be able to resist the urge to take on the Reaper Challenge simply out of pride, so we might as well just tell you what you’ll have to eat in order to win the prizes.
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
Finish the full Carolina Reaper Curry (either chicken or veg) in one sitting (max eating time 30 minutes and no helping from companions), Zouk will give you the meal for free.
PLUS, a £50 Zouk Gift Card so you can come back at a later date to try their full menu (including some less omg-spicy options).
You’ll also get a Zouk Ice Cream Sunday to help cool off afterwards. Trust us, you’ll need it.
Issuing a statement for National Chilli Day and the Reaper Challenge, owner Tayub Amjad said: “Our food is usually more about flavour than heat but it’s National Chilli Day, and we know our customers love this challenge.
“For those who complete the challenge, you still have chance to come back and dine on us at a future date, so you will still get to experience the real Zouk too.”
What you thinking, Manchester? Are you up for taking on the world’s hottest curry?
Prestwich pizzeria Dokes announces closure as neighbourhood goes through big changes
Daisy Jackson
One of Prestwich’s best-loved independent restaurants has announced the end of its current chapter, saying that it’s become too difficult to operate with tighter and tighter margins.
Dokes, a pizzeria that also served arguably the town’s best roast dinner, has said that it’s going to ‘have to call it a day’ after three years in the proudly independent neighbourhood.
The news comes just months after Rudy’s opened its first Prestwich restaurant just across the road from Dokes, though that of course may just be a coincidence…
The restaurant comes from the same team behind Elnecot in Ancoats, and opened in 2022, promising delicious pizzas made with (wherever possible) British ingredients.
In a statement issued today, chef and owner Michael Clay said that ‘it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant’.
He wrote: “We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.”
He then teased that they would be keeping the Bury New Road site on, with plans to reopen as a new concept.
Prestwich has been growing in popularity in recent years, with a blossoming food and drink scene and healthily increasing house prices.
It’s on the precipice of a £100m overhaul too, which will see the Longfield Centre transformed and new facilities built near the tram stop, including a community hub, a new village square, a market hall, flexible retail and leisure spaces, landscaped outdoor and green spaces, a new travel hub off Fairfax Road and around 200 homes.
It’s always been a village packed with local small businesses until this year, when both Rudy’s and Gail’s opened up – prompting this heartfelt statement from another local indie.
Dokes’ full statement reads: “After nearly 3 years of trying our hardest, unfortunately we’re going to have to call it a day.
“Having originally taken on the premises in between the two lockdowns (remember them?!), we’ve been extremely proud of what we have achieved under sometimes unbelievably difficult circumstances. Our staff have been the cornerstone of this and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work. The feedback we have received over the past couple of years on their food, service and hospitality has been absolutely incredible and we are extremely grateful for the hard work they have put in and the commitment they have shown.
“We feel like we have created a product that you have absolutely loved and a space that you have enjoyed coming to and we now really feel like a part of the Prestwich community – and for that we can’t thank you enough! You came for the pizzas and stayed for the roasts and it’s been a lot of fun.
“Try as we might though, it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant. We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.
“So it is with a heavy heart that we are closing the door on this chapter BUT…we aren’t going to be leaving you completely…
“We have plans for the place which we will be updating you about very soon so please watch this space for more details. We hope you’re going to love it.
“As Dokes, Sunday 9th March will be our final service so please come down over the next couple of weeks, grab a pizza or a roast and say hello. It would be lovely to see you all. Bookings are open and the cellar is stocked so lets fill the little place up and go out with a bang!
Danny Jones -
2nd November 2023 
