Eats

Popular London chophouse Blacklock to open first restaurant outside of the capital in Manchester

It's coming later this year. Chop-chop.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 11th March 2024

Beloved London chophouse Blacklock is set to open their latest restaurant and first outside of the capital later this year, and it’s set to land right here in Manchester.

Officially announcing the new site on Monday, 11 March, the team behind Blacklock are set to bring their steak-centric expertise and loyal following of meat lovers to the city centre in the autumn and safe to say the news is already causing plenty of buzz amongst the local foodie community.

Blacklock Manchester will be opening their new and flagship Northern restaurant in a Grade II listed building, previously home to a textile merchant, on Peter Street — a lively street with plenty of other food and drink offerings which makes it the perfect location for their first foray outside of London.

Marking their sixth restaurant all told, and first outside of Britain’s foremost culinary hub, it only makes sense for the popular chophouse to open up shop in the city with the next biggest dining scene — yeah, we said it.

blacklock menu
There’s always a healthy spread
blacklock sunday roast manchester
Their famous Sunday roast
Credit: Blacklock

Renowned thanks to their modern take on the Great British chophouse, guests can expect a range of chops and high-quality steaks cooked over charcoal, not to mention plenty of cocktails created in line with their sustainable ‘pip-to-peel’ philosophy and wines on tap to wash it all down.

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Adored not only for catering to carnivores but to those with a sweet tooth as well courtesy of their signature pudding, an almighty white chocolate cheesecake served tableside and straight from the dish, complete with a loving ‘say when’ approach to portion sizes. Oh yes.

Their first restaurant opened up from a Soho basement and former brothel back in 2015 and the brand hasn’t stopped growing since. Founded by ex-lawyer Gordon Ker, he said of the announcement: “It’s long been a dream of mine and the team to open Blacklock in Greater Manchester given its vibrant and bustling culture and brilliant food scene.

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“It’s so important for us to be in buildings with character and history, and this part of Manchester has that in spades. I absolutely love the architecture in Manchester; the tiled basements, lightwells and stone frontages feel very us, and when a landlord asked what we thought of a basement hiding in plain sight beneath the bustle of Peter Street, I knew we’d found our perfect Manchester home.”

blacklock opening manchester
blacklock 'say when' cheesecake
State of this naughty little number. Well, not little…

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Quality produce and exceptional value are at the forefront of Blacklock’s mission, with all of their sustainably sourced meat coming from award-winning Cornish family farmers and butchers, Philip and Ian Warren.

Boasting an almost decade-long relationship with sustainable, regenerative farming and a no-waste approach to every facet of the business also helped earn them B Corp certification in 2023, and the franchise will be collaborating with new Northern suppliers to help champion the best local produce.

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And that’s one of the best parts: there’ll be brand new dishes debuted on the Manchester menu as well as their award-winning Sunday roast, with whole roasted joints roasted cooked over open coals, big Yorkshire puddings, duck fat roasties, plenty of veg and an unsparing amount of Blacklock gravy.

Exciting times indeed and they’re not the only southern exports soon to arrive on 0161’s doorstep, including another star steakhouse and one of London’s most popular restaurants right now.

Caravan, one of London’s most popular restaurants, is coming to Manchester this summer

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied (via Blacklock)

Eats

Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

It’s funny how we all turn a blind eye to the temperature outside when it comes to the Christmas Markets.

At a time of year where should probably all be hibernating inside, droves of us instead head out to brave the elements all in the name of the festivities.

Of course, the Manchester Christmas Markets sell all sorts of wares to take the edge off, and we’re not just talking about the stalls selling woollen mittens everywhere.

Our favourite winter warmers tend to take the form of a tray of piping hot garlic potatoes, or a mug of hot chocolate, or another boozy beverage that’s massively underrated.

The drink in question is a Hot Blob, which is listed on the menu at the Piccadilly Gardens markets as ‘legendary’.

A bold claim, but a lot of long-time Manc residents will understand why.

The Hot Blob is a jaw-clenchingly sweet concoction served piping hot at the Manchester Christmas Market, similar to a hot toddy.

It’s made with Australian fortified white wine, lemon, sugar, and boiling water.

Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it? Credit: The Manc Group

The drink was first invented by Yates, that well-known pub chain, which started life as Yates’s Wine Lodge up the road in Oldham.

According to Pubs of Manchester, the Hot Blob has a tendency to ‘speed up drunkenness to a young drinker’.

These days, it’s pretty rare to come across one on a menu, but back in 1990s it was a staple in a few pubs around town.

There even used to be a ‘Blob Shop’ on High Street, run by local legend Ged Ford (now in charge of the equally legendary Millstone pub), which found itself in a state of utter carnage when the IRA bomb went off.

The long-lost institution specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’.

The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester. Credit: deltrems@flickr

Ged sold 6,000 a week.

And while the drink may have fallen out of favour since then, there are still healthy numbers being sold at this time of year, even if they are a damn sight more expensive than they were in the 1990s (£6 a pop, plus a glass deposit).

Anyway. If you’re sick to the back teeth of the endless gluhwein being peddled across the markets, make a beeline for Manchester Winter Ale House at Piccadilly Gardens, where you can find Hot Blobs as well as boozy Vimto and cask ales.

The Manchester Christmas Markets officially end on 22 December.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

The main gripe people seem to have with the Manchester Christmas Markets is the prices of food and drinks, blasting them every year like a broken record as being ‘overpriced’.

So we’ve done the hard slog for you, running all around the city centre to suss out exactly how much everything is costing in 2024.

From Piccadilly Gardens (rebranded as The Winter Gardens for the season) to King Street, there are wooden sheds and festive cheer absolutely everywhere.

There’s some brilliant food and drink to discover – you can see our top picks HERE – but as this is a huge visitor attraction, that can come at a price.

Once you factor in the deposit for a Manchester Christmas Markets mug, you can easily spend £12 just to get a mulled wine (though you will get £3.50 of that back when you return your mug).

There are also deposit charges on glassware – £2 for a pint glass, £3.50 for cocktail glasses and £7 for a stein.

You can see the full list of prices for food and drinks right across the Manchester Christmas Markets HERE, but below are where you can find the cheapest spots at the festive event.

Mulled wine

Mulled wines are priced at £5.50 almost everywhere across the Manchester Christmas Markets, though some stalls are offering bigger serves of this popular festive drink for a small price hike.

Then people are charging another £3 to add a shot of brandy, rum or amaretto, making an £8.50 total.

But the cheapest we’ve found is just £7 for mulled wine with a shot of booze, and that’s at Mamma Mia, an Italian stall on New Cathedral Street, right near St Ann’s Square.

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine
Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine
Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine. Credit: The Manc Group

Beer

Again, prices for beers at the Manchester Christmas Markets are pretty consistent and average £6 a pint.

But you can get cheaper – at The Last Outpost, a Western-themed bar at Exchange Square, beers start from £5.50.

And at The Hip Hop Chip Shop at Piccadilly Gardens, they’re selling local craft beers, like Shindigger, Pomona Island, Manchester Union) for just £5.50. And you get bonus good vibes for supporting local breweries.

Wine

We’ve found a couple of glasses of wine for just £5 around the Markets this year, which is cheaper than most bars in town really.

The King Street Craft Bar, which has the bonus of having seating, has house wines from a fiver.

Christmas Alley at Piccadilly Gardens will also give you a wine for £5.

Prosecco

Prosecco works in every season and if this is your go-to of all the drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, we’ve found where you can save a few pennies.

Most places are charging between £6.50 and £7 per glass, but at El Gato Negro on King Street (yep, the same stall operated by the Michelin-recommended restaurant) are charging just £5 – that’s a whole £1.50 cheaper than most other stalls.

Hot chocolate

Basic hot chocolates are generally £3.50 everywhere, with a few very luxury upgrades (like a £7.90 creation from The Flat Baker that’s served in an edible cookie cup).

Once you add in a shot of alcohol, the cheapest as at the Apres Ski Bar at Piccadilly Gardens, which charges £2.50 for a spirit.

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That makes £6 for a boozy hot chocolate.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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