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.
There’s always a healthy spreadTheir famous Sunday roastCredit: 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.”
State of this naughty little number. Well, not little…
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.
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Burger King is giving away free burgers to new drivers today
Emily Sergeant
Burger King will be giving away burgers to drivers who have recently passed their tests for free of charge today.
In case it wasn’t on your radar, tomorrow (Thursday 24 July) is actually National Drive-Thru Day, and in a bid to properly celebrate this unofficial holiday, Burger King has decided to hand out a bunch of freebies to newbies today.
The fast food chain is asking all new drivers to “buckle up”, head on down to their nearest Burger King drive-thru, and help themselves to a free burger.
All newly-qualified drivers will be able to take their pick from either the Whopper or Chicken Royale without parting ways with a penny, and all they’ll need to do the claim their freebie is simply show off their learner’s ‘L Plates’ to the staff at their local Burger King restaurant.
/ Credit: Burger King UK (via Instagram) | Supplied
Hundreds of Burger King drive-thrus across the UK are taking part in the one-day promotion – including several across in Greater Manchester.
Although it might seem a little too good to be true, there’s a reason Burger King has chosen to dish out the freebies, and that’s because the company says it knows that one of the first activities newly-qualified drivers like do once they’ve passed their test is make a pit stop at a drive-thru with their mates to show off their new wheels and skills.
Sometimes though, navigating a drive-thru for the first time can be tricky, and this leaves new drivers feeling a bit like a rabbit in the headlights.
Luckily with this one-day Burger King offer, new drivers’ first drive-thru trip couldn’t be any easier.
The offer is available nationwide today (Wednesday 24 July) at Burger King drive-thru lanes only, while stock lasts, and newly qualified drivers must verbally mention “BK Plates” at the drive-thru lane to unlock their free burger.