Eats

Manchester bakery creates amazing Barbie-inspired treats including 6″ pink stilettos

Is this Barbie heaven, or is this Barbie heaven?

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 20th July 2023

Everyone in Manchester seems to be getting Barbie fever at the moment, but one bakery has really pulled the pink goodness out of the bag with its limited edition Barbie-inspired treats.

Little Dessert Shop, which has two sites in Manchester in Chorlton and Cheetham Hill, describes itself as the UK’s most viral dessert shop – and after seeing what they’ve put together for their Dollicious collection, we can see why.

Highlights include the Glam Cake, which is comprised of layers of heavenly vanilla sponge, topped with a whimsical bubblegum frosting, and adorned with a sprinkling of hundreds and thousands alongside a mesmerising white chocolate drip.

There is also a soft pink Bliss Milkshake, made using Bubblegum gelato, strawberry sauce and cream, plus perfectly pink scoops of Bubblegum ice cream, and Dream Bites – perfectly crafted gelato bites encased in a smooth, blush pink chocolate coating.

dollicious barbie collection
Image: Little Dessert Shop
Image: Little Dessert Shop

Read more: A bottomless Barbie singalong brunch is coming to Manchester

ADVERTISEMENT

But the main draw, for us at least, has to be the Dollicious shoe – a 6″ hot pink stiletto made from chocolate, topped with luscious strawberry chocolate sauce, and elegantly paired with a handful of plump, fresh strawberries.

Paying homage to the iconic Barbie style that has got so many excited during Margot Robbie’s pink carpet press tour, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the upcoming film release than devouring a lifesize pink chocolate shoe – can you?

ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Little Dessert Shop
pink edible shoe
Image: Little Dessert Shop

Whilst locals to Manchester can pop in and enjoy the Dollicious collection in house, some of it is also available to order for delivery through the Little Dessert Shop website. However, it is worth noting that the Dollicious shoe is only available to eat in at selected stores.

Read more: A wine festival dedicated to all things rosé is coming to Manchester

It’s worth looking at the full menu, too, because whilst these items are only available for a short time there’s plenty more we’d eat again and again – including gelato burgers, chocolate Cinderella slippers and a host of indulgent loaded waffles and crepes.

Featured image – Little Dessert Shop

Eats

Manchester’s viral sandwich shop Ad Maiora is selling HUGE butties for only 9p through Deliveroo

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Ad Maiora in Manchester is selling 9p sandwiches this week through Deliveroo. Credit: The Manc Group

Ad Maiora, the Italian sandwich shop that’s loved by Manchester City stars (and everyone else who’s sunk their teeth into one), is selling butties for only 9p this week.

The local business is famed for its authentic sandwiches filled with quality imported Italian ingredients, and for its super-sized versions of its delicious lunches.

And this week only, you’ll be able to pick up a hefty sandwich, called the Scran-wich, for only 9 English pence.

The limited-edition Schiacciata will have nine different components and weighs in at a whopping 500g (though it’s nothing on their 1kg beast we’ve tried before…)

Owners and couple Enrico and Daniela have spent weeks developing the perfect balance of flavours.

Each ingredient is sourced in Italy but inspired by places and sayings from Manchester.

So you’ll find spicy ‘supersonic’ salami, nowt better N’duja, mozzarella ‘footballs’, sliced Haçienda heritage tomatoes, ‘r kid Italian wild rocket, 0161 olives, lashings of mad fer it mayonnaise, ‘buzzing bee’ basil leaves and ‘let’s ave it’ red onions – all sandwiched between fresh homemade Scran-worthy Schiacciata bread. 

The Scran-wich and its 9p sale have been created to celebrate Deliveroo’s ninth birthday, and there’ll be 300 available to order through Deliveroo.

The limited edition 9p ‘Scran-Wich’, available at Ad Maiora in Manchester through Deliveroo. Credit: Deliveroo/Dominic Lipinski
The limited edition 9p ‘Scran-Wich’, available at Ad Maiora in Manchester through Deliveroo. Credit: Deliveroo/Dominic Lipinski
Ad Maiora is one of Manchester's best sandwich shops and loved by celebs and locals
Ad Maiora is one of Manchester’s best sandwich shops and loved by celebs and locals

Enrico and Daniela, owners of Ad Maiora, said: “We’ve had so much support from the local community since we launched, so we were very excited when Deliveroo asked us to create a special Ad Maiora sandwich dedicated to the city of Manchester in celebration of their 9th birthday.

“We hope our customers love the limited-edition ‘Scran-wich’ – we’ve really enjoyed creating a sandwich that celebrates our city which makes this SUPER limited edition and special!”

Steffi Morel, Deliveroo city manager for Manchester, said: “It has been an absolute honour connecting Manc foodies to the best local restaurants at the click of a button for the last nine years.

“To celebrate, we’ve partnered with one of Manchester’s new local favourites, Ad Maiora, who’ve created the ultimate birthday ‘Scran-wich’, which pays homage to the city with every delicious bite! Deliveroo customers will need to be quick, as there are only 300 available!”

Ad Maiora’s Scran-wich is available for just 9p from Tuesday 30 April until Thursday 2 May through Deliveroo.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Medlock Canteen receives rave Guardian review from Jay Rayner just one month after opening

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Medlock Canteen, a new Manchester restaurant, has received a rave review in the Guardian just weeks after it opened.

National critic Jay Rayner has heaped praise upon the restaurant at Deansgate Square, describing it as ‘so special’.

The restaurant only opened its doors at the end of March, taking its inspiration from opposite sides of the pond – the laid-back style of American diners and the hospitality of Parisian bistros.

Rayner said it’s ‘a welcome haven for all’ and applauded its menu packed with ‘appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves’.

Medlock Canteen comes from the team behind Madre (the Mexican restaurant at Kampus) and Belzan (one of Liverpool’s top restaurants).

But unlike those two restaurants, things are much simpler at their newest venture – this is a restaurant where you can order a fried egg with any meal, drink bottomless coffee, and even order the day’s ‘staff dinner’ for just a tenner.

Rayner dedicated almost an entire paragraph of his review to Medlock Canteen’s gravy (‘dark and sticky and deeply savoury’), which he said is so good you should just ‘order that and pour it over everything. Pour it over a friend’.

He also waxed lyrical about their rotisserie chicken (there are rows of the things rotating in the city’s first in-restaurant rotisserie chicken oven), of which he said: “It is everything those words promise and don’t always deliver. No special rubs or sauces. Just roast chicken, rested long enough for the meat to start shrugging itself off the bones. The skin is crisp and salty.”

Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian
Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian
Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian. Credit: The Manc Group

Other dishes that were celebrated in the Guardian’s review of Medlock Canteen included a rhubarb pie, charcoal-grilled fish of the day, duck rillettes and pistachio frangipane tart.

The restaurant itself said there were ‘happy faces’ after the review was published over the weekend.

Medlock Canteen wrote on Instagram: “Manchester may be grey this Sunday, but let us tell you, there are a few happy faces both on and behind the scenes as we enjoy our morning brew, reading through the kind words of @jayrayner1 in the @guardian.

“Thanks go to our team and our guests for all the hard work, dedication, and pure passion that has made Medlock Canteen ‘a welcome haven for one and all.’

“Anyway, enough of that. Just another day. Just another ‘set of appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves.’

“Caution: gravy jus may be thrown. Let Sunday service commence.”

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

More Eats

Jaan is a new Persian bread kitchen from the team behind Another Hand restaurant in Manchester

Eats

One of Manchester’s best restaurants is opening a ‘bread kitchen’ in Exhibition food hall

Gary Neville has announced the Niall Keating will open Tender in the Stock Exchange Hotel's restaurant space

Eats

Gary Neville lines up Michelin star chef for his Stock Exchange Hotel restaurant

Bury

Inside Popeyes as fried chicken restaurant opens its first Manchester drive-thru

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches