Manchester milkshake and burger bar Archie’s has launched a new breakfast menustacked with naughty breakfast burgers, fluffy pancake stacks, hash browns and ‘breakfast tots’ – miniature tater tots loaded with all your morning essentials.
Available at Piccadilly and Manchester Aiport, the new breakfast menu will be served from 8am – 11am in the week and 9am – 12pm on weekends.
Even better, they’re offering a free coffee (be that a cappuccino, latte, or americano) with your breakfast for the first month – available from now until 11 February.
Think seven different customisable burgers on the menu to choose from, stuffed with the likes of hash browns, avocado, chicken sausage patties, cheese, smoked turkey bacon, sriracha, fried or scrambled eggs, tomato, chives and more.
All served in warm glazed buns, new stand outs include vegetarian The Yolker, filled with smashed lime-infused avocado, scrambled eggs, chives, cheese and sriracha mayo; and the new and improved Breakfast Club (double beef patty, turkey bacon, hash brown, fried egg, BBQ sauce and cheese).
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Elsewhere, sweet tooths will find fluffy American-style pancakes priced from just £4.99 loaded with choices like bacon and maple syrup; whipped cream, banana and toffee sauce; or strawberries, chocolate, whipped cream and hazelnut sauce.
And that’s not all. All of the brand’s classic and celeb shakes are available at breakfast, as well as its soft drinks list and giant chocolate, fruit and ice cream-loaded waffles.
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Crinkle fries and curly fries appear here too, giving Archie’s fans the full-on diner experience – just earlier in the day, with a new breakfast twist.
The bright pink American-style fast food diner, which first popped up on Oxford Road in 2010, now has eight sites in total – six in Manchester, one in Liverpool and another in Leeds.
A ninth branch will be opening in Birmingham next month too.
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But believe it or not, the hit Manc business first started off as a carwash in Cheetham Hill before becoming the popular made-to-order burger empire it is today.
Prior to launching the first Archie’s on Oxford road in 2010, the four Rafiq brothers behind it – Amer, the eldest, and siblings Imran, Asim and Irfan – actually devised the concept three years earlier whilst running the successful Wash and Glow, a hotspot for local footballers and celebrities such as Corrie’s Ryan Thomas.
This, in turn, funded their idea to move into the burger world and helped to launch into a brand new industry – taking that ‘go and be seen’ shine that made their car wash so popular and applying it to fast food instead.
Support from celebrities early in the day, such as rappers like Nas and The Game, quickly made Archie’s a go-to place – with visits heralded by a ‘celeb shakes’ list that pays homage to some of the namesakes who’ve been over the years.
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Singers Rita Ora and Pia Mia, professional boxers Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan, and comedian Kevin Hart all get a shout-out on the menu – which gives diners the chance to enjoy signature shakes created especially for the celebs.
Twelve years later, Archie’s is still just as iconic as it ever was – this latest gift to commuters at Piccadilly station and the airport is just the cherry on top.
Feature image – The Manc Group
Eats
The Salmon of Knowledge pub is opening a second site in Didsbury
Danny Jones
A recent addition to the Manchester hospitality scene is building on its early success and opening up another Irish bar over in Didsbury.
Northern Quarter’s Salmon of Knowledge, which launched back in September 2024, is one of countless Irish pubs across Greater Manchester but only a handful in the vibrant district.
Having taken over the much-loved old PLY site – which sadly closed its doors last summer – they had a job on their hands to reach the same heights as the legendary late-night pizza and shuffleboard joint, but these first few months have clearly gone well enough to expand.
The increasingly popular watering hole which is one of the few places around here where you can get Murphy’s (at least in the city centre) is much more than just an Irish-themed venue: it delivers regular live music, sports on the box and great food from local brand, The Last Stop – and Didsbury is up next.
The caption goes on to read: “Big news, Didsbury. You called and we answered. The Salmon of Knowledge is swimming upstream to bring our second site to YOU very soon!
“By popular demand, we are expanding to the suburbs, so get ready for live music, great food, live sports, and gallons of Guinness. You heard it here first… stay tuned!”
As well as a wide variety of beverages beyond the obviously stunning stouts, fans will be glad to hear the Salmon will be bringing The Last Stop’s talents with them.
From the aesthetic, prices and drinks selection to the reliable New York influences on the Heaton Chapel-based vendor’s menu, we’ve been pretty big fans of this place since minute one.
Manchester, pay attention: The Salmon of Knowledge has some wisdom to bestow upon you — mainly how to pour a proper Guinness and have a grand auld time. 🇮🇪☘️
Although they are yet to give any more information as to when we can expect The Salmon of Knowledge Didsbury to open at present, we do have an indication of where it will be popping up.
It has now been confirmed that they will be taking over the former Dockyard pub (which still has locations in Salford Quays and Spinningfields), meaning that it will sit in the heart of the busy Didsbury Village strip, which should prove great for footfall.
Just like the Stevenson Square spot, live music and sports will accompany Didsbury’s new Irish bar as well and if the phrase ‘gallons of Guinness’ doesn’t get you excited, we don’t know what will.
New pasta kitchen Soots Pasta opens at Altrincham Market
Daisy Jackson
A little piece of pasta paradise has landed at Altrincham Market and it’s got a secret you won’t believe.
Soots Pasta has taken on a spot in the covered market, where owners and co-founders Ellie Proudfoot and Ruth Duarte are hand-making fresh pasta dishes.
They’ve named this fantastic little kitchen after their cocker spaniel, Soots.
Signature dishes here include a satisfying swirl of thick ravioli, stuffed with ricotta and served on a bed of pumpkin puree and sage butter.
There’s also a vibrant green pesto tagliatelle, laced with basil, lemon and pistachio.
As for small plates, there’s freshly-made focaccia with three different butters, plus crunchy tomato arancini.
Soots Pasta is the first solo venture for Ellie, who used to work as a private chef as well as at restaurants around the region.
Soots Pasta in Altrincham Market. Credit: The Manc GroupSoots Pasta in Altrincham Market. Credit: The Manc Group
She’s taken her background – which includes culinary school in France – to create this modern European menu that takes inspiration from Italy.
What’s not immediately obvious, on reading the menu or eating it, is that everything on the Soots Pasta menu is entirely vegan – and they have gluten-free pasta available on request.
The pair hope that Altrincham Market will be a launchpad to them eventually opening their first restaurant, as it’s done for so many businesses that came before it.
Soots Pasta is on Pott Street in the covered market, and is open Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 14 January.