Northern Soul’s Christmas DIY kits and competition to win free BLACK CARD
For the first time ever, Northern Soul Grilled Cheese is launching a 'Black Card' - entitling one lucky winner to free grilled cheese for one whole year.
Christmas prizes don’t come much bigger, tastier or more exciting than the ones on offer from Northern Soul in Manchester this year.
The world-famous cheese toastie restaurant is launching some brand new festive-themed food kits just in time for winter – with 10 being given away absolutely free during Lockdown 2.0.
There’s also the chance to win free grilled cheese BLACK CARD…
Northern Soul’s closure in March left the Northern Quarter with a serious dairy deficiency – and owners hastily sought to remedy the situation by offering the next best thing: GIY (Grill It Yourself) Kits.
The home-cooked ingredients boxes allowed isolating Mancs to whip up Northern Soul sandwiches in their own houses and proved to be a dizzying success – even scooping the award for ‘Best DIY Home Kit’ at the 2020 Manchester Food & Drink Awards.
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Now, with Christmas on the horizon – and another lockdown well underway – Northern Soul is tweaking the kits to give them some fresh, festive flavour.
The pick of the bunch is the Crimbo Dinner Pack – containing turkey crown, cranberry, pink lady stuffing and gravy – all topped off with homemade pigs-in-blankets.
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There are four other fantastic-sounding festive options also up for grabs – including the Signature Soul Secret Santa; the Classic Flava kit (including roast ham & pickle; caramelised red onion chutney; and ‘Mac Attack’ w/ Jalapenos) the Get Your Goat (with goat’s cheese and chutney) and The New Yorker (with pastrami, pickles and pretzels).
There might not be any Christmas Markets happening in Manchester this year – but these GIY Xmas Kits from Northern Soul ought to be a sufficiently satisfying replacement for any present you were hoping to pick up from the stalls.
Prices for each kit start at £10. But if you’re lucky, you may not actually have to pay a penny…
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In total, 11 prizes are being given away by Northern Soul this Christmas.
These include 10 ‘Crimbo Dinner’ G.I.Y home kits worth £30 (all accompanied by £10 voucher to spend at the Northern Soul restaurant).
But the biggie is the Northern Soul Manchester ‘Black Card’ – which entitles the winner to free grilled cheese for a whole year (Terms & Conditions apply).
The prize is the very first of its kind – presenting one gloriously lucky fan with an incredible opportunity to tuck into fully-loaded cheese toasties on tap for 365 days.
What a life that would be…
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For more information on how to enter, head on over to The Manc Instagram.
Feast your eyes on the kits available at Northern Soul via their website.
Eats
Glitzy Spinningfields bar famed for its bottomless deals shuts down
Daisy Jackson
Popular cocktail bar group Banyan has suddenly closed its glitzy bar in the heart of Spinningfields.
The restaurant and bar, which is part of the Arc Inspirations group that also operates Manahatta and Box, has shut down with immediate effect.
A sign has been posted in the window of the Spinningfields site of Banyan confirming its closure.
Banyan opened in 2018 and was the second site for the brand, which has been operating out of the Corn Exchange since 2015.
Inside, the huge 7,000sq ft space was split into spaces for drinking, dining and dancing, including a large mezzanine and a huge white marble bar.
Banyan is famed for its bottomless deals, whether that’s a classic bottomless brunch or their bottomless Sunday roast (endless Yorkshire puddings, gravy, wine, and roast potatoes).
It also offered two-for-one cocktails, all day every day.
The bar stands on the side of Spinningfields, directly opposite The Ivy and alongside The Alchemist.
Banyan in Spinningfields has shut downThe note in the window of Banyan
But now it has permanently closed its doors, thanking people for their custom over its almost-decade in Manchester.
The sign on the door says: “Banyan Spinningfields is now permanently closed.
“Thank you so much for your custom over the years, we’ve loved being part of this wonderful city and have made so many friends.
“Don’t be a stranger, we’d love to continue to welcome you to our Banyan bar in the Corn Exchange. Team Banyan.”
Bangkok Diners Club moves out of Ancoats just months after Michelin Guide win
Daisy Jackson
Bangkok Diners Club, the critically-acclaimed restaurant above the Edinburgh Castle pub, has closed its restaurant space.
The Thai restaurant was added to the Michelin Guide last October, not long after taking over the upstairs of the popular pub.
It also received a rave review in The Guardian from restaurant critic Grace Dent, who said it would be ‘one of Manchester’s hottest dining tickets’.
But now Bangkok Diners Club has decided its time in Ancoats is up, and has closed its beautiful restaurant space with immediate effect.
In an email sent to customers with reservations, they wrote that Bangkok Diners Club ‘sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle’.
Owners and husband-and-wife team Ben and Bo Humpheys aren’t leaving things there though, announcing plans to move into the Exhibition food hall on Peter Street.
Co-owner Ben Humphreys outside Bangkok Diners Club. Credit: The Manc GroupThe food earned them a place in the Michelin Guide. Credit: The Manc Group
They’ll be joining MoreJoy and pasta concept Anatra in the space, but bidding farewell to their own dedicated restaurant for now.
The email sent to customers reads: “We have just noticed that the system has allowed you to make a reservation during a time that we are closed. We apologise that this has happened.
“Ben and Bo are cooking at Exhibition during 2026 and Bangkok Diners Club sadly won’t be returning to Edinburgh Castle.
“Sincerest apologies for all the inconvenience caused.”
The Manc -
16th November 2020 
