Some guy on TikTok is being absolutely roasted after making what he claims is ‘the official sandwich of Manchester’ and we can quickly confirm two things: one, no it’s not and two, we’ve absolutely never heard of it whatsoever.
The online food content creator known as ‘Big Nibbles‘ started a series where he began making the official sandwiches of UK towns and cities earlier this year and now several episodes in, he has been rumbling locals all across the country — none more so than us Mancs.
Posting the video of the so-called official Manchester sandwich across his social platforms, he was quickly met with droves of people promptly responding, “can safely say never had this”, “I’m a Manc and we deffo don’t eat this” and so on.
In fact, the whole thing has gone so awry that multiple videos have been hit with copyright strikes and he had to replace his original voiceover with generic ‘food-tok’ music.
Assembling what we can only surmise is either pulled pork or some form of brisket, a kind of quick-pickle red onion and slices of gouda cheese on a big sub-style roll, this absolute heretic is peddling nothing more than a pretentious pretender to the throne.
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The reaction was summed up pretty succinctly by one commenter who quipped, “oh yes the famous Manchester pulled pork Gouda and onion hoagie”.
Better still, there were countless people that simply replied, “Surely the official sandwich of Manchester is a chip barm?”, “bacon butty” or even just “a crisp sandwich”. Preach — less of this faffing about.
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Obviously made fairly tongue-in-cheek, with his original voiceover labelling 0161 as “London 2.0” with an “alarming amount of gun crime”. Wash your mouth out, you cheeky get.
With plenty firing back by saying, “‘London 2.0’ nah don’t insult Manchester like that” and asking “What has Manchester done to you?”, we were glad to see plenty of you lot sticking up for the best place in the world.
It might have been exactly what he said we’d do but the point still stands…
All that being said, if you were in charge of creating the official sandwich of Manchester, what would you put in it? Then again, you could always just go and get a chip butty or slap some Walkers between two slices of bread and have absolutely no complaints.
A huge new Irish bar has opened in Manchester city centre (yes, another one)
Daisy Jackson
There’s another new Irish pub in Manchester city centre, this time on one of our busiest nightlife strips, Peter Street.
Katie O’Brien’s has officially thrown open the doors to its enormous two-storey venue, taking over and transforming the former Peaky Blinders bar.
Inside, there are three bars pouring both Guinness AND Murphys, a huge elevated stage on its own mezzanine level, which will host live musicians seven nights a week, and walls packed with decor transporting you to the Emerald Isle.
The makeover they’ve given this massive unit really is quite something, creating all sorts of cosy corners and snug areas where you can nurse a pint of stout.
Faux fireplaces, leather booth seating, and low ceilings all set the tone for a relaxed pint in the snugs.
Or if you want something a little livelier, head to the heart of the bar, where you can dance the night away to the live entertainment above your head.
Manchester’s Katie O’Brien’s is set to be their largest Irish bar yet, with existing locations all over the UK, including in Leeds and Sheffield.
Their rapid expansion has now brought them to the heart of Manchester, where they’ll be neighbouring bustling nightlife spots like Albert’s Schloss, Manahatta, and Impossible.
Katie O’Brien’s has opened on Peter StreetIt’s taken over the old Peaky Blinders barCosy snugs in Katie O’Brien’sIt serves both Murphy’s AND Guinness
The venue has taken over what was once the Peaky Blinders bar, which shut down back in March.
The previous occupier had themed its venue and menu around the hit gangster show, with cocktails named after characters.
They wrote at the time: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we unfortunately have to announce the closure of Peaky Blinders Manchester with immediate effect. On behalf of our entire team, we are truly thankful to every guest who has stepped through our doors since opening in 2018.
“We are devastated it has had to end this way, but grateful for the journey. Thank you so much for your continued support over the years. It’s been a blast, Manchester!”
Katie O’Brien’s is open now on Peter Street in Manchester.
One of Manchester’s most popular brunch spots is opening its second location
Daisy Jackson
A brunch spot with queues down the street, and an edible Labubu French toast on the menu, is opening a second location this summer.
Bruncho has revealed plans to expand from its home on Deansgate and take on the Northern Quarter.
The all-day brunch cafe is set to move into the huge unit left empty by the shock closure of Feel Good Club.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its absolutely stacked French toasts.
It’s consistently packed out at its original location on Deansgate, and now it’s taking over a 4,378 sq ft unit in the Northern Quarter too, set to open this June.
Omer Umut Mutlu, owner of Bruncho, said: “Manchester has shown Bruncho so much love, and expanding into the Northern Quarter feels like the natural next step for us.
“Hilton House gives us the space to elevate what we do – more covers, more events, and a new home for the kind of food and atmosphere people will make the journey for.
The viral Labubu French toast at Bruncho in ManchesterA breakfast spread at Bruncho
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the neighbourhood, with the opening scheduled for June 2026.”
Paul Shakeshaft, Head of Property Management at CERT, commented: “We’ve found the ideal tenant to join the Hilton House community. Bruncho provides a new focal point for the building and for the community.
“They’re a fantastic operator with big plans that bring the right fit and the right atmosphere to the building and neighbourhood.
“Signing Bruncho brings Hilton House back to full occupation, including a full refit in just seven months, underpinning our neighbourhood vision for our commercial properties, and their continued success and appeal far beyond their completion.”
Bruncho will open their second Manchester cafe in the Northern Quarter this June.
Danny Jones -
19th August 2023 
