Freight Island has just announced some massive new arrivals and its biggest-ever spring-summer programme – including the arrival of Ornella’s Kitchen.
Joining Ornella’s Kitchen – a tiny Tameside restaurant which is consistently booked up MONTHS in advance – will be equally massive local names like Gooey and Hello Oriental.
The landmark street food and entertainment venue turns five this year, and is announcing new kitchens, a refreshed dining service, a new look, and a free to attend festival programme.
Set to reopen on Thursday 3 April, this next iteration of Freight Island will include new kitchens for some of Manchester’s best-known and best-loved operators.
Up first will be Ornella’s Little Kitchen – an announcement they already teased last week – where this in-demand Italian restaurant will be serving its pasta-deli specials in a new restaurant setting inside Freight Island. You’ll be able to book a table for Ornella’s Little Kitchen HERE.
ADVERTISEMENT
Also opening next month will be a Chinese BBQ spot from MOREJOY, huge French toast brunches from Gooey, and ice cream and desserts from Hello Oriental as they launch Hello Dezato.
Of course, Freight Island will have its returning resident kitchens too with fresh new menus, like chicken shop Patterson’s, Venezuelan food from Mia’s Arepas, smash burgers from the legendary Burgerism, giant pizza slices from Voodoo Ray’s, pan-Asian dishes from FUKU, Greek street food from Mega Gyros, and cheesecake on a stick from Oh My Cheesecake.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kantina will be back with curated supper clubs between Freight Island traders and guest chefs from across the country.
Beyond the food and drink offering, Freight Island will have a packed programme of a spring-summer festival programme, featuring Moovin Festival, Wookie, Greg Wilson, Optimo (Espacio), David Rodigan, Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura, DJ Paulette, Congo Natty, Crazy P (DJ Set), Fat Tony and loads more.
And there’ll be official takeovers and celebrations in the UK’s biggest dedicated sports fanzone, including UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 and the Woman’s Rugby World Cup.
ADVERTISEMENT
On joining Freight Island, Jamie at Ornella’s Kitchen, commented: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Ornella’s Little Kitchen to Freight Island and be part of such a dynamic food and entertainment space.
“Our pasta-deli specials have found a loyal following in Manchester, and we can’t wait to share our authentic Italian flavours in this new setting.”
Dan Morris, Managing Director at Freight Island, said: “Freight Island was always imagined as a place for innovation and pushing boundaries and this year’s update is about taking us closer to that original vision.
“With the incredible new food, a refreshed dining experience and our biggest Spring/Summer festival line-up yet, we’re set for an unforgettable season.”
Rudy’s toy-swap – You can swap toys for pizza in Manchester this Christmas
Daisy Jackson
You’ll be able to claim a free pizza in exchange for donating a toy to charity this Christmas, with the return of Rudy’s toy-swap initiative.
The popular pizzeria is teaming up again with Cash for Kids, for a community-led toy-swap initiative.
Mancs who take an unwrapped, new toy (worth £10) into any Rudy’s pizzeria will be able to claim a pizza on the house as a thank you.
One toy = one free Neapolitan pizza.
The toys collected in the charity drive will be donated to the Cash for Kids charity, spreading a little festive cheer to children in need.
When Rudy’s held a similar toy-swap scheme last year, they gathered 6,500 toy donations.
The donations and free pizza will be available from Monday 1 December to Thursday 4 December between 12pm and 5pm.
Commenting on the toy-swap initiative, Managing Director of Rudy’s Pizza Neal Bates, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing back our festive toy swap this Christmas in partnership with Cash for Kids.
“The campaign is a simple way for our guests to give back and help bring a little joy to children who might otherwise go without.
“Community has always been at the heart of Rudy’s, and this initiative is a small way for us to say thank you and spread kindness throughout our community, all with delicious pizza in hand.”
The Rudy’s toy-swap initiative is back in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
There’ll be new festive pizzas to try in every Rudy’s too, including the Porchetta (with Emilia-Romagna porchetta, sage-roasted potatoes and cranberry sauce); the Pesto Rosso (homemade sundried tomato red pesto base with capers and tomatoes); and the Pizza Sorbillo, inspired by Naples’ legendary Sorbillo Pizzeria.
There’ll also be seasonal cocktails including the spiced red berry spritz, the white Christmas margherita, and a winter spiced negroni.
Rudy’s toy swap initiative will run from 1 – 4 December across all of Rudy’s pizzerias in the UK – Manchester pizzerias include Ancoats, Peter Street, and Portland Street, plus branches in suburbs across Greater Manchester.
Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Daisy Jackson -
25th February 2025 
