Beloved Louisiana fast food staple Popeyes is set to open not only its second site here in Greater Manchester but its only drive-thru location in the region full stop.
Aren’t we a lucky lot?
In case you somehow missed it, the fanatically-followed fried chicken gaff opened up its first Manchester venue on Piccadilly Gardens back in October 2023 and has already become an extremely popular spot for scran here in 0161.
With queues out the door on opening day and hundreds of free meals handed out as part of the much-anticipated launch, they’ve already made a splash around here and are set to excite fans even more with the next opening over in Salford.
The Popeyes drive-thru in Manchester will be just the sixth of its kind anywhere in the country. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Marking their 12th new site in 2024 already, the new Popeyes drive-thru is due to take over the 288-292 unit Bury New Rd, M7 2YJ – right next to the McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s – just on the border of Prestwich, and is part of a larger plan to open a total of 30 British stores this year.
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The chicken empire just keeps expanding.
Better still, you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on some top-tier drive-thru fried chicken either, as Popeyes Bury New Road is scheduled to open its doors this time next month. Wednesday, 24 April, to be precise.
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We can’t really get enough of this place, to be honest, so recently went back for another visit as part of our Takeaway Champions series. It didn’t disappoint.
Famous for their ‘shatter crunch’ coating and staple items like Southern biscuits and gravy as well as the iconic Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich (genuinely lived up to the hype), they’ve also made waves when it comes to breakfast with a very solid early morning menu. The cajun hash browns alone are immense.
Speaking on the next chapter for the franchise here in our region, Popeyes UK’s CEO Tom Crowley said: “Following the success of our Manchester Piccadilly restaurant, we are thrilled to bring our newest Popeyes to Bury New Road, marking our third restaurant in the North West.
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Having it on our doorstep in the city these past few months has been great but making their world-renowned fast food available to even more Mancs via the new curbside service is a great addition, not to mention the 80+ new jobs it will create for locals.
The new location will have 72 seats indoors, an outside dining area; dual-ordering lanes to reduce queues and waiting times, as well as collection from designated bays within the car park when you order online via the website. Roll on April.
The cosy Peak District pub serving a pick’n’mix sausage and mash menu
Daisy Jackson
There’s a Peak District pub that’s turned one of Britain’s most beloved comfort foods into a full-on pick’n’mix.
Tucked away in the postcard-perfect village of Castleton, Ye Olde Nags Head is serving up a fully customisable menu of sausage and mash dishes.
We’re talking near-endless combinations of proper pub grub.
You start by choosing your sausages from a daily rotating selection (not a sentence you hear every day, but we’re into it).
Expect classics like Cumberland alongside more adventurous options like venison and mustard, or even wild boar and orange, plus a veggie sausage daily.
Then it’s onto the mash – you can go for flavours like cheese and onion, wholegrain mustard, or even black pudding mash.
Classic cumberland, mustard mash, and mushroom sauceVeggie sausage with cheese and onion mash and classic gravyTucking in
To finish? A choice of rich, hearty gravies and sauces to bring it all together, whether that’s a classic onion gravy, a peppercorn sauce, or a creamy wild mushroom sauce.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can even upgrade your bangers and mash pick’n’mix by having it all served inside a giant Yorkshire pudding.
Ye Olde Nags Head is a historic 17th-century pub, with a roaring fire in every room and cosy bedrooms upstairs.
Inside Ye Olde Nags Head pub in the Peak DistrictYe Olde Nags Head pub is near Mam Tor
It’s one of those flagstone-floored, beamed-ceilinged, mismatched-furniture type pubs that welcomes everyone in every state, whether you’re caked in mud from a hike or popping in on a coach tour.
Another of the pub’s specialties is the Derbyshire Breakfast, a hearty plate of sausage, smoked bacon, black pudding, free range egg, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
The pub also offers takeaway breakfast butties, so you can use it for both a pre-hike stop and a post-hike pint.
Given it’s just minutes from the ever-popular Mam Tor hike, this is one pub you’ll definitely want to add to your next Peak District day out itinerary.
The hillside farm in the Peak District making its own ice cream
Daisy Jackson
Did you know there’s a 300-year-old farm in the Peak District serving up some of the freshest ice cream you’ll ever taste? And yes, you can meet the cows that made it while you’re there.
Welcome to Hope Valley Ice Cream, a family-run gem where things are kept refreshingly simple: happy cows, proper farming, and seriously good ice cream.
Set in the heart of the Peak District countryside, this place is about as wholesome as it gets.
The ice cream is made on-site in the farmhouse, literally just metres from where the dairy herd are out grazing.
You can watch the animals, wander around the farm, and then tuck into a scoop or three perched on a milk pail stool, or a picnic bench (or even a decorative tractor).
Hope Valley Ice Cream has some amazing seasonal ice creams, like lemon curd, elderflower, and blackberry, alongside all the classics and a rather delicious tiramisu.
You can grab a cone, sit down with a coffee (again, made with milk from the nearby cows), or go all in with a freshly-made waffle if you’re feeling fancy.
Takeaway tubs from Hope Valley Ice CreamYou can get a mini pail of ice creamMeet the newborn calves at Hope Valley Ice CreamTuck into your ice cream on a milk pail stoolHope Valley Ice Cream
And if you’re the type who really loves ice cream? You can actually order a full pail of it, with four huge scoops plus whipped cream and sauce.
The farm itself is run by the Marsden family, who’ve been working this land for generations. It shows in everything – they’ve created a place that feels genuinely welcoming, not just another tourist stop.
Beyond the ice cream, you’ve got plenty of reasons to stick around. There are calves (including the newest tiny arrivals), plus donkeys and pigs to say hello to.
Whether you’re heading out on a hike or just fancy a drive into the Peaks, this is one pitstop that’s absolutely worth it – and honestly, it’s worth the trip on its own.
Danny Jones -
25th March 2024 
