Eats

Six by Nico launches master classes to help Manchester foodies create tasty dishes at home

Chef Nico Simeone is finally giving his loyal customers the opportunity their turn to become the chef.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th January 2021
Six by Nico

One of Manchester’s most unique restaurant concepts Six by Nico has this week launched its Masterclasses series to allow foodies to recreate the magic at home.

Chef Nico Simeone’s – the founder of the Six by Nico chain, which also has restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Liverpool – latest offering finally gives his loyal customers the opportunity they have been waiting for – their turn to become the chef.

Six by Nico Masterclasses aims to transport customers to the Six by Nico kitchens, where they will be able to immerse themselves in the culinary creation of Chef Nico Simeone’s “exquisite, saporous and high-quality restaurant dishes”, with everything from prepping, to cooking and plating.

Each master class box contains all the ingredients needed to make two brand new recipes, both of which are perfectly-portioned for two and come complete with half a bottle of wine for each recipe.

The Six by Nico Masterclasses will teach you how to “prep, plate and pair recipes that wow your friends and family”.

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With three restaurant-inspired courses to choose from every week, the recipes are designed for home cooking and will teach you how to build elevated dishes using a variety of ingredients.

As well as easy-to-follow instructions, Nico Simeone will also be on hand to help guide you through all the steps of his online video lessons, which are beautifully produced and will be streamed to Six by Nico Masterclasses’ private YouTube channel. 

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The Masterclasses series is the most immersive food experience yet from the initiative Scottish Chef, who opened his first Six by Nico restaurant in Glasgow in 2017. 

Six by Nico
Six by Nico

Speaking on the launch of Six by Nico Masterclasses, Nico Simeone said: “Unfortunately, because of the ever-changing constraints [making us] unable to open our restaurants, my team and I have adapted and curated a new culinary venture, Six by Nico Masterclasses. 

“It’s our most immersive project to date, starting from today in five cities in the UK. 

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“A very exciting time for our team and a fresh fun experience for our Six by Nico community to learn and build the best possible recipe book imaginable from home”. 

Masterclasses are now available to order for homes right across Manchester.

With a selection of new recipes added each week, you will be able to choose two to build your perfect box, with each recipe containing two portions. 

Prices start from £60 for four portions. 

Masterclasses offer a local delivery service within a strict five-mile radius of Six by Nico restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Manchester and Liverpool, or you can opt for the takeaway/pick up service from their restaurant locations.

You can visit the Six by Nico Masterclasses website to learn more and order your experience.

Eats

Inside the new Simpson’s-themed cafe that has opened in Manchester city centre

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

A new cafe with food and decor inspired by The Simpson’s has opened in Manchester city centre, and it’s already proving quite the mecca for fans of the satirical American cartoon.

Called Desert Island Dumplings, the new cafe – which sells a range of non-traditional vegan dumplings, salt and pepper chips, hash browns, and naughty noodles – can be found on the top floor of Affleck’s in the Northern Quarter.

Bursting with The Simpson’s memorabilia, the team has really nailed the theme here with a giant chalk blackboard reading: “I will not eat too many dumplings” over and over again.

This continues with retro school desks, a painted ‘blue sky’ ceiling, a Simpson’s scarf, and a Bart-shaped gaming monitor hooked up to an old Play Station and Game Cube (complete with the original Simpson’s Road Rage game and The Sims).

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

The cafe even boasts a larger-than-life mural of Homer disappearing into a hedge, taken from a 1994 episode of the show where Homer attempts to befriend his neighbour Flanders.

Speaking on the inspiration behind The Simpson’s theme, owner Lucy Linford told The Manc that one day a customer brought in a The Simpson’s scarf and ‘it just grew from there’.

She said: “Some people are a bit confused and I guess it is a bit weird, but it started because I do love The Simpsons and I do watch it a lot.

“The Simpsons thing just, like, evolved. Some guy came to Ancoats with that scarf to give me, and then we had that hanging up, and then it just came bit by bit.

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

“If anyone asks it’s kind of like, I wanted to open a cafe that I’d go to and I’d want to go to a cafe that had Simpson’s stuff, so I made that happen.”

As well as featured plenty of The Simpson’s memorabilia on its walls, the cafe also boasts a host of Simpsons-inspired dishes.

On its menu, you’ll find the likes of non-traditional dumplings in flavours like cheeseburger, salt and pepper chick’n and overnight blueberry oat, alongside the likes of drunken noodles, salt and pepper chips and salt and pepper hash browns.

Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats

Read more: A restaurant dedicated to garlic bread has opened in Manchester city centre

There are a bunch of Simpson’s-themed menu items, ranging from steamed hams to an array of combo boxes inspired by different characters in the show including ‘The Lisa’s Lunch Special’. ‘The Homer’s home Early Mega Box’, ‘The It’s All Coming Up Millhouse Special’ and ‘The moe Syzslak Mystery Mega Box.’

As for drinks, these are limited to soft drinks with favourites like Ribena and Coke available alongside delicious Columbian filter coffee, various teas and mugs of hot chocolate.

Read more: Walkers is opening a string of crisp butty cafes across the UK

To find out more about Desert Island Dumplings and plan your visit, make sure to follow the team on Instagram here.

Featured image – The Manc Eats

Eats

Walkers is opening a string of crisp butty cafes across the UK

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

We all love a crisp butty here in the UK. Or, at least 98% of us do, according to research conducted by Walkers.

There’s simply no denying how those crunchy slices of potato – be they deep-fried, air-fried or baked – add a lift to even the most humdrum sarnie.

So when we heard the news that Walkers is opening a host of crisp butty cafes across the UK we were pretty gassed, to say the least.

Locations are yet to be confirmed, with each shop set to run a unique menu of crisp-filled sandwiches alongside their own regionally-inspired offerings, reports The Hoot.

Loaded up with the likes of Quavers, Wotsits and Monster Munch, the new UK cafes will serve up the very best crunchy sandwiches created in collaboration with Max Halley, the guru behind the famous London sandwich shop Max’s.

Whilst most of the sandwich combinations are still being kept under wraps, we have heard talk of a fish finger Monster Munch hybrid with added chipotle mayo, Pic De Gallo and cabbage on focaccia, aka the ‘‘Might Monster Muncher’.

The decision to open the new UK crisp sandwich shops is inspired by Walker’s own research after the company discovered a whopping 98% of adults strongly believe that crisps make their sandwiches better.

Read more: A restaurant dedicated to garlic bread has opened in Manchester city centre

Philippa Pennington at Walkers said: “Last year the residents of Sandwich voted “Crisp In” as the winning combination, but this year we’re widening the debate to showcase the wide range of crisp and sandwich combinations – from classic Walkers crisps through to Wotsits and Monster Munch.

Read more: The landmark pub with Lemn Sissay poem painted on the side has been demolished

“With Walkers Sandwich Shops located across the UK, we’re calling on people to head to their nearest shop, taste the sandwiches and have their say online by sharing their favourite combination from the menu, or favourite crisps to enjoy in a sandwich.”

Featured image – Wikimedia Commons

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