The Botanist is already famous for its super-sweet hanging pancake kebabs, but this year the team has decided to create a new version for those who prefer the savoury side of life.
The Botanist has brought back its signature sell-out special (which goes viral every time it’s launched) for the whole month of February to celebrate Shrove Tuesday – and it’s safe to say fans are getting pretty excited about a brand new option on the menu.
Called the ‘All American’, we’re talking fried chicken and maple bacon, miniature hash browns. sriracha mayo and, of course, heaps of fluffy miniature pancakes to sandwich it all together, hanging from skewers.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Served with extra sriracha sauce for drizzling down the pancake ‘kebab, beneath it sits a bowl of tiny fluffy hash browns just waiting to catch up all that flavourful maple bacon and fried chicken goodness.
Sweet tooths, meanwhile, can opt for The Rocky Road – comprised of Biscoff and Oreo rocky road chunks, fresh strawberries, thick chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
Alternatively, there’s also The Chocolate Orange – offering a Pancake Day twist on the festive Terry’s favourite with giant brownie chunks, an orange Brandy sauce and a bowl of vanilla ice cream to catch it all underneath.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
All hanging pancake kebabs are served with complimentary pots of sauce, and those looking to go all out can also opt for an extra shot of Liquor 43 for an added boozy kick.
All hanging pancake kebab specials are available until Tuesday 28 February, leaving you plenty of time to get down and get your chops around then. The only question that remains is: sweet, or savoury?
Manchester favourite Nell’s to open new site for New York-style pizza, karaoke and shuffleboard
Daisy Jackson
Much-loved New York-style pizza joint Nell’s has announced big plans for a brand new location – they’re heading to MediaCity.
Nell’s are stepping things up a notch with the move, adding in private karaoke booths, shuffleboard tables, and a huge outdoor terrace in their new site.
Nell’s MediaCity is set to open this autumn, promising 22-inch New York-style pizza (also served in gigantic slices), frozen margs, and ice cream sandwiches.
There are already several spots around Manchester where you can get a slice of Nell’s, including their restaurants at Kampus and in Altrincham, the OG Northern Quarter site in Common, and at The Beagle in Chorlton.
And now it’s Salford’s turn, with plans unveiled for the team to expand over to MediaCity’s quayside Orange Building.
Nell’s co-founder Jonny Heyes said: “We’ve been thinking about MediaCity for a long time, it’s such a great area and we’ve seen what brilliant operators like Kargo have achieved so when this space came up, we jumped on it!
“The venue is huge which has given us the chance to really play with the experience.
“This idea of karaoke and shuffleboard accompanying our made-for-sharing pizzas and great cocktails feels like a natural next step for us as a brand.”
Nell’s have also partnered with Deliveroo and Slerp to send 14-inch and 22-inch pizzas far and wide.
The new opening is expected to create more than 35 new jobs, and as Common & Co has twice been named in the Times 100 Best Places To Work list, you might want to check those out HERE.
These viral sensations are a plush toy created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, who drew inspiration from his love of fairytales to create a character with bunny-like ears, large eyes and big smiles.
They’re swinging off handbags all over the UK at the minute and people are queueing for hours for the latest Labubu drops.
At Sweet Dreams, they’re making edible chocolate Labubus using a special mould flown in from Japan.
Each one has a pistachio kunafa filling and is painstakingly painted by hand.
And that brings us neatly to the next viral craze at play here – Dubai pistachio chocolate.
An army of pistachio chocolate LabubuInside a chocolate pistachio Labubu
Kunafa is a staple in Middle Eastern bakes and pastries but hit the global mainstream last year when thick chocolate pistachio bars stuffed with it went viral online, spawning countless dupes and inspired specials.
And finally, chocolate covered strawberries – hardly a new invention, but this simple dessert has rocketed in popularity especially in food hotspots like Borough Market in London.
Head into Sweet Dreams and you can build your treat from the base up – choose white or milk melted chocolate for your strawberries, layer on pistachio kunafa, then top with either a milk or white chocolate Labubu.
A slightly daft novelty? Yes. But that doesn’t stop them being delicious.
This is the only place in the UK currently selling Dubai pistachio chocolate Labubus.
Georgina Pellant -
21st February 2023 
