With Shrove Tuesday just around the corner, we’ve already got pancakes on the brain – and there’s one particular spot in the city centre that always ticks the boxes for us.
First opened in Manchester in 2013, Moose Coffee is a long-time city centre favourite. A sort of North American greasy spoon, this all-day breakfast spot is beloved amongst local foodies and always seems to have a queue stretching out of the door.
Inside you’ll find Canadian favourites like homemade grilled potato hash topped with eggs and streaky bacon, alongside sweet French toast and fried chicken waffles drenched in maple syrup.
It’s all amazing, but today we want to focus a little attention on the pancakes – because they really are worth shouting about.
Think large homemade pancakes mixed with chopped smoked sausage and streaky bacon and topped with fried eggs and served with butter and Canadian maple syrup, alongside stacks with a choice of toppings and fillings ranging from blueberries to chocolate and hazelnut spread, ice cream, bacon and maple syrup and more.
The menu at Moose Coffee is heavily inspired by the founders’ travels in American and Canada, and owners cite iconic New York breakfast spots like Pershing Deli at the south end of Grand Central Station and Comfort Diner on 45th Street as key influences.
As a result, there’s a long list of Moose Benedicts alongside classics like savoury, smooth and buttery comfort food Grits and fried hash.
But for those who like their brunch extra sweet, there’s also a host of fluffy pancake stacks slathered in the likes of homemade salted caramel, peanut butter and chocolate, plus classics like maple syrup and bacon.
In fact, the original site on York Street has proven so successful that in 2017 the team opened a second in the city centre – moving into Piccadilly Approach right in the path of thousands of commuters.
Having first begun life in Liverpool in 2006, the group now also boasts sites in Leeds and has worked to secure something of a grip on the north west’s breakfast crowd.
Using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, all fruit and veg is sourced locally in Manchester with bread baked daily over in Stockport courtesy of The Dutch Bakery.
Meat, meanwhile, is sourced from responsible farmers in the Lake District and Waterloo.
Moose Coffee’s pancake stacks are honestly the size of a decent Victoria sponge – which is just how it should be.
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
Georgina Pellant -
8th February 2024 
