A superfan of the iconic Manchester band The Smiths has decided to pay homage to them in one of the most genius ways there is.
By giving a nod to them in the name of his new business venture.
Madchester music fanatic Max Paley has opened up a curry house celebrating his favourite band – named This Charming Naan – with dishes also named after some of their most famous songs, including Girlfriend In A Korma and How Saag Is Now?
The 25-year-old Smiths superfan – who is originally from Oxford – sells 20 dishes with lyric-inspired names from a kitchen he rents inside the Retro Bar music venue on Sackville Street in the heart of Manchester city centre, and the food is even endorsed by band members too, with former The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce naming a dish on the menu – Last Night I Dreamt That Some Bhaji Loved Me.
In what will surely be music to the ears of the meat-free among us – Morrissey included – the new restaurant is completely plant based.
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The restaurant opened for takeaway in December of last year, and Max has plans for customers to eventually be able to sit-in and eat among Smiths’ memorabilia with their tunes playing in the background when the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown restrictions are finally lifted.
Max – who previously ran a music venue – had just six months’ experience working in a kitchen before starting the business venture.
He opened March and hoped to run it as a restaurant and a festival van, but both plans were halted due to lockdown, and so as a plan B, he opened as a pop-up stall at the street food hub Hatch in Manchester city centre through the summer, going on to earn rave reviews from customers and deciding to open up again before Christmas.
The two-man operation – Max and his pal Joe, who do all the cooking and take all the orders – has seen orders flood in from music fans in the city.
Max added: “I have been going to music festivals since I was 12 and I’d always had a dream of taking a food truck to festivals. I was thinking of ideas with a friend a few years ago and I had the idea of This Charming Naan and wanted to get a food truck together of that name.
“We opened as a restaurant last March and two days later, lockdown hit so we had to stop.
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“I fully intend to go around the festivals in This Charming Van as soon as we can and as soon as festivals can start up again.
“We opened again as a takeaway on December 1 and business has been good, but the reaction has really blown me away.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6tJ6UAfp0/
He continued: I grow the menu organically whenever I want to update it,”
“I’ve taught myself to cook using the internet and videos.
“I’m a vegan, but I don’t push the vegan aspect of the restaurant to the forefront, it just is what it is. I’d rather people judge the food for what it is.
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“We started off with just a few dishes like Girlfriend In A Korma and Madras is Murder.
“As I expanded the menu, I tried to keep it to just Smiths songs, but it’s too hard thinking of them all to fit, but most of them are named after songs from Manchester bands.
“I had to go with a Jimi Hendrix song for a dish called Vindaloo Child.
“Supergrass is included on the menu as a little ode to Oxford, they are one of my favourite bands and they are from my hometown.
“My favourite dish to cook is Heaven Knows I’m Masala Now or Vindaloo Child, because I’m a spice man [and]I like making spicy dishes.”
This Charming Naan is currently delivering across Manchester via Deliveroo and Just Eat, and you can read the full menu via the restaurant’s website here.
You can also keep up to date with the restaurant as it grows on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Eats
The new BBQ restaurant beneath a Manchester railway arch where meat is cooked very, VERY slowly
Daisy Jackson
There’s a new BBQ spot beneath a railway arch in Manchester, and it’s cooking its meat very, very slowly.
Sandy’s Smokeshed has just opened in Castlefield, where Sam – and his smoker, Angela – are serving up serious Texas-style BBQ, with queues already stretching out the door.
The idea is simple: take great cuts of meat, cover them generously in seasoning, put them in the smoker and give them all the time they need.
That means beef shin smoked over oak and cherry for 10 hours, eight-hour smoked beef chuck and the Boston Butt, alongside brisket, short ribs, chicken and plenty more.
Sam has always been a fan of BBQ, but decided to take things rather more seriously when he bought the enormous smoker now sitting underneath the arch. It’s a serious piece of kit, cooking the meat from all directions and producing the kind of results where everything practically collapses in your hand.
And the location only adds to the atmosphere. While you’re eating, trains rattle overhead, giving the place an appropriately industrial Manchester soundtrack.
Sandy’s Smokeshed is beneath the arches in CastlefieldOwner Sam seasoning his pulled porkJuicy, pull-apart chicken
The BBQ comes with plenty of proper sides, too, including pit beans and slaw, plus garlic BBQ sauce for pouring over the top.
There are also some particularly good sandwiches, made with Holy Grain sourdough from next door and filled with pulled pork, steak, or braised ox shin.
Sandy’s Smokeshed kicked things off last weekend with a free food, BYOB feast, and judging by the queues, word has travelled quickly.
It’s open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am – but only until they sell out.
Vegetarians, look away now. Everyone else, you’ll want to get there early.
‘A very special day’ – Northern Quarter institution The Trof added to Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Just months after relaunching as a classic pub and dining room, Northern Quarter icon The Trof has been added to the prestigious Michelin Guide.
The long-standing Manchester bar has always been a firm favourite locally for after-work drinks, brunches, and Sunday roasts, but underwent something of a transformation back in April.
Now rebranded from simply ‘Trof’ to ‘The Trof’, the pub has a new, refined menu of British pub classics showcasing top local produce, under the steer of Matt Nellany and Jamie Pickles, of Stow fame.
The pair’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed – just months after its relaunch, The Trof has already landed a spot in the Michelin Guide.
The guide described it as a ‘welcoming’ and ‘no-nonsense’ spot that’s perfect for a lot of things, whether it’s a pint downstairs in the bar or a full meal upstairs in the dining room.
The Trof now joins a list of Manchester’s finest restaurants, including Michelin-starred Skof and Mana, Bib Gourmand-rated spots like El Gato Negro and The Sparrows, plus a raft of other brilliant food spots.
Sharing the achievement, The Trof said: “To think that our little pub on the corner of the Northern Quarter has made it in to the Michelin Guide – makes today a very special day!
“This one’s for the whole team. Up The Trof.”
Downstairs in a refurbished The TrofThe Trof’s new dining room
And adding to that, co-owner Matt Nellany told us: “Trof has been a huge part of my life for almost a decade. I worked here as a manager and General Manager before Jamie and I took ownership, so while the venue has evolved, it has always felt incredibly personal to us.
“We’ve always tried to build on the strong foundations that made Trof such an institution, but earlier this year we made the bold decision to take it in a new direction as a heritage pub and dining room.
“It wasn’t a change we made lightly. Trof was already thriving, but we had a clear vision for what it could become and felt compelled to take that next step. While the transformation may have happened over the last few months, the work and ambition behind it have been building for the best part of five years.
“Seeing the response from our guests has been incredibly rewarding and has made the risk worthwhile.
Pie and steak at The Trof in ManchesterA cherry and pistachio Bakewell pudding
“Whether people have joined us for a pint and a scotch egg, dinner in the dining room, or a Sunday roast, the support we’ve received has meant the world to us. It’s a project we’re immensely proud of, and it’s really special to see both long-time regulars and new visitors embracing this next chapter of Trof.”
The Michelin Guide said: “From its name alone, you could guess that there’s a no-nonsense approach to this red-brick pub in the city’s bustling Northern Quarter.
“Run by the same team as Stow, it’s a welcoming spot where the ground-floor pub is ideal for a pint and a snack, while the upstairs dining room is the setting for mightily appealing British dishes that come with full-force flavour.
“Ox cheek pie with mash and an intense beef sauce is typical of the kind of hearty cooking to expect. As the chef-owner is from the Peak District, expect some version of a Bakewell tart on the menu too.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th January 2021 
