Eats

These Manchester restaurants will prepare takeaway Christmas dinners to make your big day less stressful

And, there's no washing up either.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 19th November 2020
Trof NQ

Two of Manchester’s beloved independent eateries have announced the launch of a takeaway Christmas Day service to make the festive period a little less stressful.

Tucking into a hearty meal is no doubt one of the real highlights of Christmas day, but having to adequately plan and prepare for the whole thing to go off without a hitch, and then ensure everything is cooked to perfection, is really quite the task.

It can stress even the best of us out.

Which is why both Trof and Herd – two popular restaurants in the heart of the Northern Quarter – have today launched a service that lets you place an order for your Christmas dinner to be pre-made and collected to take all that worry away.

How brilliant does this sound?

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With “no pre-dinner stress, no big shop and more importantly, no pots to wash” Trof’s Ultimate Christmas Dinner Kit can simply be collected from the restaurant from Christmas Eve – between 10am – 4pm – and then all you’ll need to do is follow the super-simple reheat instructions for a delicious three course meal.

To start, you can chose from Celeriac & Apple Soup (truffle oil, chives) or VEChicken Liver Pate (winter chutney, sourdough toast), for the main course, it’s a choice of either Roast Cheshire Turkey (roast potatoes, bread sauce, pigs in blankets, gravy), or Mushroom & Cranberry Wellington (roast potatoes, gravy, seasonal vegetables), and then for dessert, it’s either Christmas Pudding (with brandy sauce), or Buche De Noel (chocolate yule log) with dark chocolate sauce.

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The Ultimate Christmas Dinner Kit is priced at £35 per person, and includes a bottle of Prosecco for two people.

Trof NQ

Designed to “take the stress out of Christmas day cooking” with everything prepared as much as possible so you can “enjoy more time out of the kitchen and more time getting merry after this dreadful year”, Herd’s Christmas Trimmings Hampers could be a real lifesaver.

Each hamper comes loaded with everything you need to accompany the perfect Christmas dinner.

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You can take your pick from a hamper for two (£35), four (£55), or six people (£75), and if you feel like pushing the boat out a little further, you can also add on a Herd fillet of beef wellington to you hamper for the ultimate Christmas feast.

The Christmas Trimmings Hampers are available to purchase now for collection from the 22nd – 24th December and will come with full reheating and cooking instructions, plus a little Christmas treat.

Herd NQ

Not only does this concept take huge weight off your shoulders at a busy time, but it’s also a great way to help out local / independent hospitality businesses when they truly need it more than ever and are feeling the lasting effects of lockdown.

This is brilliant and unique way to do your bit for hospitality if you can this year.

You can find out more information about Christmas offerings and place your orders via the Trof NQ website here, and through the Herd NQ website here.

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The Manc Group has partnered with Deliveroo to help local restaurants deliver during lockdown as part of our #StillServingMCR campaign.

Working alongside Deliveroo, The Manc will ensure all restaurants on the service will get the amplification they need across our social platforms. We’ll update our one million-strong audience on your latest updates and deals and we’ll create conversations with the masses about our favourite scran from your menus.

Basically, we will champion you, and we will go above and beyond to do it.

You can find out more here.

Eats

The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub. Credit: Supplied

Well-known pub group The Head Of Steam has revealed plans to take over a prominent Northern Quarter site.

The craft beer brand will move into the Grade II-listed building that was (very briefly) home to the Lamb of Tartary gastropub, which sadly shut down after just six months.

Prior to that, the landmark building was the home of Cottonopolis.

It’s been empty since Lamb of Tartary shut down more than a year ago, but now The Head of Steam is swooping into Manchester city centre to bring it back to life.

Their plans include 30 beer lines (24 keg and six cask), augmented reality darts, live sports across six screens, and a dedicated pop-up kitchen from a local operator, also making its debut in Manchester City Centre.

Spanning 2,800 sq ft, there’ll be space for 180 guests, with a design that will mix ‘industrial character and Northern warmth’.

It sounds like there are changes in store from the Lamb of Tartary days – there’s talk of a striking circular central bar, surrounded by exposed brickwork and restored original features.

Behind that bar you’ll be able to enjoy a UK craft beers, plus a vast collection of Belgian beers, alongside a rotating selection of cans and bottles, as well as a fresh cocktail menu and quality spirits range.

The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub. Credit: Supplied
The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub. Credit: Supplied
The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub. Credit: Supplied

The Head of Steam was established back in 1995 and is part of Camerons Brewery. The group already has 15 venues across 13 cities, including an existing Manchester pub out in Didsbury.

Mark Connor, Head of Operations & Brand for The Head of Steam, said: “We’re excited to be joining the Northern Quarter community and to bring our favourite UK brewers, alongside classics from our extensive Belgian range, to this vibrant part of the city.

“The location is incredible, and being able to offer something new and exciting to the area is fantastic for us.

“We can’t wait to open our doors later this year, meet our neighbours, and become a part of this iconic area of Manchester.”

The Head of Steam will open at 16 Newton Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.

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Featured image: Supplied

Eats

Chorlton’s Horse and Jockey is reintroduced to the suburbs after stunning transformation

Danny Jones Danny Jones Horse and Jockey refurb Chorlton

The much-loved Horse and Jockey in Chorlton is back open for business following a major and marvellous refurb, which has seen the heart and soul of the pub restored to its former glory.

Opening just in time for the bulk of cosy boozer season, we’re about to spend A LOT of time in here.

As announced this past summer, the south Manchester favourite has been taken over by the impressive hospitality team behind the similarly revived Black Friar in Salford.

With an impressive culinary pedigree to boot, the ‘new and improved’ Horse and Jockey was always bound to be a hit with critics and natives alike, we just weren’t expecting them to knock it quite so far out of the park – or, in this case, Chorlton Green.

Giving the already gorgeous 200-year-old structure a new lick of paint and then some, the new Horse and Jockey looks set to reassert itself as one of the prettiest, cosiest and tastiest pubs you’ll find in central Manchester.

Benefitting from sitting just outside the city centre, you’ve still got plenty of footfall from those who have seen Chorlton become a foodie destination all of its own, and those who have lived there all their lives.

Yes, you’ll still find plenty of old boys sipping their well-deserved pints and dogs curling up on the carpets here.

Now boasting up to 82 covers outside in the familiar evergreen beer garden, with table service in the summer, you can see this being a go-to spot for grub and a reliable watering hole for all year-round.

It’s also worth noting that it’s a pretty roomy venue inside as well, with an entirely refurbished upstairs seating area and a dedicated private dining space now, too.

horse and jockey refurb
The Horse and Jockey is glistening once again ahead of reopening this month. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Other touches we especially liked are bringing Chorlton Pale Ale – which used to be brewed right here in the Jockey itself prior to Covid – back on draught. It may be made elsewhere nowadays, but we’re glad to see it being shipped back to and served out of its ancestral home.

And it just gets better.

As well as supporting the local art scene by sourcing works from Greater Manchester creatives, they really are aiming to make this a community cornerstone.

They’ve taken the holistic idea of a public house right back to its roots, providing not only a place to meet, eat and drink for regulars, but also a real social outlet right in the middle of the suburb.

It’s also about supporting and celebrating traditional British pubs and the Northern working-class culture that goes along with it.

There’s still a recognisable style and familiar feel to the Horse and Jockey refurb. (Credit: The Manc)

The majority of the furniture is even salvaged from the pubs we sadly lost up and down the country, not to mention other businesses that have unfortunately closed post-pandemic and the continuing struggles facing the industry.

We’re lucky to have people like this putting drinks in our hands and keeping our bellies full, so we’re glad that they’re doing what they can to pay homage to those who have come before them as well.

Perhaps most heartwarming is that not only have they kept pre-existing staff in post during the switch-over, but they’re all welcoming back familiar faces from the past. Once again, this is about championing the beauty of British pub culture in all of its facets.

This is a proper foodie pub at its core, boasting cosy vibes just in time for the colder months; they even restored three of the five original fires that used to burn through the autumn and winter back in the day.

Bookings are live already, and if you’ve tried the Sunday roast at The Black Friar, you expect this place to fill up just as quickly – we’d reserve our tables early if we were you…

The food offering is substantial, filling and full of flavour. (Credit: The Manc Eats)

This may be a big rebrand and transformation, but there are also still the same old Joseph Holt favourites on the taps for those who love the classic lineup, and they’ve even used their ‘Trailblazer’ stout glaze on one of their cheesecakes. Safe to say, they have our undivided attention with that one.

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Owner Neil Burke, who formally acquired The Black Friar two years ago and now heads up the revamped Horse and Jockey, said of the reopening: “I have a personal history with the Horse & Jockey and it’s always held a special place in my heart.

“It’s such a beautiful building, but it hasn’t been shining the way it should in recent years. As a local myself, I felt Chorlton deserved a proper foodie pub – somewhere that delivers brilliant food in a setting that does justice to the building’s history.”

To top things off, they’ve got Michelin-trained head chef Paolo Bianchi leading things in the kitchen.

Read more:

“The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I’m proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team”, says Bianchi. “After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I’ve really fallen in love with.”

“My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit.”

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As for your job, it’s simple: expect great, hearty pub grub classics elevated to a gourmet level, with all the welcoming warmth of a traditional English pub.

This isn’t just a metropolitan boozer trying to be a country-style pub; the Horse and Jockey is a Chorlton gem reborn. It opens on Monday, 20 October, and you can guarantee you’ll be seeing us there.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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