There’s a van on Oxford Road serving up coffee INSIDE donuts, and we’re officially obsessed with the whole idea.
Called Vanoffee, it’s been a fixture up in Altrincham for a while already but has just landed here in Manchester city centre – parking up near the Manchester Metropolitan University campus for the first time last week.
Stationed outside All Saints Park, whilst you’ll find a host of hot drinks and other sweet treats on offer here the main draw is the team’s signature coffee in a donut, also known as a doughnoffee.
Giving serious affogato vibes, we’re talking plump, sugar-covered donuts that are hollowed out and covered in your choice of iscoff or Nutella, then filled with freshly-brewed espresso and hot, steamed milk.
Finally, the doughnoffee is topped off with a generous squirt of whipped cream, some chocolate sprinkles and a straw (yes, a straw) to slurp up all that sweet, creamy Biscoff-flavoured coffee goodness.
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Image: The Manc Ea
Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find three different luxury hot chocolates in white, milk and dark, classic coffees like espresso and americano, alongside the likes of matcha lattes with vanilla, turmeric lattes with black pepper and cinnamon-style chai lattes.
Add to that cold drinks like iced coffee, peach, passionfruit and green iced teas, and cakes ranging from cookies and brownies to packets of crisps, and it’s a perfect little lunchtime stop off for an afternoon pick me up.
Founded by April-Rose Kennedy, the business has now come full circle – returning to the place where it all began with its first city centre site outside Manchester Metropolitan University.
Commenting on the new opening, Kennedy said: “At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to get my van into Manchester city centre. Anyone who knows me, knows how hard this was to keep a secret.
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“After a lengthy application process and council hearing, I am excited to announce I have secured a street trading spot on Oxford rd outside All Saints Park next to Man Met Uni.
“I can’t believe I have come full circle to where my brand was founded on Oxford road.”
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
‘Manchester’s best lunch deal’ that’s only available for two hours a day
Daisy Jackson
There’s a cafe in the centre of Manchester that’s had queues all the way down the street thanks to its incredible value lunch deal.
Although it’s been in Spring Gardens for two years now, Meridian has remained one of Manchester’s best-kept secrets online, thanks to its decision to stay totally off social media until recently.
That hasn’t stopped the queues though, and they’re all here for the same thing – a loaded £5.80 lunch box.
Tucked away just off Market Street, Meridian is an unassuming cafe operated by founder Dan.
It’s much more than a coffee shop, with a menu of Asian fusion dishes served in the cafe, as well as for grab-and-go lunches.
The lunch boxes start from just £5.80, which gets you a box absolutely packed to the brim with delicious Chinese and South East Asian items.
You start off with a base of either egg rice fried, chips, or noodles; then lash on a sauce like Malaysian curry, Thai sweet chilli, or satay.
Meridian in ManchesterThe Meridian lunch boxes in Manchester
As for the toppings, there’s a massive list including popcorn salt n chilli chicken, Japanese gyozas, roasted pork ribs, tofu bites, and crispy spicy beef.
Plans officially submitted for ‘vibrant’ new food hall in Wythenshawe
Emily Sergeant
Are you feeling hungry? Good, because a new food hall is on the horizon.
That’s right – plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic have taken another exciting leap forward this week, as Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse have submitted a planning application to bring a brand-new food hall to the town.
Set to be housed within the three units next to the former Peacocks store – which has now been demolished – the new food hall will become a ‘vibrant’ destination for independent and local food vendors to attract people with ‘delicious and diverse’ offerings.
Developers also hope the new food hall will keep the suburban Manchester town’s centre ‘bustling’ throughout the day and into the evening.
The announcement that the new food hall is in the works comes as part of the already-announced plans for Wythenshawe Civic – with work to soon begin on everything from the public realm, and outside space, to the vacant office space above the existing Iceland-store, which will also be transformed into modern new workspace to support local start-ups and bring new jobs into the town centre.
Developers also recently submitted three separate applications to create 422 new affordable homes for social rent across three locations in the town centre.
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub. A place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show or enjoy the cinema space – right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe Town Centre.”
Joel Chandler, who is the Senior Development Manager at Muse, added that developers are ‘moving at pace’ with plans to give the town centre the ‘regeneration it deserves’.
“The food hall will be a hive for a range of local outlets and will provide new spaces for the community to spend time in and give the town’s nighttime economy a major boost.”
Georgina Pellant -
28th April 2023 
