Acclaimed Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In has just announced details of an exciting five month-long residency in Manchester city centre.
The Green Michelin Star restaurant, famed for its seasonal tasting menus and natural wines, will be opening a temporary concept restaurant and a series of events right across town.
Where The Light Gets In: A Play in the City will take over two venues (as well as the city streets) – The Bungalow at Kampus and community space Altogether Otherwise in NOMA.
It’s a bit of an unusual concept but just bear with us here.
Although billed as a ‘four-act programme’ that has been presented like a play (complete with scenes), this incredible project from Where The Light Gets In (WTLGI) is really a series of pop-up events, from workshops to dining experiences, across Manchester.
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The events will include a free night of natural wine and food, a conceptual pop-up fast-food diner, film screenings, walking tours, a pop-up restaurant, panel talks, and a full-blown banquet.
You’ll even be able to go litter-picking and trade in your bag of rubbish for a glass of wine.
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Where The Light Gets In: A Play in the City will run between 21 November and 30 March, kicking off for the first month with ‘A Man Eating A Leg Of Chicken’.
This will be a free-entry, no-reservations pop-up where you can drink natural wines and ‘gorge on shellfish and animals roasted over wood’.
There’ll also be weekend takeovers from WTLGI’s favourite labels and record shops at Altogether Otherwise.
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Altogether Otherwise in NOMA will be used as a venue for the Where The Light Gets In Manchester residency. Credit: Supplied
From early January until 2 February, Where The Light Gets In will turn The Bungalow at Kampus into a conceptual fast-food restaurant The Land of Cockaigne, from wood-fired burgers to ice cream floats to spritzy grape juice.
It’ll involve self-serve counters, name tags and sauce udders, with the option to order a takeaway with an automated phone service.
In February, it’ll be Une semaine de bonté (A WEEK OF KINDNESS) at The Bungalow, with a restaurant ‘dressed with the beginning of spring’ serving simple dishes celebrating the arrival of a new season and delicious wines.
And finally in March, there’ll be the Luncheon of the Boating Party banquets, where guests sit at one long table and eat family-style platters with plenty of wine.
Sam Buckley from Where The Light Gets In. Credit: Supplied
Alongside those four main events will be masses of foraging and gardening workshops, walking tours, Q&As and loads more.
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The intention of the concept restaurant and residency is to bring Where The Light Gets In’s passion for sustainability and great food right into the bustling city centre for five months that combine food, art, and urban living.
The restaurant team has asked: “Are we heading to a cataclysmic dystopia or can we rewrite the future?
“Set against the backdrop of the city of Manchester, this programme explores the tension between city life and rural tradition, asking critical questions about food systems, and our own identity within nature, the city, and the arts.”
Where The Lights Gets In in Stockport is headed up by acclaimed chef Sam Buckley and is easily one of Greater Manchester’s best and most exciting restaurants.
Tickets are available from midday on Tuesday 15 October.
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Full programme for Where The Light Gets In: A Play in the City Manchester residency
ACT 1: “A MAN EATING A LEG OF CHICKEN”
SCENE: A bustling Metropolis. When: Thursday to Saturday, 21 November to 21 December 2024, 5pm-11pm Where: Altogether Otherwise, NOMA, 6-10 Hanover St, Manchester M4 4BB What: We raid the cellars of WTLGI to bring you our favourite natural wines from the continent. Gorge on shellfish and whole animals roasted over wood. Weekender takeovers from our favourite labels and record shops. Welcome to your now. Welcome to the city. How: Free entry, no reservations
ACT 1 events highlights (running alongside): Opening night party: Living Room Dance Club 21st November 2024, 5pm-midnight Honest shop: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 12pm-4pm
ACT 2: THE LAND OF COCKAIGNE
SCENE: A fast food restaurant. When: Monday to Sunday, 10 January – 2 February 2025. 5pm-late Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL What: A conceptual fast-food diner. Churning out wood-fired burgers, ice cream floats and spritzy grape juice. It’s self-service counters, name tags and sauce udders. Eat in or take away using our automated telephone service. Grab a tray and find a seat, welcome to the future of convenient feeding: fast-paced and unlimited choice. How: Head HERE to reserve your seat, or order a takeaway for collection on our phone line. Open for walk-ins also.
ACT 2 event highlights: Film screenings. Altogether Otherwise DATE TBC Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint – Q&A with Douglas McMaster & Sam Buckley DATE TBC WTLGI X SILO MEAL Manchester Utopia – The Modernist walking tour
ACT 3: Une semaine de bonté (A WEEK OF KINDNESS)
SCENE: A pleasant garden; simple and sufficient When: Monday to Sunday, 3rd February – 2nd March 2025. 5pm-late Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL What: A clean and well-lit restaurant dressed with the beginnings of Spring. We offer a moderate choice of simple dishes carefully prepared with ingredients selected for their freshness and relevance to the time and place. A thoughtful selection of wines from small-scale producers. How: Head to HERE to reserve your seat. Open for walk-ins also.
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Act 3 event highlights: Panel discussion on the history of communal green spaces. Open Call for Manchester Chefs: Master Whole Animal Butchery with Samuel Buckley and Marcus of Littlewoods Butchers, followed by a meal for EatWell. TRIAGE: A Pickling walk-in centre. Drop in with your veg and we’ll help you to preserve it. 12-2 Friday. Film screening Altogether Otherwise Urban Foraging Walk & Litter Picking: A guided exploration of local green spaces, teaching participants to identify and gather wild edibles. Pick a bag of litter, get a glass of wine on us. Book tables with a stranger – In this act we encourage discussion and conversation around the dinner table. It is often the non-tangible delights that arouse pleasure and satisfaction.
ACT 4: LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY
SCENE: A long wooden table in the middle of a garden. ‘And if one day my wisdom should desert me – ah, it loves to fly away! – then may my pride too fly with my folly’ When: Monday to Sunday, 3 March – 30 March 2025. 5pm-late Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL What: Join us for a banquet to celebrate the finale of our residency in Manchester. Guests will sit at one long table and enjoy an array of dishes designed to eat family-style. Platters of vegetables, meats and fish will adorn the centre of the table. We will share, we will pour wine. How: Head HERE to reserve your seat at the table.
Act 4 events: Hand-drawn ‘fruit maps’ that plot the locations of fruit trees and foraging spots, growing on, or overhanging, public space in Manchester. Urban Gardening Workshop: Led by Manchester Urban Diggers, participants learn to cultivate their own urban gardens, regardless of space constraints.
The woodland coffee shop with amazing sausage rolls you can only reach on foot
Daisy Jackson
Hidden away among the trees on the banks of the River Mersey is a coffee spot you won’t stumble across while driving past. In fact, you can’t drive there at all.
The only way to reach the woodland hideaway that is Riverbank Coffee is by following a riverside footpath, from Urmston, Stretford or Sale.
The walk itself is absolutely beautiful, following the meanders of the River Mersey along footpaths that are always teeming with dog walkers, cyclists, and people out for a weekend stroll.
What began as a small coffee pod has grown into a charming outdoor café built from converted shipping containers, tucked neatly into the woodland beside the Trans Pennine Trail.
The owners have gradually added more and more picnic benches, pagodas, wooden booths and flower beds since launching in 2020, just as the nation emerged blinking from lockdown.
Now, you can pull up a seat beneath the trees, or tuck into the sheltered wooden booths with windows overlooking the river.
As idyllic as the location is, plenty of people make the journey for one thing above all else – the sausage rolls.
Packed filling of the homemade sausage rollHuge cookiesIced coffees and Biscoff blondies by the riverA selection of treats at Riverbank CoffeeWeather-proof wooden boothsIt’s set in woodland beside the River MerseyThe view from Riverbank CoffeeRiverbank Coffee can be reached through a 20 minute walk from Urmston
Riverbank Coffee has built quite a reputation for its generously filled homemade sausage rolls, which have become something of a local legend. They’re made by the team, which is also behind Riverbank Deli in Urmston, and I promise they’re worth every step of the walk.
If sausage rolls aren’t your thing, there’s plenty more on offer. The menu includes locally roasted coffees, thick milkshakes, hearty pies and pasties, warm toasted wraps and breakfast barms, alongside homemade cakes and sweet treats for anyone with room to spare.
Whether you’re planning a weekend walk, looking for a scenic pit stop on a bike ride or simply fancy discovering one of Greater Manchester’s more unusual cafés, Riverbank Coffee proves that sometimes the best places really are the ones you have to seek out.
The best graduation deals and freebies in Manchester this celebration season
Danny Jones
To all those completing their university degrees this year, first off: congratulations – and second of all, we’re sure you’re looking forward to making the most of all those graduation deals, offers and free stuff you can grab in Manchester this year.
We know we were when it was our time (longer ago than we’d like to admit…)
The post-graduation ceremony meal – hopefully at least one final meal your parents are happy to cover the bill for before sending you out into ‘the big wide world’ – is a truly special one, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t still look for savings where you can.
So, without further ado, here’s a list of graduate deals and freebies available in central Manchester for the class of 2026.
15 of the best offers and free things for 2026 graduates
1. Fenix – St. John’s
What is it: One of the best restaurants in Manchester, serving up plates featuring plenty of Greek heritage as well as modern-Mediterranean, elevated cuisine from one of the city centre’s fastest-growing neighbourhoods.
The offer: Special lunch menu noon until 3:45pm set at just £37.50 or sit down for dinner from £45.50; both include a complimentary glass of Prosecco, and you can even walk away with an engraved bottle of Champagne to take home with you. Available 1 July until 1 August – reserve your table while you can.
2. The Alchemist – Central, Spinningfields and Salford Quays
What is it: Manc-born mixologists and cocktail bar chain which started in Spinningfields, before opening on New York Street and beyond and going on to be a staple of the UK hospitality scene.
The offer: A complimentary ‘Cosmic Oyster’ for everyone around your table when booking ahead – you can do so HERE.
What is it: Stylish London-centric seafood and grill with Japanese and Robata-inspired cuisine, best-known for sushi, steak and their famous caramelised black cod dish.
The offer: Extensive sharing-style menu priced at £55 a head, including all the highlights and a gratis glass of Henriot Champagne for every guest, available until 24 July; you can reserve your spot now.
What is it: A canalside cornerstone of the Castlefield community, with a large outdoor terrace and beer garden, complete with a dedicated cocktail hut on busy sunny days, and two cosy floors inside.
The offer: Graduation set menu, with options for two or three courses and a glass of fizz on them, running from 6-31 July. Find out more.
What is it: Boutique city centre hotel just off Market Street offering numerous luxuries, including afternoon tea packages, set menus and more from the in-house restaurant, tender by award-winning chef Niall Keating, as well as various high-end rooms.
The offer: Free glass of cava with bookings, simple as that; available all throughout July and August.
What is it: Stunning, homely gastropub and bistro with multiple rooms across two floors, as well as a large terrace with various open-air and covered areas.
The offer: Happy hour drinks for your entire party and the chance to be the one lucky winner who’ll have the ENTIRE overdraft paid off in full by the team as part of a prize draw. Book and find the full terms and conditions right HERE.
Credit: The Manc
7. Piccolino – Central, Didsbury, Bramhall, Hale, Wilmslow and Knutsford
What is it: Popular British chain of Italian restaurants operated by the Individual Restaurants Group (IRG), with numerous locations across the country.
The offer: Graduates get a complimentary glass of champagne alongside their classic recipe tiramisu on the house. Booking in advance is advised.
What is it: Another one of the IRG brands, offering similar Italian cuisine as well as great deals and an expanded drinks menu.
The offer: Freshly crowned graduates dining from the special set menu can enjoy a bonus Bellini to toast their success.
Credit: The Manc
9. The Lowry – Salford
What is it: One of Greater Manchester’s most famous hotels, located right on the edge of the city centre, with a highly-rated bar and restaurant to boot. Needs no introduction really.
The offer: Those staying in town for their ceremony can enjoy a luxurious stay with 10% off the best available rate, plus 15% off food and drink, a complimentary bottle of Champagne, AND 50% off a second room for family members, too. A perfect package for out-of-towners – you can book HERE.
What is it: One of the best curry houses in all the region, specialising in contemporary Indian food and Pakistani flavours, too.
The offer: Their popular annual graduation deal is back for 2026, with the customary welcome drink making a return alongside a signature pudding to finish off; make sure to write ‘graduation’ and add ‘dessert’ in the booking notes. They’re also right near the main uni stretch, which is always handy.
What is it: ‘Feast of the Wise’ graduation menus are available from £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner, both including a complimentary glass of Prosecco
The offer: ‘Power of Wisdom’ set menu – £37.50 for lunch and £45.50 for dinner – with graduates receiving an ‘Elixir of Life cocktail’, or a complimentary glass of Prosecco.
Credit: The Manc
12. Browns – Central
What is it: A mainstay of the King Street strip, just around the corner from Cibo and The Rex hotel (another good option for those stopping over), specialising in British and European brasserie classics.
The offer: Receive a complimentary glass of Browns’ very own Champagne for the graduate and every accompanying guest, with two courses for £29 or a trio for just £36. You can book HERE.
What is it: Authentic Lebanese cuisine in a classy city centre setting, with covered outdoor seating and some great vegan options, too.
The offer: Graduates and guests can enjoy a 25% student discount, a wrap and fries offer for £10.95, or mark the occasion with a full ‘Graduation Feast’ for £32.50, including a free glass of Prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative. *This offer cannot be used alongside other offers, however.
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Credit: The Manc
14. Chotto Matte – St. Michael’s
What is it: A sky-high rooftop food and drink spot where Japan and Peru meet in an incredible fusion that makes for a fantastic culinary experience.
The offer: ‘Nikkei’ dining experience throughout July, with a curated sharing menu (£40pp/£35 for vegetarians) and a complimentary glass of Pommery Champagne for the graduates.
What is it: The Yorkshire-born brand now serving up us locals from their New York St site and arguably one of the best places for a posh tea or meal out no matter the occasion, with top-quality steak, seafood, bubbles and more.
The offer: Three courses with a glass of Prosecco on arrival for £55; you can even upgrade to the proper stuff – pay an extra tenner for Moët & Chandon Champagne for each person.
Daisy Jackson -
15th October 2024 
