Just a couple of days before European football’s flagship tournament finally kicked off on 11 June, and long before the Three Lions ended a 55-year wait to beat Germany in a knockout game, we decided it was time for a championship of our own.
One the people of Manchester could all play a part in.
Here at The Manc, we’re always keen to know where you stand and to hear your take on the topics that truly matter most to our city and our culture – we are the people’s voice of Greater Manchester after all.
Illustration by Dom Oliver
Mancunians have proven to be quite the outspoken bunch, and arguably nothing draws opinion more than our unique Manchester dialect.
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It’s just one of the things that makes us so great – but what is the best Mancunian slang word?
There’s been endless debate over the years, with plenty of gems thrown into the mix. But we were determined to finally get to the bottom of this once and for all – and never have the people of our region come together in such numbers to cast their votes and crown the winner.
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After over two weeks of head-to-head clashes and more than 60,000 votes cast in total, The Manc audience crowned ‘angin’ as the best Mancunian slang word of all time.
There really aren’t many words more Manc than ‘angin’, it has to be said.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with this corker, its definition loosely translates to “a word to describe someone or something particularly unpleasant” according to the Urban Dictionary, or even “a sick feeling that comes after consuming too much alcohol or food at an earlier time” according to Time Out, and it can be used in a multitude of contexts.
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It beat other Manc slang classics including ‘bobbins’, ‘brew’, ‘swear down’, ‘r kid’, and ‘mither’ to run away with the title as the best of the best.
Over 60,000 crowned ‘angin’ as the best Mancunian slang word of all time / Credit: Twitter (unknown)
But how did ‘angin’ come to claim its crown then?
Well, instead of simply posing the question ‘what’s the best Mancunian slang word?’ and combing through thousands of different responses to decipher a winner, we decided to take inspiration from the beautiful game and first narrow it down to 16 Manc slang gems.
Each of the 16 words then went up against each other in rounds, with our loyal audience on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram voting for their favourite out of the two and eliminating the others in the mix.
Just like any good competition, there were quarter finals, semi finals, and a grand finale.
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‘Angin’ was up against ‘r kid’ – usually used to describe a sibling or mate – in the final round, but it bagged just enough of your votes to clinch the win from its close rival.
And there you have it.
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This may have been the first ‘Mancunian Championship’ we’ve hosted, but it certainly won’t be the last, so if you’re keen to have your say in future competitions, then keep an eye on our social platforms over the coming weeks.
‘Rooted in India, made in Manchester’ – Punjabee Deli has big designs on the local food scene
Danny Jones
Launching a few months ago, this recently opened Indian deli, cafe, eatery and hangout concept is still in its infancy, but the brains behind this are not the new kids on the block here in Manchester: welcome to Punjabee.
Founded by Sapna Kumar, a familiar face on market stalls across Greater Manchester and across the North West, not to mention the owner of the well-known dessert brandVanilli’s, she’s one of the biggest characters you’ll ever meet.
And, you know what? Sometimes you have to be. This second-generation Indian-Mancunian is a would-be mother to many, as she considers lots of her loyal customers part of her extended family.
And now it’s time to put herself first for once. As she puts it, she’s no longer content just serving up everything for everyone else on a platter for free. Now she’s “ready to spice things up.”
No stranger to a soundbyte or a pithy tagline of her own – after all, she’s been working in this business for well over a decade now – the food speaks for itself, and as well for the vision of this place as she does.
Quite literally putting the bee in Punjabi (you’ve got to admire pun-game like that), this local-born mum of three and extremely dedicated indie trader is as much tied to her Manc soul as she is to herIndian heritage, and she’s all about bringing a ‘home to the plate’ approach.
Remember that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats that simple dish, and it takes him right back to his childhood and that feeling of being back in your kitchen/living room? That’s precisely the feeling she’s going for. In fact, we’d argue she’s already achieving it.
Many of her relatively small but equally hard-working crew are not only young people looking to get experience, but also existing hospitality staff who were left out of a job due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and obstacles facing the entirefood and drink sector.
But in the matter of just a few weeks, they’ve been trained up to help make authentic butter chicken, daals and pasandas that people take home for a truly hearty tea, samosas, pakoras, bhajis, Punjabi pasties, all of which are gradually drawing in more and more regulars each week, and so much more.
The mixed Indian snack selection alone is great value for money, and their stuffed lunch wrap for just a fiver is one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere in town on your dinner hour.
In fact, all the well-packed portions aren’t just well-presented in pristine air-tight packaging; they’re also super filling and satisfying, from the wide variety of homemade curries to the fruity lassis canned in-house. Everything is made in the prep kitchen around the corner, before being fridged next door.
You can tell how much experience this outfit has when it comes to catering and scaling up operations, as Sapna is also the baker behind Vanilli’s spin-off,Cake Bar Co., which she started during the pandemic on top of her other projects simply out of boredom.
The girl seemingly doesn’t sit still for even a second, at least not when she’s running these entrepreneurial arms, anyway.
Credit: The Manc Group
Her plans for thedeli and currently daytime-only eatery serve as yet more proof; the team are looking to deck out the space even further, with a bigger cabinet of wooden shelves to turn their already charming deli corner into an even fuller shop.
And then there’s a larger room downstairs of what used to be an old hairdresser’s: she’s keeping coy on that front for now, but let’s just say there’s a great bit of space to work with.
One thing we really appreciate is her acknowledging that going out for a meal, a drink, or even just a coffee is more expensive than ever.
With that in mind, she’s taken her mum’s sage advice and is keeping prices as low as possible, with the likes of the cheap bites at noon, chai for just £1 or totally FREE from 11:30am-2:30pm – an offer that is already starting to draw in steady crowds of meeting up even for a chinwag.
The stylish and colourful nook with bench-seating, cushions, coffee tables, decorated shelving and traditional jaali-style windows that simultaneously transports you elsewhere while making you feel like you’ve been invited into her front room for a brew and a bite to eat.
Let’s be honest, there are few better feelings than that kind of welcome.
Speaking to The Manc, she can never resist a good bit of wordplay, telling us: “We’re putting the chai [tea], back in community” – of which, like everything else, is all made completely in-house, by the way.
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Whilst trying to restore that sense of kindness and compassion that she fears might be slowly slipping away, she also says she’s not scared of mixing up the market anymore, both literally and figuratively.
Once a mainstay of the Ancoats Makers’ Market among many others, not to mention the vendor we know to boast two stalls at Stockport’s monthlyFoodie Friday event, she started with a love for baking and made it into a successful passion project.
Now she’s turned making small little pots of curry for her peers on artisan stalls and farmers’ markets into her next venture, and she no longer feels like she’s here to compete: “I am the competition”, she says, “and I’m ready to stir the pot.”
You’d be forgiven for getting slight Heisenberg vibes for a second there, but trust, if you pop intoPunjabee and meet this vibrant, funny and extremely driven woman in person, you’ll see for yourself that she’s all about positivity, moving forward and maximising good vibes.
She’s even looking into karaoke and supper clubs, as well as extending the opening hours on Friday evenings, on top of already being open seven days a week.
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Whether you’re stopping by for a cup of chai or taking out, you won’t be disappointed.
She still remembers playing ‘kerby’ out on the streets of Manchester and people gathering to eat their favourite scran, the sense of occasion people felt when paying a trip to the old Italian-style patisserie that they eventually took over.
Something that really stuck with us was this overarching idea that “through food we come together”, and she’s absolutely right.
We can’t wait to see how this place grows over the next year, and we sincerely recommend you come along to Radium Street and give it a try.
Lastly, we’ll sign off by telling you one final thing: translated into English, Sapna means ‘dream’, and this lady sure is thinking big.
The incredible Asian food market held every month at an 800-year-old church in Stockport
Daisy Jackson
One of Greater Manchester’s most unique food events is taking place monthly in and around the grounds of an 800-year-old church.
Held on the second Friday of every month at St Mary’s Church in Stockport, the Asian Food Market brings together some of the region’s best independent Asian street food traders under one historic roof.
Organised by Eat Good West, the event brings together 16 traders every month, serving up dishes from across Asia.
Visitors can tuck into everything from crispy Taiwanese fried chicken and Korean corn dogs to homemade strawberry mochi.
A real highlight is the Japanese yakitori skewers, grilled fresh to order on a traditional charcoal grill while you wait, served in a cloud of smoke and delicious charred edges.
The market originally launched in Edgeley, but after growing in popularity it moved to St Mary’s around a year ago, giving organisers more space to accommodate the increasing crowds.
For the team behind the event, it’s about more than just great food. They see the market as a way of bringing together Stockport’s diverse communities, creating a space where people can connect over shared meals and discover new cultures through food.
Strawberry mochiA round of drinks for £10Sticky fried chicken
There’s a lively atmosphere throughout the evening, with live music performances adding to the experience. And if Manchester’s unpredictable weather makes an appearance, there’s plenty of additional seating inside the church.
The bar also serves a selection of Asian beers and soft drinks at surprisingly affordable prices. We picked up an Asahi, a Singha and a plum beer for just £10 – one of the best-value rounds we’ve seen in a while.
If you’re looking for an excuse to spend your Friday evening eating your way across Asia without leaving Stockport, this is one event worth putting in the diary.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2021 
