Food & Drink

A Christmas cocktail trail is coming to Manchester next month

Called ‘The 12 Serves of Christmas’, every cocktail sold will provide a meal for a person in need

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 29th November 2021

A Christmas cocktail trail is coming to Manchester, bringing together some of the city centre’s best independent bars for the ultimate festive booze-up.

Even better, it’s all for a good cause – with a percentage of the sales from each drink going to help local charity The Mustard Tree, which works to help Manchester residents living in poverty.

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Put together by spirits brand The Public Spirit in partnership with some of Manchester’s top cocktail bars, the city-wide festive drinks trail will take you from Ancoats to the Northern Quarter, down Peter street, then onto Albert Square before finishing on Deansgate.

Bars taking part in ‘The 12 Serves of Christmas’ include The Jayne Eyre, NAM, Cocoa Cabana, Elnecot, Mecanica, Reserve at Mackie Mayor, La Collina, Feel Good Club, Haunt, Motley, Jimmy’s, and Speak in Code.

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Each will work with either the Golden Aged rum or the salted toffee-flavoured Original Spiced rum to create winter favourites like rum hot chocolate, mulled wine, espresso martinis and more throughout December.

A map showing the location of each bar on the Christmas cocktail trail / Image: The Public Spirit

The award-winning Ancoats rum company is already known for giving away a quarter of its profits to local causes including food banks, community projects and mental health charities.

Founded in lockdown by Manchester couple Olly Walker and Naomi Flaherty, the brand has community spirit at its core – as the name suggests.

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Now it’s doubling down for Christmas, having teamed up with twelve different bars for the Christmas cocktail trail – ensuring that each drink sold will provide a meal for someone in need in the city.

Co-Founder Naomi Flaherty said: “It’s the time for giving and good spirit, so what better than enjoying incredible drinks and helping others while doing it.”

“Over the festive period The Public Spirit has committed to donating at least 2,500 meals for people in the city with every bottle they sell giving four meals.”

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Co-Founder Olly Walker continued: “It’s so exciting to work with these fantastic venues and hopefully it can help us to smash our target. We can’t wait to try them all!”

Every drink sold on the Christma cocktail trail throughout December will give money to local homelessness and poverty prevention charity The Mustard Tree, which has three hubs across Manchester and Salford.

Food & Drink

Manchester chosen to host British Street Food Awards for 2022

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant


Every year, the British Street Food Awards highlights the very best chefs from the scene – and this summer, the northern heat will be held right here in Manchester.

Hosted by Manchester’s biggest and friendliest street food operator GRUB in partnership with newcomer Circle Square, the city will welcome the Northern Heat of the British Street Food Awards (BSFA) on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 August.

This year, the line up includes local favourites Unagi street food and suhi, 2020 Best Burger winners Porco and Kara’s Kitchen, who is known for serving up paellas with a twist.

Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied

That’s not all. You’ll also find authentic Sri Lankan food from Archchi’s, Posh Street Food from former Master Chef Professional Matei Baran, Shoot The Bull, plus more from Ted’s tacos, Skullduggery, Pellizco and DOSA.

Taking place at Circle Square from 12 noon until 8pm, across two days some of the best street food traders in the region will come together for the event with a fully-stocked beer bar from North Brewing Co.

Read more: A new axe-throwing bottomless brunch is coming to Manchester – and there’s 100 free tickets

Food fans will have a chance to sample some of the best street food traders from across the region and cast their votes for the People’s Choice over the weekend alongside a stellar line-up of judges, including former BSFA champion Claire Kelsey of Ginger’s Comfort Emporium inside Afflecks.

Image: Posh Street Food
Image: Kara’s Kitchen

The event in Manchester will mark the last of four regional heats, at the end of which the winners will be chosen by the general public and expert judges.

The winners will then go on to the grand finals in London next month.

Read more: Inside Ornella’s, the tiny Tameside pasta kitchen that’s getting everything right

On the Friday 26 August, GRUB will also host a smaller collection of street food vendors to help build up the excitement for the awards the following day.

The weekend of street food at Circle Square is free to attend and will take place from 26 to 28 August just off Oxford Road.

Feature image – Food Unagi / Supplied

Food & Drink

Manchester’s Stranger Things-themed bottomless brunch adds more dates

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant

There’s a new bottomless brunch in Manchester, and it takes inspiration from the hit Netflix tv series Stranger Things.

The popular show, now in its fourth season, has become something of a cult classic amongst its followers, so when Rendition announced last month it would be hosting a one-off ‘upside down’ bottomless brunch event fans clamoured to get tickets.

The event was so in demand it sold out completely last time, so now, Rendition has revealed that it will be bringing back its Stranger Things-themed brunch for another weekend in August .

Bringing the hit TV show to life with themed drinks, 80’s fashion and a solid all-vinyl soundtrack, the specially-exnteded event will take place on Saturday 13 August from 12-4pm.

Image: Rendition MCR

Fans of the Netflix favourite can step into the world of Stranger Things with Joyce’s fairy lights on the walls, Jonathan’s vinyl collection for the classic tracks and even the Hawkins high 80’s fashion on all members of staff – with customers invited to get involved too.

With a select number of ‘golden tickets’ on offer, those who act fast can 90 minutes of non-stop Stranger Things-themed cocktails and a brunch dish of their choice for just £15 per head.

For those who don’t manage to get their hands on one of these, the brunch will be priced at £30 per person.

Drinks on offer as part of this specially-extended Stranger Things-themed brunch will include a special Stranger Things-inspired upside-down cocktail.

Read more: Inside Ornella’s, the tiny Tameside pasta kitchen that’s getting everything right

This limited edition cocktail, comprised of Beefeater gin, dry vermouth, grenadine, lemon juice, cranberry and elderflower, will be served literally upside down in a substantial feat of drinks engineering.

Image: Rendition MCR

Further drinks on offer from Rendition’s theatrical-style cocktail menu, meanwhile, will include Red Hot Fun, made up of Ciroc red berry, cranberry and chilli, and The Dance, which consists of vanilla vodka, strawberry and bubblegum. 

As for food, guests will be able to choose a dish each from the new brunch menu, which features a host of tried and tested favourites including homemade guacamole on toast with red onion and coriander, 8oz rump steak and eggs, eggs benedict and eggs florentine, all paired with bottomless booze. 

Read more: The Hong Kong greasy spoon-style cafe in Prestwich selling milk tea and toast

Diners can currently head to Rendition’s website and sign up to be sent a golden ticket for £15 each, ahead of this Saturday’s brunch. Please note that tables will need to be booked in advance to use the discount. 

Feature image – Rendition MCR

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