A new vegan pasta restaurant has opened in The Royal Exchange, bringing entirely plant-powered plates to Cross Street as it takes over the former Vertigo site.
Called Pastan, inside diners can expect to find a variety of handmade pasta dishes and other delicacies, all made with premium ingredients and cooked in full view of the restaurant.
Serving a fully plant-based menu, favourites include the likes of loaded, deep-fried gnocchi, Dolce Vita (vegan carbonara), Green Velvet (a pea and shallot ravioli dressed in a salsa verde) and Catalonia (black cavatelli pasta made in a rich tomato sauce, spiced with apricot harissa and rosemary).
Image: Pastan
Image: Pastan
Elsewhere, pasta fans can dig into vegan Buffalo ‘mozzarella’ as part of its Portafina starter – a vegan spin on the popular Caprese, with added tomato, basil and olive oil – or opt for a shitake caesar salad, made with pulled exotic mushrooms, cashew ‘parmesan’, deep-fried gnocchi, Heura ‘chicken’ nuggets, lardons and vegan mayonnaise.
Dishes on the menu are set to change according to the season, and Pastan has partnered up with Carbon Free Dining – an environmental initiative that enables restaurants to mitigate the environmental impact of their meals by planting life-changing fruit trees in the developing world.
Speaking on the new opening, Pastan Co-founder Jerome Ibanzes-Fawcett said: “Our love for food, fresh pasta, our concerns about sustainability, and passion for the hospitality industry was the driving force behind the creation of Pastan.
“We think Pastan will be a great addition to the already thriving vegan community in Manchester”.
Image: Pastan
Image: Pastan
Co-founders Dean Fawcett and Jerome Ibanzes-Fawcett have worked in the hospitality industry for over twenty years.
After the success of their pop-ups in Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, Notting Hill and Bristol, they opened their first permanent restaurant in Barbican, London. In addition to their brand new Manchester site, the pair plan on opening more locations in Bristol and Brighton towards the end of 2022/ early 2023.
Their new location, nestled in the heart of Manchester in The Royal Exchange, boasts a relaxed and cheerful vibe with aalk-ins and bookings both welcome.
To find out more and book a table, visit Pastan’s website here.
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
The Manc -
22nd November 2022 
