Eat Well MCR has officially launched ‘Marketplace’ – an online shop selling produce and meal kits from the region’s best restaurants, growers, producers and makers – today.
The Marketplace comes after a successful six months for Eat Well MCR – launched by founder Mary Ellen McTague in response to the growing food crisis worsened by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – and will see all the profits generated go directly back into Eat Well MCR’s other focus of producing and distributing meals for the vulnerable in the Greater Manchester region.
This his new one-stop-shop will feature a star lineup each week of top quality fruit and veg from Manchester Urban Diggers, selected cuts from Littlewoods Butchers, cheeses from the renowned Courtyard Dairy, gorgeous natural wines, and they’ve not forgotten the treats either, with Krum, Siop Shop and Pollen are all involved too.
Every week, different restaurants – Honest Crust, The Creameries, Elite Bistros and Tampopo – will also offer the best ready meals and meal kits you’ll ever get your hands on.
Pippy Eats’ notoriously difficult-to-snag crispy chilli oil will be available alongside Into the Gathering Dusk’s intricately crafted homemade vermouths and concoctions, ready to be poured over ice whilst you wait for the oven to warm up.
ADVERTISEMENT
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF1u5ZZA-J0/
In bringing the best in local produce, provisions and delicious booze to your door every week, Eat Well MCR is able to direct all profits into continuing their work for the Greater Manchester community and provide nutritious meals cooked with love to those most in need.
The organic veg boxes and locally farmed meat are sourced from within a 50 mile radius of Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
This allows the collective to extend their support to the region’s farmers and the wider supply chain, who are all caught up in the collateral damage caused by the impact the COVID-19 crisis has had on the hospitality industry.
Speaking on the launch of Marketplace, Mary Ellen McTague – Founder of Eat Well MCR – said: “We are so proud of what we created during the lockdown.
“Since we started all this, two things have become very clear to us – firstly that we couldn’t lose the momentum we had gathered; we have an incredible group of people doing incredible things. And secondly, the businesses in our collective have thankfully reopened so we knew it was imperative to evolve in order to continue.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Food inequality is endemic in Greater Manchester and we are not about to walk away from that.
Thanks to those fabulous people who have supported us and bought through the Eat Well Marketplace. We love you 🧡 pic.twitter.com/SMuOUq9FQX
She continued: “Manchester is ringed by wonderful growers, producers and makers.
“We also wanted to shine a light on them through the Marketplace, and support our local food economy during a tough time whilst holding our main goal of helping to tackle food inequality at the heart of what we do.”
Orders for the first round of deliveries from the Marketplace can be placed between 12pm on Friday 2nd October – 5pm on Monday 5th October, with the first deliveries being fulfilled on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th October.
Click-and-collect services from Cloudwater Brewery will also be available on these dates.
You can find more about the Marketplace from Eat Well MCR here.
Eats
Michelin Guide restaurant OSMA is officially reopening in a brand-new location
Daisy Jackson
OSMA, the Michelin Guide-listed restaurant that closed the doors to its Prestwich restaurant last year, is set to make an epic comeback.
The much-loved restaurant has finally announced details of a new location, with acclaimed founders Danielle Heron and Sofie Stoermann-Naess moving into the Northern Quarter.
Set to open this autumn, the OSMA team will also be launching Boutikk, a grocer and provisions shop right next to the new restaurant.
Danielle and Sofie will be bringing the magic that made the restaurant so beloved in Prestwich into the city centre, blending Sofie’s Norwegian upbringing with Danielle’s classical culinary training.
When it launches at One Port Street, OSMA (which is a portmanteau of Oslo and Manchester) will have a menu of fresh seafood, local meats, seasonal vegetable dishes and the much-loved sharing Sunday roast.
While Danielle will oversee the kitchen, Sofie will lead the front-of-house and Boutikk, where customers will be able to pick up top-quality local produce.
You’ll be able to grab seasonally sourced veg, dairy, fruit and fresh meat and fish, as well as chat to chefs for advice on how best to cook everything on your shopping list.
Boutikk will also have freshly baked Scandinavian-style bread, with a retail space inspired by the shopping traditions of Sofie’s native Oslo.
As well as earning a place in the prestigious Michelin Guide, OSMA’s success in its former home in Prestwich led to Danielle taking part in both Masterchef: The Professionals, and Great British Menu, where she reached the finals in both shows.
OSMA is moving in to the Northern Quarter. Credit: Jon Parker LeeOSMA food while they were in Exhibition. Credit: The Manc Group
Since closing in Prestwich, they operated for a time out of the luxury food hall Exhibition – but now it’s time for their own site again.
Of the opening, Danielle and Sofie say: “We’re so delighted to be reopening OSMA, we’ve missed it every day and to be bringing the restaurant back into such a vibrant part of the city centre is beyond exciting.
“We will miss our community in Prestwich but we’re only a couple of miles down the road!
“Bringing a shop like Boutikk to Manchester has been a dream for such a long time – we feel that there is a need and a want for this kind of produce in the city centre so when it became apparent that we could create something alongside OSMA we jumped at the chance!”
Adam Price from One Port St’s developer, Select Property adds: “Osma has made a remarkable impact on Greater Manchester’s dining scene in a short space of time, and we’re proud to be partnering with them on this exciting new chapter.
“Their new home at One Port St is a natural fit – we share a commitment to community, quality and creativity, and this collaboration reflects our ambition to bring something truly fresh and inspiring to the Northern Quarter.
“It’s also a key part of our vision to curate an exceptional lifestyle offering for residents. In addition to indoor and outdoor working and socialising spaces, spa and wellness facilities, and panoramic views of the city, residents will have direct access to one of Manchester’s most exciting culinary destinations – all without leaving the building.”
A rosé festival where your ticket includes unlimited wine is returning to Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A festival dedicated to rosé wine is making a return to Manchester this summer – and your ticket includes unlimited wine.
This year marks the third year of The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival, which has quickly become a staple for all Mancunian wine-lovers.
This outdoor festival will transport you to a French vineyard, with acoustic live music from La Chanteuse, and a setting in amongst the leaft Kampus gardens. Even your four-legged friends are invited to the party.
Head on down to absorb some of that sunshine and get your hands on unlimited glasses of more than 20 different rosés, orange and sparkling wines, sourced from across the world.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or just like the sound of some fizz in the sun, this garden party has plenty of new wines for you to try.
Sit back and relax, chat with suppliers, and if you choose to, you can purchase bottles of some seriously top-notch wines at exclusive reduced rates.
You can expect wines from Raymond Reynolds (Portuguese Wines), Alliance Wines, Hammonds of Knutsford, and Boutinot.
Beeswing in Manchester will host the rosé festival again. Credit: The Manc Group
In the run-up to the festival, The Beeswing are also holding various other opportunities for us to try some delicious wines, including an English Wine Tasting next Sunday.
Wine Tasting with Gusbourne – 28 June – Celebrate English Wine Week at an exclusive tasting experience from 4-6pm, with five Gusbourne wines and some nibbles. Tickets cost £40.
Click HERE to secure your Wine Tasting with Gusbourne tickets.
The Rosé Festival – 4 July – Hosted on the Kampus gardens in Manchester from 12.30pm-3pm. Tickets cost £35 and include unlimited wine and a welcome drink.
Tickets sold out quickly last year and booking in advance is necessary to attend.