There’s no denying that ‘at home’ kits have really taken off this year, and of course, there’s no denying why that is the case either.
They are the revolutionary new wave dining experiences born out of lockdown.
‘At home’ / D.I.Y kits allow you to become the chef of your favourite restaurant from the comfort of your own home, with the ingredients for delicacies you know and love delivered right to your front door.
And just as England gears up to exit out of its second national lockdown, and Greater Manchester prepares to enter back into Tier 3 restrictions from the start of next month, the good news is that ‘at home’ / D.I.Y kits will be sticking around for a little bit longer.
There’s plenty to get yourself stuck into, so we’ve rounded up 12 of the best on the market.
From the creators of Six by Nico – with a popular Manchester city centre home on Spring Gardens – Home by Nico menus will deliver a restaurant experience that “gives you a taste of culinary delights from around the world in the comfort of your own home”.
Now delivering right across the UK, Home by Nico will explore 12 new cities with 12 exciting menus, so you can expect your home dining experience to be “rich in culture and filled with explosive flavours”.
Up until 31st December 2020, you can experience the Taste of Bangkok for just £60 (x2 people).
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You can find more information and grab your Home by Nico – Taste of Bangkok experience via the Six by Nico website here.
— NORTHERN SOUL GRILLED CHEESE ? (@NorthernSoulMcr) November 10, 2020
Northern Soul is “grilled cheese done right”.
And with the help of the the home-cooked ingredients G.I.Y (Grill It Yourself) kits, isolating Mancs can whip up sandwiches in their own homes and it’s already proved to be a dizzying success – even scooping the award for ‘Best DIY Home Kit’ at the 2020 Manchester Food & Drink Awards.
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Christmas is on the horizon too, so Northern Soul has tweaked the kits to give them some fresh, festive flavour.
As well as the star-of-the-show Crimbo Dinner Pack, there are four other fantastic-sounding festive options, including the Signature Soul Secret Santa, the Classic Flava kit (including roast ham & pickle; caramelised red onion chutney; and ‘Mac Attack’ w/ Jalapenos), the Get Your Goat (with goat’s cheese and chutney), and The New Yorker (with pastrami, pickles and pretzels).
You can find more information and grab your G.I.Y Kits via the Northern Soul website here.
Wood at Home’s Five Course Tasting Menu is your chance to treat yourself, your family, or a loved one to indulgent night and have a bit of fun plating these beautiful, tasty and carefully-created tasting dishes.
A part of the Autumn offering, the Five Course Tasting Menu for Two – Standard, Vegetarian or Vegan – boxes comprise all the pre-prepared ingredients needed and full cooking and plating instructions, and wines recommended by Wood’s sommelier can also be ordered, as can the hugely-popular cheese board.
Everything you need for a very special ‘night out’ meal at home from £95.
Menus must be ordered for delivery on Friday or Saturday.
Collection is available from the Manchester city centre restaurant on Saturdays only between 9 – 11am.
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You can find more information and grab your Five Course Tasting Menu experience via the Wood Restaurants website here.
Rudy’s Bake at Home pizzas have been hugely popular during lockdown.
Believing Neapolitan pizza to be the best in the world, Rudy’s dough is made fresh daily using Caputo 00 flour – which has been left to ferment for at least 24 hours – alongside the best quality ingredients imported twice a week from Naples, including San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella.
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So of course, the Bake at Home pizzas are hand-made by pizzaiolos using those same fresh ingredients as the award-winning restaurant uses in the pizzeria itself.
The Bake at Home range is available at all Rudy’s restaurants for nationwide delivery, or click and collect.
Grandad’s Sausages’ DIY Boxes are currently available for delivery all around Manchester.
As well as the Classic Edition – which features everything you could wish for from a hot dog box – the real stand-out is the Breakfast Burger Boxes, made up of brioche buns, Olde English sausage meat, Bury black pudding, eggs, cheese, ketchup, mustard, and streaky bacon.
Each box contains enough for two ‘big boy’ burgers or four singles, and they are now available to order directly for home delivery on Fridays and Saturdays.
You can find more information and grab your DIY Boxes here.
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Blue Caribou Poutine Kits
£11 – £15
? We’ve tweaked the look of our kits and our cooking instructions. We love them and hope you will too! ??? Grab any of our kits and other delicious Québecois treats from our web-shop today! Remember: Spend over £35 and your shipping is free. ????#quebecpic.twitter.com/SbwNYyiHY0
There’s also plenty of sides and extras available to order for delivery as well if you fancy taking your homemade poutine to the next level, and delivery is free if you spend over £35.
You can grab your Poutine Kits from the Blue Caribou website here.
Proove @Home kits have everything you need to recreate the restaurant’s signature pizzas yourself.
Each kit comes with a part-cooked Proove pizza dough (vegan and gluten-free options available), and a mix-and-match selection of any toppings from the menu – featuring the finest and freshest ingredients – all boxed up in a convenient little parcel ready to pop in the fridge and cook later.
They couldn’t be more perfect for cosy nights in, weekend treats, or pizza-making fun with the kids.
All you need to do is order online for home delivery, or pick up your Proove @Home pizza parcel from one of the restaurants local to you.
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You can grab yours via the Proove Pizza website here.
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KALA Bistro at Home
£95 – £368
Last orders for our Christmas Day at Home boxes is 6/12/2020 at 4.00pm, but we only have capacity for about 40 more orders, so which ever happens first really!https://t.co/zS3ODRRhHxpic.twitter.com/gik0IwTY1t
The new Elite at Home offering by Elite Bistros – home to Manchester’s KALA Bistro – gives you the chance to enjoy the fine dining experience without leaving the house.
All you’ll need to do is provide the atmosphere and charming conversation, and KALA will deliver the food – which will have been prepared for you to finish simply in your own kitchen – right to your front door. Drinks can also be arranged, and plus, they have made some recommendations for wines that work well with particular dishes too.
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You really won’t be spoilt for choice with this menu, and you can bag yourself free delivery on all orders over £80 too.
Find more information and order your Elite at Home Bistro dining experience here.
Hawksmoor has been working hard since lockdown began to bring its unique dining experience into homes nationwide with the Hawksmoor at Home series, offering easy-to-make meal kits and some of its most popular cocktails mixed by bartenders, along with special edition spirits and different products added regularly.
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The original Steak Fillet Box (£125) has proven so popular over the last few months that now, Hawksmoor has taken a Christmas twist.
The Festive Box is now available to order, and inside is everything you need for an easy-to-prepare steak night.
Pre-dinner cocktails are followed by smoked salmon and champagne, fillet steaks with sides, Hawksmoor beers and a bottle of Pulenta Malbec, and finished off with a huge sticky toffee pudding to share. It also comes with easy-to-follow instructions and a bar code to access videos by Matt Brown – Executive Group Chef at Hawksmoor – for anyone needing extra help with cooking.
The Hawksmoor at Home – The Festive Box starts at £105, and you can grab yours here.
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Pizza Punks
Bake at Home, PUNK DoughIY & Xmas Pizza Party in a Box
Creating your own sourdough pizza at home has never been easier with one of Pizza Punks’ home-cooking kits.
The Bake at Home and PUNK DoughIY kits includes two 48-hour proofed sourdough bases, San Marzano tomato, basil & garlic Sauce, and mozzarella, plus you can then choose four from the 25 toppings on offer, including some festive specials like pigs in candied blankets, garlic and sage turkey with Stuffing, and shredded sprouts with bacon.
There’s loads of other wacky toppings too, from onion bhajis to chocolate pulled beef.
The Xmas Party Starter kit also features some killer in-house cocktails, as well as Christmas playlist that can be downloaded straight from the pizza box to create the ultimate at home party.
You can grab yours for home delivery nationwide via the Pizza Punks website here.
Maray at Home allows you to experience authentic Middle Eastern-inspired food “from your gaff”.
The Maray at Home Kits are suitable for carnivores, veggies and vegans and generously serve two people, and you can select either Lamb Kofta with Cherry Puree and Green Tahini. or Aubergine Shawarma with Tahini and Date Balsamic Glaze as the main component of your box.
All boxes come with pepper cashews, whipped goat’s cheese with pickled grapes & breadsticks (muhammara for vegan option), hummus and flatbreads, pickles, falafel sharer kit, and tabbouleh fattoush.
Finished off with a lemon & lime posset with candied pistachios (chocolate tart for vegan option).
The Burger & Lobster DIY Kits provide you with fresh restaurant produce delivered straight to your door, alongside all the trimmings to cook to perfection at home.
You can become “the master of your own kitchen” using the step-by-step video tutorials that will guide you through getting the best out of your kit, and to accompany these videos, Burger & Lobster has also put together a collection of cooking instruction cards, which you can download and print off to make life even easier.
Both Lobster Roll and Original Burger kits are available from £22 for nationwide home delivery.
Get your hands on them via the Burger & Lobster website here.
Eats
Chorlton’s Horse and Jockey is reintroduced to the suburbs after stunning transformation
Danny Jones
The much-loved Horse and Jockey in Chorlton is back open for business following a major and marvellous refurb, which has seen the heart and soul of the pub restored to its former glory.
Opening just in time for the bulk of cosy boozer season, we’re about to spend A LOT of time in here.
With an impressive culinary pedigree to boot, the ‘new and improved’ Horse and Jockey was always bound to be a hit with critics and natives alike, we just weren’t expecting them to knock it quite so far out of the park – or, in this case, Chorlton Green.
Giving the already gorgeous 200-year-old structure a new lick of paint and then some, the new Horse and Jockey looks set to reassert itself as one of the prettiest, cosiest and tastiest pubs you’ll find in central Manchester.
Benefitting from sitting just outside the city centre, you’ve still got plenty of footfall from those who have seen Chorlton become a foodie destination all of its own, and those who have lived there all their lives.
Yes, you’ll still find plenty of old boys sipping their well-deserved pints and dogs curling up on the carpets here.
Now boasting up to 82 covers outside in the familiar evergreen beer garden, with table service in the summer, you can see this being a go-to spot for grub and a reliable watering hole for all year-round.
It’s also worth noting that it’s a pretty roomy venue inside as well, with an entirely refurbished upstairs seating area and a dedicated private dining space now, too.
The Horse and Jockey is glistening once again ahead of reopening this month. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Other touches we especially liked are bringing Chorlton Pale Ale – which used to be brewed right here in the Jockey itself prior to Covid – back on draught. It may be made elsewhere nowadays, but we’re glad to see it being shipped back to and served out of its ancestral home.
And it just gets better.
As well as supporting the local art scene by sourcing works from Greater Manchester creatives, they really are aiming to make this a community cornerstone.
They’ve taken the holistic idea of a public house right back to its roots, providing not only a place to meet, eat and drink for regulars, but also a real social outlet right in the middle of the suburb.
It’s also about supporting and celebrating traditional British pubs and the Northern working-class culture that goes along with it.
There’s still a recognisable style and familiar feel to the Horse and Jockey refurb. (Credit: The Manc)
The majority of the furniture is even salvaged from the pubs we sadly lost up and down the country, not to mention other businesses that have unfortunately closed post-pandemic and the continuing struggles facing the industry.
We’re lucky to have people like this putting drinks in our hands and keeping our bellies full, so we’re glad that they’re doing what they can to pay homage to those who have come before them as well.
Perhaps most heartwarming is that not only have they kept pre-existing staff in post during the switch-over, but they’re all welcoming back familiar faces from the past. Once again, this is about championing the beauty of British pub culture in all of its facets.
This is a proper foodie pub at its core, boasting cosy vibes just in time for the colder months; they even restored three of the five original fires that used to burn through the autumn and winter back in the day.
Bookings are live already, and if you’ve tried the Sunday roast at The Black Friar, you expect this place to fill up just as quickly – we’d reserve our tables early if we were you…
The food offering is substantial, filling and full of flavour. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
This may be a big rebrand and transformation, but there are also still the same old Joseph Holt favourites on the taps for those who love the classic lineup, and they’ve even used their ‘Trailblazer’ stout glaze on one of their cheesecakes. Safe to say, they have our undivided attention with that one.
Owner Neil Burke, who formally acquired The Black Friar two years ago and now heads up the revamped Horse and Jockey, said of the reopening: “I have a personal history with the Horse & Jockey and it’s always held a special place in my heart.
“It’s such a beautiful building, but it hasn’t been shining the way it should in recent years. As a local myself, I felt Chorlton deserved a proper foodie pub – somewhere that delivers brilliant food in a setting that does justice to the building’s history.”
To top things off, they’ve got Michelin-trained head chef Paolo Bianchileading things in the kitchen.
“The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I’m proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team”, says Bianchi. “After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I’ve really fallen in love with.”
“My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit.”
As for your job, it’s simple: expect great, hearty pub grub classics elevated to a gourmet level, with all the welcoming warmth of a traditional English pub.
This isn’t just a metropolitan boozer trying to be acountry-style pub; the Horse and Jockey is a Chorlton gem reborn. It opens on Monday, 20 October, and you can guarantee you’ll be seeing us there.
The best foodie freebies you can get in Manchester on your birthday
Danny Jones
Nothing says ‘Happy Birthday’ quite like free food and drink simply for being born, especially when you can get it right here on your doorstep in Manchester, don’t you think?
There’s no doubt tonnes of different places that do special complimentary offers on your big day throughout the 10 boroughs, but that inevitably gargantuan list is for another day.
For now, we thought we’d simply put together a quick and easy round-up of the best birthday freebies you can get in and around central Manchester.
You can thank us later when you’re all full up and your wallet isn’t even the tiniest bit lighter.
Places that offer free stuff on your birthday in Manchester
1. Money off at J.W. Lees
Start your birthday off right with a pint from one of Greater Manchester’s most famous beermasters: J.W. Lees Brewery, who’ll give you a tenner off when you visit the bar on your birthday.
All you have to do is quickly sign up for their mailer to get your £10 voucher; they’re also the legend behind the ongoing Boddingtons revival, so you already know how best to spend it.
Next up is a Manc favourite that’s never shyed away from dishing out the odd freebie – spoilers, but it usually involves some kind of chicken…
In all seriousness, be it free wings for students with ‘Yard Card’ or kids eating at no cost when the adults book in a family meal, the kings and queens at the Coop are always looking out for us Mancs. It’s not different on you’re birthday either, when you get a free main meal by signing up to the newsletter.
Next up, you’re going to need something to wash down all that lovely salty fried chicken, so why not queue up some cocktails at Simmons over on Deansgate?
These still relatively recent London exports are so kind as to offer a £25 bar tab when you book a table with them for your birthday; you can sort yours HERE.
4. Nell’s Pizza freebies
Ok, so now you’ve whetted the whistle and can probably line up your next bit of scran – we’re assuming you’re going to do what we do and cram all these into one single day – so it’s time to grab some pizza at Nell’s if you ask us.
Better yet, not only are their slices reasonably priced, but you can also cop yourself a voucher free ‘Birthday Cake’ flavour (yes, the pretty one with the sprinkles) ice cream sandwich when booking online. You’ve also got a new venue you can enjoy this deal at, too.
We’ve had a free ice cream sandwich at Nell’s in Manchester on our birthday for at least the last three years.
5. Bonus baked goods at Gail’s
If a little ice cream sandwich hasn’t quite satiated your sweet tooth, then you’ll be glad to know that the growing presence of Gail’s Bakery in Greater Manchester not only involves some unreal tastes and smells, but some brilliant birthday freebies, too.
For those who are members of Gail’s Loyalty Programme, where customers can also collect stamps to earn back coffees, cakes and more completely gratis, you are also entitled to a free sweet from their baker’s table treat during your birthday month. Say no more.
Question is, which treat will it be?… (Credit: The Manc Group)
6. Good old Greggs
Room for more dessert (they do say it’s a second stomach, after all)? Well, if there is, you can’t go wrong with a Northerner’s first love: Gregg’s, who also keep things nice and straightforward by simply congratulating you on being born by giving you a free sweet treat you can claim via the app.
Oh, and by the way, I was once genuinely given a Gregg’s gift card by a mate for my birthday and don’t sleep on it – that was genuinely one of the best things in the haul that year.
Left it too late to buy a Mother’s Day present and now all the shops are shut? We do digital gift cards. Just saying... https://t.co/46ETSh1gc0
Ok, it’s all feeling a bit sugar-heavy at the minute, so let’s swap back onto the savoury and another brilliant chain that isn’t just beloved here but actually started the fast-food burrito culture here in 0161.
Many of you may have already copped this freebie in the past, but in case you still need to be initiated, Barburrito have been handing out free birthday burritos since like forever – the only catch nowadays is you need to download the app and make sure you’ve spent at least £6 before the date rolls around.
8. Chopstix for cheap
Last but not least, how about some late-night noodles to finish things off? We here at The Manc (Eats, specifically) are guilty of getting a last-minute takeaway to round off a long work day or spice up a weekend evening spent at home.
That being said, it’s a very easy plan to fall back on during your birthday week if you don’t have much booked in for an insignificant number in your 20s, let’s say; simply sign up for the newsletter and select the small box of your choosing. It isn’t just food they’re doing these days either…
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2020 
