Britain’s famous, sweet-tasting, fizzy lemon alcopop has announced the release of three brand new concoctions as part of the upcoming ‘Hooch Spirits’ range.
A fresh trio of flavoured drinks put a brand new spin on the classic Hooch formula – shaking up the zingy recipe with gin and rum mixes.
The Hooch Spirits collection features a Raspberry & Lemon Gin; a Lemon Gin; and a Mango & Lime Rum.
All 70cl bottles are 37.5% ABV – and will be ready to order online from this month.
The bottle went viral after being posted online / Image: Rosie Bear / Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Group / Facebook
The Pink Hooch Raspberry & Lemon Gin – which went viral after popping up on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains Facebook group earlier this week – is available to grab right now for £20.
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Hooch Lemon Gin and Mango & Lime Rum are ready to pre-order for delivery from May 21.
Bottles can be ordered online via the Hooch website.
Hooch partnered with Manchester pizza parlour and bar Crazy Pedro’s last month for a massive giveaway – with more than 5,000 free cans handed out to the first customers on April 12 when outdoor hospitality reopened.
Food & Drink
A new champagne bar, and the UK’s first ‘champagne boutique’, is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new ‘champagne boutique’ is opening in Manchester next week, boasting more than 250 different champagnes to our city.
Portfolio will be a new bar and ‘immersive wine experience’, which will have one of the largest and most diverse champagne collections in the UK.
Mancs will be able to order champagne by the glass from just £12.50, along with plenty of accessible bottles.
To kick things off, Portfolio will open with a bar food offering that includes Welsh charcuterie, British cheeses and accoutrements, created by co-founder Julian Pizer, formerly of Another Hand and the Edinburgh Castle.
But later down the line, there’ll be a run, relaxed tasting menu, ranging from a few bites to a full dining experience, obviously paired with the best champagne list in the country.
Inside Portfolio, you’ll be greeted by a striking champagne wall of 100 different bottles, plus a wall of photos from the team’s trips to Champagne in France.
Every drink will be served in exclusive Lehmann glassware imported from Reims, with more than 10 different glass styles and a strict no flutes policy.
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There’ll be an open chef’s pass and sommelier station with bar seating, plus a working champagne cellar that will function as a private dining room and event space.
Julian Pizer has created Portfolio with Cameron Foster, founder of Duex Six which specialises in providing exclusive grower champagnes to the UK.
They’ll be joined by Wayne Baxendale as food and beverage director, who has more than 30 years of global wine experience including from Michelin starred restaurants, and Nikolai Kuklenko as general manager, who previously held a role as Head Sommelier at Mana.
Portfolio will be a wine boutique packed with rare grower bottles and vintage prestige cuvées and hopes to ‘strip away the snobbery and make champagne accessible’.
As well as well known names, guests will be able to enjoy rare and highly sought-after cuvées, including Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, Jérôme Prévost, Cédric Bouchard, Larmandier Bernier and Egly Ouriet.
There will also be vintage prestige cuvées from Cristal, Philipponnat, Pommery, Jacquesson, Pierre Peters and Bollinger, some dating back to the 1990s.
As Cameron Foster explains: “We want to strip back the snobbery of Champagne and make it a wine for everyone, whether that’s a quick glass after work, a special celebration, or discovering grower champagne for the first time.”
Portfolio will open on 9 December at 67 Bridge Street, Manchester, with the full restaurant experience launching in February 2026.
A build-your-own banana pudding bar is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s now-viral banana pudding brand, Buttercup, is opening its first permanent spot – with a build-you-own pudding bar.
The local business has brought banana pudding – a dessert made world-famous by the Magnolia Bakery in New York City – to our city.
And now Buttercup is making things permanent, opening a banana pudding bar at Deansgate Square where you can customise your perfect pot of this nostalgic dessert.
Each pot comes with a base of vanilla custard whipped with cream, soft sponge, and fresh banana, which you can then customise with rotating flavours and toppings (previous signatures have included brown butter Biscoff, matcha and white chocolate, and tiramisu).
Expect toppings like homemade cookie crumb, brownie bites, chocolate chips, and pretzels, and drizzles like cinnamon honey, raspberry, and pistachio.
This cult dessert spot will be taking on a permanent residence at General Store Deansgate Square, in partnership with HUBB Coffee.
It’s the first permanent home for Buttercup since founder, 22-year-old Natasha Black, launched the idea from home in July 2025.
A build-your-own banana pudding pot from Buttercup. Credit: The Manc Group
Buttercup founder Natasha Black at a recent pop-up. Credit: The Manc Group
Since its inception, Buttercup has sold thousands of banana puddings around Greater Manchester, hosted sell-out pop-ups, and collaborated with big local brands.
Classic puddings will start at £5.50, with rotating flavours at £6, and toppings from 50p. There’ll also be a range of other homemade bakes.
To celebrate the launch, Buttercup and HUBB will be offering free classic banana puddings to the first 20 customers on Saturday 6 December from 12pm, followed by a special £5 combo deal offering a pot of classic banana pudding paired with HUBB’s banana latte, running until 3pm.
Natasha Black, Buttercup founder, said: “This residency feels like the perfect next step for Buttercup. I’ve been absolutely blown away by the response to our banana pudding in just three months and wanted to give our customers a regular spot to enjoy it.
“General Store and HUBB have created such an amazing, supportive space for independents and I’m so excited for people to build their own pudding pots and try all the new flavours we’ve been working on.”
Mital Morar, founder of General Store, also commented: “Buttercup has been a standout example of the collaborations we love to support. Their rapid growth and loyal following have been incredible to see.
Buttercup banana pudding pots. Credit: The Manc Group
Buttercup banana pudding pots. Credit: The Manc Group
“We’re delighted to welcome them in-house alongside HUBB Coffee as a permanent fixture. Natasha and her team bring real creativity and commitment, and we’re excited to work with them through Christmas and into the New Year.”
Dean Hans, Co-founder of HUBB Coffee also comments: “We’ve had a fantastic introduction to Manchester since launching our coffee bar in September. Teaming up with Buttercup strengthens the whole concept – it allows us to focus on what we do best: delivering top-quality coffee, matcha, and beverages, while Buttercup shines on the sweet-treats and pudding side.
“Bringing the two brands together just makes sense, and we’re excited to explore the mash-ups we can create between our coffee and Buttercup’s pudding range.”
The residency will open 12pm-7pm at General Store Deansgate Square, opening on Wednesday 3 December.
The Manc -
5th May 2021 
