Iceland has launched a new freezer aisle dedicated to air fryers and it is chock full of all sorts of goodies.
Created to help people save money during the cost of living crisis, the new supermarket air fryer aisles are said to be a world first and can hold over 287 items.
Consisting mainly of frozen foods, alongside instructions on how to cook it in the air fryer, the new aisle features treats like Greggs sausage rolls and Aunt Bessie’s Bacon Chicken Crowns.
Research from consumer company Which? found nearly half of UK households have purchased an air fryer in the past five years, and that 57% of respondents used their air fryers multiple times a week.
20% of air fryer owners said they used it every day, whilst 44% said they are using their regular ovens a lot less.
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Image: Trusted Reviews
Image: Trusted Reviews
Most importantly, perhaps, 68% said they made the switch because it was more affordable for them, with research from Utilita Energy showing an average annual saving when switching from an electric cooker to be £80.50.
The appliances have become something of a TikTok sensation in recent years, with users on the social media platform proving that where there’s a will there’s (nearly) always a way.
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Some of the most viral air fryer recipes to appear on the video platform in recent months include mac and cheese, PB&J, stuffed mushrooms and espiropapas.
What the videos have show is that it’s not just freezer food that can be cooked in an air fryer, and that, in fact, you can do anything from bake a cake to roast a chicken inside the tidy little gadgets.
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Iceland is currently working on including air fryer instructions on a wide variety of different food ranges, not just frozen items, and has already begun making changes to 300 products.
Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker said: “We pride ourselves on knowing exactly what our customers coming through our store doors are looking for, matching their changing shopping trends with fresh ideas.
“Introducing the world’s first air fryer aisle at our Food Warehouse is another exciting example. As the popularity of air fryer cooking grows, this aisle will give customers easy access to products that work perfectly in this time and energy saving cooking appliance.”
Featured image – Iceland
Food & Drink
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Award-winning Didsbury bakery La Chouquette reveals incredible new site
Daisy Jackson
La Chouquette is one of Greater Manchester’s top bakeries – an award-winner, with queues down the street every weekend for its authentic French pastries and loaves.
And now they’re ready for a new chapter, revealing a major expansion today.
Owners Catrina and Flo have painstakingly expanded the bakery into the unit next door, creating what feels like a true French bakery.
And in the midst of this huge renovation project, they’ve welcomed a tiny new baby boy – quite the summer for the couple.
Catrina and Flo launched La Chouquette in lockdown, and in a time where people could only get their hospitality fix from takeaways, immediately became one of the most popular spots in the region.
Their success has been so great, you’ll still consistently find queues down the street every weekend, for their top sellers like their authentic almond croissants.
Then in October 2024, they grew the business and launched Piqniq, a new deli in Didsbury village, serving freshly-baked baguette sandwiches, breakfast butties, toasties, tiramisu pots and their legendary pastries.
The new-look La Chouquette features beautiful details like mosaic floors, rich blue walls, wooden shelves, and brass light fixtures.
La Chouquette’s best-selling almond croissantsInside the stunning new La Chouquette in DidbsuryNew savoury bakesThe chausson aux pommesThe counter stuffed with artisan French bakesChocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns
The huge new counter displays more pastries and breads than ever before, like a hearty chausson aux pommes filled with apples that will be perfect for autumn, plus seasonal treats like a rhubarb creme brulee pastry, and homemade quiche.
Speaking at the grand relaunch today, Catrina said: “The layout has changed, it looks so much more chic, it looks like a traditional French bakery. We’re really excited about it.”
As for what’s on the counter, Flo reassured fans that their beloved almond and pistachio croissants remain, but with some new savoury editions, like a truffle croque monsieur made with croissant dough.
La Choquette has reopened today, and will be open seven days a week from 7am until 5pm.
Georgina Pellant -
20th June 2023 
