When Gooey first arrived in Manchester in 2020, it did so in perfect step with the pandemic.
Tentatively launching the same month the country plunged into lockdown, no one knew just how much its salty-sweet treats would shape the course of our isolation.
Beginning life as a small pop-up in borrowed space, its bakers soon became Manchester’s go-to sugar dealers as the business pivoted into home delivery.
Two and a half years later, as we wander around inside Gooey’s new bakery and cafe, we can’t help but wonder how many deliveries (and kiosk collections) it took to get here.
Now, the team is trying something new, with the launch of their very own cafe, which will offer an all-day brunch menu when it opens its doors this Friday.
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Light, airy, and modern, with a full kitchen and on-site bakery, Gooey’s cafe will be serving up all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes made using special breads baked on site.
Housed in the former Cat cafe unit, some serious work has gone in here over the past few months, not least the installation of a proper extraction fan.
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Gooey French toast, a magnificent tower of lighter-than-air eggy bread layered with vanilla creme patisserie and swimming in maple syrup. / Image: The Manc Eats
Four crispy hash browns and a classic black pepper-cured bacon sandwich on toasted Shokupan bread. / Image: The Manc Eats
On the counter, fans of Gooey’s signature melt-in-the-middle cookies and fluffy donuts can still pick up their favourites, to eat in or takeaway, or ogle a new selection of changing pastries, cakes and specials.
The biggest new addition is the new cafe menu, which caters to breakfasters, brunchers and lunchers from 9am-6pm with a range of different things on toast, in sandwiches or salads.
We cut open the Gooey French toast, a magnificent tower that’s somehow swimming in maple syrup and still lighter-than-air, only to find its insides oozing with dulce de leche and vanilla creme pat.
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A Kewpie egg mayo sandwich on toasted Japanese Shokupan bread, a plump whole egg running through its middle, is a modest showstopper, as is a vegan-friendly wild mushroom toast on toasted chia brioche, smeared with a generous helping of roasted black garlic cashew cream.
A Kewpie egg mayo sandwich on toasted Japanese Shokupan bread. / Image: The Manc Eats
vegan wild mushroom toast with roasted black garlic cashew cream on toasted chia brioche. / Image: The Manc Eats
Other menu highlights to look out for this Friday include the char sui bbq glazed baby back rib sesame sub, panko-fried chicken katsu brioche, and the hefty bricks of ‘side portion’ halloumi, which come slathered in a (pleasantly spicy) chilli jam.
A full coffee menu is also available, alongside a list of fresh, cold-pressed juices in orange (carrot, ginger and orange), or green (cucumber, kale, pear and grape),
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
If that’s not doing it for you, you’ll also find ‘fancy schmancy’ iced strawberry, vanilla and matcha lattes, a caramelised white chocolate mocha, and cold-brewed green and white tea with added coconut, pineapple and hibiscus on the drinks menu.
As for those who like life’s simpler pleasures, rest assured you can also get a proper builder’s brew here.
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Prices start from £3.20 for a Yorkshire breakfast tea and £4 for slabs of toasted brioche loaf served with a pot of seasonal jam.
At £6.90, the aforementioned Kewpie egg sandwich is a steal, As for the French toast, at £11.30 it might be the most expensive thing on the menu but if you don’t order it you are seriously missing out. You can always split it with a friend.
Opening this Friday, 26 August, the new, dog-friendly cafe will welcome customers from 9am to 6pm seven days a week.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
Manchester City’s Stadium Tours are back for the summer and bigger than ever
Danny Jones
Manchester City stadium tours are back for summer 2026, with more to see from the home of the Blues than ever, and with 15% off all tickets until the end of August, too.
It’s safe to say that Man City are going through a HUGE period of change right now: embarking on a new era under Enzo Maresca following the dynasty of Pep Guardiola, vast redevelopments of the wider Etihad Campus, a new club hotel, and the expansion of the North Stand – now named after said Catalan coach.
With that in mind, there’s so much new stuff going on over in East Manchester and arguably more of it all happening in one place than we can recall in recent memory, making it the perfect time for Cityzens to return to the famous home ground – indeed, your Etihad debut if you haven’t made one already.
Giving you greater access to areas usually reserved for players and staff only than ever, this exclusive, interactive and virtual tour will take you through the very bones of the storied sporting arena, all the way through to pitchside.
Fans can explore the dressing room and follow in the footsteps of their favourite City players as they walk through the iconic glass players’ tunnel, before walking out into the open air and sitting in the dugout to take in that incredible view.
You can also try out the latest ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ experience – an immersive VR adventure that sees supporters journey through Manchester City’s past, present, and future.
Following on from Pep lending his likeness, using innovative technology, you can now even have the chance to put your questions to Erling Haaland in the Press Conference Room.
There aren’t many teams on the planet that offer this level of stadium tour, let alone just here in the UK, so it’s no wonder they remain award-winning almost every single year.
Whether you’re a lifelong City fan, a football lover or visiting this wonderful place we call Manchester for the very first time, there’s something for everyone.
For instance, with The Medlock Hotel and accompanying Medlock Square already lining up its maiden events, the City Football Group (CFG) are once again committing to make the wider Etihad Campus an all-year-round entertainment destination.
That being said, plenty of people online have been generating a lot of buzz about the aforementioned Medlock’s new stadium-view rooms since clips appeared on social media.
Pitch view rooms coming to the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel at #ManCity’s Etihad Stadium. 🤯
As for the tickets themselves, the club have also taken steps to keep the cost affordable.
Standard prices start from just £32 for adults and only £20 for under-16s, with larger family packages available from £60.
BUT, with the 15% discount mentioned earlier, adults currently cost just £27; kids go for just £17, and those family passes start from just £51.
You can find all the options when it comes to stadium tour passes and grab the type of admission that suits you right HERE.
Speaking of tickets, City have also been met with praise for the introduction of new discounted seats for local residents; find out all the details below.
Impressive CGIs reveal new two-storey Latin BBQ restaurant, bar, and music venue coming to the Northern Quarter
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The Northern Quarter will soon welcome a huge two-storey Latin BBQ restaurant, bar and music venue, brought to you by the same team behind Manchester’s beloved Firehouse and Ramona – you just know it’s going to be good with names like that.
New CGI images have been released of the venue, giving us a sneak peek at what to expect from the huge transformation, which will take over the site formerly home to Pie & Ale.
Dahlia is set to be home to Barbacoa Cósmica, an open-fire grill kitchen, with cooking inspired by Latin America and the southern states of America. As the Northern Quarter’s first open fire grill kitchen, guests will have the unique experience of being able to watch the chefs in action, from their kitchen counter seats.
The concept is the product of years of travelling across Latin America, exploring regional recipes and techniques, then condensed down to allow us to take a road trip from San Diego to Jalisco, Mexico City to Oaxaca, all from the comfort of our seats.
Dahlia’s will also be home to Bar Más Bonita, translating to ‘most beautiful bar’, which has not disappointed either judging from the CGI projections – we just can’t wait to see it in person.
This lively Liquorita is set to serve up all sorts of Latin American specialties – think vibrant, handcrafted cocktails and salted rims with tequila, mezcal, rum and Latin spirits.
In the evenings, the space will transform into Dahlia Stereo, an intimate two-storey music space powered by a bespoke Hatchett Sound system. Every element of the venue has been carefully considered by sound engineers and acoustic specialists, including Jonny ‘Oppo’ of Neuron Audio, to ensure the best listening experience possible.
A glimpse inside Dahlia in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Will Taplin, executive chef at Dahlia, shared: “Barbacoa Cósmica is the result of everything we have experienced and loved during our travels across Latin America.
“It is generous, energetic and completely driven by flavour. If something is on the menu, it is because we genuinely love it, and we hope Manchester will love it too.”
Jonny ‘Oppo’ said: “We have been building and working with sound systems for years, but Manchester’s bars and restaurants have never had an installation at this level. Every detail of the room has been designed around how music should sound and feel. It is genuinely exciting for the city.”
In addition to this, the iconic Jonjo Williams of Maribou State and Rich Reason of Hit & Run, have carefully curated a music programme for September to give us a flavour of what’s to come, including sets from Gilles Peterson, Quantic, Gia Fu, DJ Die and Joey T.
Dahlia ManchesterThe site of Dahlia
Jonjo Williams explained: “We want to create the energy of an intimate club within a bar and restaurant.
“We are deliberately keeping capacity below 250 so the experience always feels personal, immersive and connected. Dahlia has been designed by the best DJs for the best DJs, but ultimately it has been created for anyone who truly loves music.”
With craft being central to the space, almost every element has been made by hand by the Dahlia team and its team of trusted independent artisans and specialist suppliers. From the artwork and upholstery, to the world class sound system and the team’s own bottled Latin spirits, it truly has all been carefully thought through.
We never thought we’d wish for summer to be over, but September can’t come soon enough.
Click HERE for reservations or follow @dahliastereofor further announcements.
Georgina Pellant -
24th August 2022 
