A TikToker in Los Angeles has set the internet ablaze after claiming to have invented the picky tea.
Consisting of leftovers and various random bits of cold food, any self-respecting Manc knows that picky teas have been a hallmark of British summertime since the dawn of sliced cucumber.
To us Brits, the picky tea is an iconic summer staple – widely known to be every British mum’s favourite thing to serve when the weather gets hot and they don’t want to cook.
But now, the humble hodge podge of ingredients has been rebranded as ‘Girl Dinner’ on TikTok – and the New York Timesis crediting LA social media user Olivia Maher with coining the phrase.
According to an article published in the American newspaper, the 28-year-old used the term to describe her dinner of cheese, grapes, bread, and wine on 12 May.
In a video that now has over 1.2 million views, she said: “I cannot find the TikTok right now but a girl just came on here and said how in medieval times peasants had to eat nothing but bread and cheese and how awful that was, and she was like ‘that’s my ideal meal’. This is my dinner. I call this ‘girl dinnner’ or ‘medieval peasant.’
The video has racked up hundreds of comments, with lots of Americans posting to say they’re all about these sorts of meals as #girldinner continues to trend on TikTok.
There are reams of comments underneath, with users celebrating Olivia as the ‘original’ girl dinner creator.
Others have questioned #girldinner’s originality in the comments, with one person saying: “This is actually a European dinner by some standards.”
Another person said: “It’s called picky bits”
A third person said: “Perfect dinners, I call this ‘picky tea’ just want more bread for you”
Image: Twitter
Image: Twitter
A fourth person added: “I feel like y’all need to look up the average German breakfast(which can be consumed any time of day) because this isn’t really that far off”
A fifth said: “I call this a picnic dinner”
A sixth said: “American women calling picky bits, ‘girl dinner'” with a crying-laughing emoji.
In an interview with Insider, Olivia Maher said: “The name ‘girl dinner’ came to me while on a ‘hot girl walk’ ‘with a friend discussing our favourite low-maintenance way to eat when our boyfriends aren’t around.”
She added that she’d decided to have a ‘girl dinner’ after her walk, and decided to post it on TikTok thinking perhaps ‘other women out there might do the same and feel just as giddy about it.’
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
Georgina Pellant -
10th July 2023 
