Planning is set to be a big part of nights out in the “new normal.”
Restaurants, bars and pubs won’t be getting as many spontaneous walk-ins as they did pre-lockdown – with customers putting serious thought into choosing a time, date and venue before leaving their homes.
Some want to find a great table at a classy restaurants and enjoy its culinary delights for the first time in months. Others just want to park up in the corner of their local boozer and rediscover the taste of a pint poured fresh from the taps.
But, in every case, venues will look and feel a little different.
An array of hygiene measures and social distancing protocols will be intact when hospitality reopens, and this upcoming chapter promises to be a big adjustment for owners and customers alike.
Aura, an app developed right here in Manchester, is helping local nightlife take the leap into new territory.
Aura
Described as an “artificial intelligence-based nightlife assistant”, Aura helps people plan their perfect route through Manchester’s diverse and eclectic hospitality industry – which could prove invaluable in the current climate.
Users can browse a list of locations on the app or send a text to Aura – who curates a list of venues with accompanying info, directions and transport.
Not only do users obtain access to all the information they could possibly need before heading out (which is more important than ever right now) – they can also use Aura to discover hidden gems in the city they might not have known about before.
The more you speak to Aura, the better it learns your tastes – allowing the app to pinpoint perfect venues for any occasion, be it a romantic date or late-night pub visit with pals.
It’s night out prep made easy.
Additional features such as built-in taxi booking, linking up with friends via the app and free drinks at sponsored venues are also being developed as we speak.
Founder of the Aura app, Will Poole, told us: “Aura was planned for release before lockdown, but with the coronavirus pandemic hitting the hospitality industry hard we put out a slimline version.
“This had a focus on takeaway and delivery venues.
“Now, with some light at the end of the tunnel, we are ready to release the full Aura to Manchester – and we’ll be using it to find beer gardens and delicious food in the sun with everyone else.”
William continued: “The motivation behind Aura stems from both my love of technology and my love of Manchester; with everything the city has to offer.”
“Too many apps encourage you to stay at home and scroll – we wanted to build an app that showed you where great memories could be made and then got out of your way so you could get on with making them.”
As we get ready to tiptoe back out into the night for the first time in months, there’s probably never been a better time for an app like Aura – which helps us plan our every move.
Northern Quarter favourite The Pen and Pencil announces massive 10th birthday party and huge offers
Daisy Jackson
The Pen and Pencil, an absolute staple for brunches and drinks in the Northern Quarter, is celebrating a major milestone this month with a huge party and some unbeatable deals.
The bar and restaurant will be marking 10 years on Tariff Street in September – and it’s only right that we all pile in to celebrate with them.
This spot is one of the city’s original bottomless brunch venues and is similarly famed for its happy hour offerings, and opened in 2015 to bring a taste of Manhattan to Manchester.
Pen and Pencil took its name from the infamous New York City bar that was seen in Mad Men.
And now as it turns 10 years old, it’ll be throwing one big party on Saturday 27 September, featuring 10 hours of DJs, free pints of Red Stripe at 10pm, and a special bottomless brunch offering.
Those DJing on the day will include Drag Race UK’s Banksie, as well as Les Croasdaile, Mark Hogg, Danny Ward and A Deeper Groove.
Pen & Pencil has amazing deals for its 10th birthdayPen & Pencil is a Northern Quarter OG
The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party will kick off from 2pm and run until late – but if you can’t make that one, there’ll be celebrations all week (and, indeed, month) long.
On Tuesday 23 September, you’ll be able to play for double prize money in The Pen and Pencil quiz, as well as enjoying happy hour drinks all night.
Then on Friday 26 September, it’ll be an all-night happy hour, with free tequila shots at 10pm and music from DJs Nev Johnson and Gareth James from 7pm.
All September long, there’ll be 50% off food every Monday, two-for-£10 cocktails every Wednesday, £10 burgers every Thursday, happy hour all night on Fridays, 10 dishes for £10 and two bloody Marys for £10 on Sundays, plus DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.
There’s a new colourful art installation outside the venue inspired by the bar’s New York roots.
Owner Kevin Connor said: “We’re really excited to be celebrating being part of the Manchester community for ten years!
“New York’s Pen and Pencil was a classic steak and cocktail joint, and we’re proud to have created our very own iconic Northern Quarter hangout. We hope everyone will join us in celebrating ten years on Tariff Street.”
Walk-ins are welcome for The Pen and Pencil 10th birthday party on Saturday 27 September, but booking is encouraged – book your spot HERE.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Eats
Manchester restaurant to give out FREE katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’
Emily Sergeant
In what is a small stroke of genius, a restaurant chain has decided to give out free katsu curries to anyone called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’.
Throughout September, award-winning restaurant chain Banana Tree – which has a Greater Manchester site down at Salford Quays – is shining the spotlight on its popular katsu creations, and as a clever way of celebrating National Katsu Day on 27 September has announced a pretty unique giveaway.
That’s right – the restaurant will be serving up katsu dishes to people called Kat, Sue, and every delicious variation of the names in between.
Anyone named Kat, Katie, Katherine, Sue, Suzy, Susan, Suzanne – or close enough to qualify, the list goes on – can head to their local Banana Tree restaurant, and all they’ll need to do is show proof of name and they can enjoy a free katsu dish of their choice, worth up to £16.75.
The chain’s kastu lineup includes three star dishes.
First there’s the much-loved Katsu Curry, as well as the all-new Katsu Burger, which is made from either a crispy chicken or veggie fillet, spicy mayo, puffed noodle crunch, and a drizzle of Katsu sauce tucked into a soft Shokupan bun with a side of salt n pepper chilli chips.
Then there’s also the intriguing newcomer, the Katsu Carbonara – which is described as being a daring East-meets-West mash-up and ‘unapologetically’ Banana Tree.
Banana Tree is giving away free katsu curries to people called ‘Kat’ or ‘Sue’ / Credit: Banana Tree
With each of these dishes usually priced around the £16 mark, the giveaway isn’t just a way of marking National Katsu Day, but it’s also a way to sample the some of the restaurant’s biggest crowd-pleasers entirely free of charge.
To avoid any confusion on who makes the cut, Banana Tree will reveal the full qualifying list of name variations on Instagram soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
“Our Katsu range is one of our proudest creations, so National Katsu Day felt like the perfect moment to have some fun with our fans,” a Banana Tree spokesperson said ahead of the giveaway.
The free katsu offer is available for four days only from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 September, and you just need to head to the Banana Tree website to sign up to the Big Flavour Club here.
The Manc -
2nd July 2020 
