Food & Drink

Popular bar chain The Alchemist to rewind back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 next month

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 17th December 2025

One of the UK’s most popular bar chains is celebrating its sweet 16th birthday next month by winding back to 2010.

Money is always tight in January, right?

Once Christmas is over with, and so is the festive feasting and drinking, many like to use the first month of the new year to lay low and save some money back up – which is why The Alchemist is launching a limited-edition ‘2010 Revival Menu’, bringing back some of its most iconic early cocktails and dishes – all at their original prices from 16 years ago.

For the whole month, you can enjoy the curated throwback selection starting from £6, which i perfectly timed for a month of saving without sacrificing going out.

The Alchemist is rewinding back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 / Credit: The Manc Group

The 2010 Revival Menu includes the return of the fan-favourite White Chocolate Raspberry Martini for £6 on the cocktail menu, which was an early Alchemist staple, alongside other fan-favourites like the Colour Changing One and Virgin Pornstar, both for £6 again.

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When it comes to food dishes for £6, you can tuck into a selection of different refreshing salads, while stretching your budget up to £10 will get you things like Chicken in a Basket, a Cheeseburger, and Fish and Chips.

Other iconic Alchemist cocktails returning for a fraction of the price next month include the popular Smoky Old Fashioned, and Dead Read Zombie – both for £8.

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The Alchemist opened its original bar in Manchester‘s swanky Spinningfields district all the way back in 2010, and quickly became a popular and stylish destination with its high ceilings and industrial features, and has since developed into a much larger chain – with not only more Manchester destinations, but others across the UK too.

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You can celebrate The Alchemist’s 16th birthday with the 2010 Rewind Menu throughout March 2026, with prices starting from £6.

Find out more and book at your local venue here.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Food & Drink

More than 12 million Brits think Yorkshire puddings belong with your Christmas dinner

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

More than 12 million Brits would argue that your Christmas dinner needs a side of Yorkshire puddings, a shocking survey has revealed.

The survey in question carried out by retailer Next – which polled a total of 2,000 Brits about their Christmas dining and tableware habits – has uncovered that millions of people stray off the beaten track when it comes to, what we can all agree is, one of the biggest and heartiest meals of the year. 

It turns out, Brits like a lot of unusual items on our Christmas dinner plate.

Some of the most obscure finds the survey is that two million people admitted to eating onion rings alongside their turkey and sprouts, and a further 5% (3.4 million) Brits like tucking into a bit of seafood on Christmas Day.

A surprising 4% (2.7 million) of people admitted that they like to add ketchup to their Christmas dinner plate – with mac and cheese, chips, and sweetcorn also making the top 10 list.

More than 12 million Brits think Yorkshire puddings belong with your Christmas dinner / Credit: Rumman Amin (via Unsplash)

If all of that wasn’t mad enough as it is, one of the most shocking stats from the survey is probably the fact that a whopping 1.4 million respondents even said that they wouldn’t consider it a Christmas dinner without the addition of baked beans. 

But when it comes to Christmas dinner, there’s probably one debate that’s bigger than them all, and is still yet to be decided – do Yorkshire puddings belong on your Christmas dinner plate or not?

Well, 12.7 million Brits believe that they do, and we reckon a good chunk of that number is us northerners.

The UK’s top 10 non-traditional Christmas food items

  1. Yorkshire Puddings (19% – 12.7 million)
  2. Bread sauce (5% – 3.4 million)
  3. Seafood (5% – 3.4 million)
  4. Ketchup (4% – 2.7 million)
  5. Mac and cheese (3% – 2 million)
  6. Onion rings (3% – 2 million)
  7. Chips (2% – 1.2 million)
  8. Bread (2% – 1.2 million)
  9. Sweetcorn (2% – 1.2 million)
  10. Beans (2% – 1.2 million)
A new survey has revealed has uncovered that millions of people stray off the beaten track for Christmas dinner / Credit: Lisa Baker (via Unsplash)

While previous research has shown that the most common items on a British Christmas dinner are roast potatoes and gravy, these latest stats reveal there are some people out there who just like to do things a little differently.

But no matter how you like to eat it, a delicious Christmas dinner is always going to be something to celebrate, right?

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Now it’ll soon be time to go and tuck into yours.

Featured Image – freeimageslive

Food & Drink

Lavish Spanish restaurant backed by Pep Guardiola announces shock closure

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Lavish Spanish restaurant backed by Pep Guardiola announces shock closure

Tast, the luxury Spanish restaurant in Manchester that was launched with the backing of Pep Guardiola, has announced its sudden closure.

The beautiful restaurant in King Street, led by acclaimed executive chef Paco Pérez, said that it’s taken the ‘difficult decision’ to close the doors for the ‘very last time’ this week.

Tast opened back in the summer of 2018, taking over the site that was previously home to restaurants like Quill and Suri.

It had a much better run of things than those previous occupiers, thanks to its menu of Catalan-style rice dishes and traditional but refined tapas.

Sadly, Tast Cuina Catalana has now decided that it’s reached the end of the road, and will be closing its doors for good on Saturday 20 December.

They cited a number of factors leading to the closure, including ‘exceptionally challenging trading conditions’ and ‘increased costs’, stressing that the restaurant’s ‘shareholders and the dedication of our team’ have seen the restaurant through the last seven years.

Tast wrote in a statement: “We are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.

Tast will close for good on 20 December
Tast will close for good on 20 December
Tast on King Street launched in 2018 with backing from Pep Guardiola
Tast on King Street launched in 2018 with backing from Pep Guardiola

“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.”

Other restaurant owners in Manchester have been sharing their messages of support with Tast, including Beeswing, who wrote: “This is so sad to read. Such lovely food and thoughtful service — a real reflection of how hard things are for hospitality right now. Manchester will miss you.”

Mary-Ellen McTague, the renowned chef at Pip, said: “Really sad news! Sorry to hear it.”

Tasts’s full statement reads: “After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Tast’s doors for the very last time on 20 December 2025.

“Tast has been built on the passion, talent and commitment of an exceptional team, and we want to begin by thanking every single person who has worked with us over the years. Your creativity, care and professionalism have been the heart of Tast.

“To our loyal customers: thank you for choosing to dine with us, celebrate with us and support us. Your belief in Tast has kept us alive for seven years and it has been a privilege to welcome you through our doors.

“We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our suppliers, producers and partners. Your quality, reliability and collaboration have played a vital role in shaping what Tast stands for.

“Like many in the hospitality sector, we have faced exceptionally challenging trading conditions and increased costs. But the unwavering support of our shareholders and the dedication of our team have seen us through these past seven years.

“Above all, we are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.

“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.

“Thank you for being part of our journey. With gratitude, Tast Team.”

Anyone with vouchers to dine at Tast will be automatically refunded if they can’t be spent in the next few days.

Tast will officially close on Saturday 20 December.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

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