Eats

Rudy’s is opening a new Chorlton pizzeria inside a former bank

Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza has announced it will bring authentic Neapolitan pizza to Chorlton in June 2022

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 9th March 2022

Manchester Neapolitan favourites Rudy’s have announced plans to open a new pizzeria in Chorlton inside a former bank.

Taking over the old Lloyds building on Barlow Moor Road, the new neighbourhood eatery will bring its patented Naples-inspired sourdough pizzas to the south Manchester suburb for the very first time this summer.

Due to open at 577 Barlow Moor Road this June, the new restaurant will have room for up to 60 guests inside. There will also be a covered, outdoor dining area for those who want to enjoy their pizza al fresco during the warmer months.

First opened in Ancoats in 2015, Rudy’s now has a number of sites across Greater Manchester as well as further afield in London, Leeds, Liverpol and Birmingham.

The new Chorlton site marks part of the brand’s plans to expand into Manchester’s suburbs, with bosses having previously promised to launch five satellite restaurants in Greater Manchester within the next couple of years.

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Born out of passion for pizza, Rudy’s follows the authentic Neapolitan tradition of pizza making, serving classic recipes such as Marinara, Margherita and Calabrese – all originating from Naples, the birthplace of pizza. 

Image: Rudy’s
Image: Rudy’s
Image: Rudy’s

Rudy’s dough is made fresh daily using Caputo ‘00’ flour which ferments for at least 24 hours, alongside the best quality ingredients imported twice a week from Naples, including San Marzano tomatoes grown on fields next to Mount Vesuvius, and Fior di Latte mozzarella. 

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The pizza has won numerous awards, in part thanks to the way its chefs follow a truly authentic Neapolitan technique.

All dough is made fresh on-site every day and cooked in a wood-fired oven for just 60 seconds, in accordance with Neapolitan pizza tradition, to leave it soft and floppy with a charcoaled, leopard-patterned crust. 

Read more: British Pie Week: where to find the best pies in Manchester 2022

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Speaking on the new opening, Max, General Manager of Rudy’s Chorlton said: “We’re really excited to bring Rudy’s to the Chorlton neighbourhood.

“It won’t be long before we are able to fire up the oven and serve delicious Neapolitan pizza. As a team we can’t wait to become part of the community.” 

To mark the launch this summer, the restaurant will be giving away a limited amount of pizzas for free. To secure yours, readers are encouraged to sign up for the pizzeria’s newsletter here.

Feature image – Rudy’s

Eats

Tesco unveils Britain’s favourite Christmas meal deal – is yours on here?

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Supermarket giant Tesco has announced brand-new data revealing Britain’s favourite Christmas meal deals.

But has yours made the cut?

Of course, Christmas is famed for its food, especially the Christmas dinner, but nowadays, the days leading up to the big day have also become filled with foodie feasts, and nothing proves this more than the popularity of the Christmas meal deal – something which Tesco, arguably, knows how to do better than anyone else.

Tesco has been actively tracking the nation’s everyday eating trends all year long, and now that the festive season’s here, shoppers favourite Christmas meal deals have been announced.

It seems meal deal lovers are eager to get into the Christmas spirit, with the best-selling main being the Tesco Turkey and Trimmings Sandwich.

Outside a Tesco store
Tesco has unveiled Britain’s favourite festive meal deal / Credit: Tesco plc | The Manc Group

This roast dinner-inspired butty has been purchased over 2.5 million times between October and December 2024, and it was so popular, in fact, that it was chosen almost three times as often as this year’s runner up – Tesco Jingle Brie Sandwich.

To pair with this much-loved sandwich is the classic Mccoy’s Flame Grilled Steak Crisps, which are championing the snack category overtaking last year’s champion, Egg Protein Pot, which finished third this year.

And if you’re wondering what beverage Brits are pairing with their lunchtime combinations, it’s none other than Coca-Cola 500ml.

This will come as no surprise to any avid meal deal fans, as this drink has worn the crown as the nation’s favourite drink, not just during Christmas but the whole of 2024 itself.

Tesco top 10 festive meal deal mains (October – December 2024)

1.Tesco Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich
2.Tesco Jingle Brie Sandwich
3.Tesco Yuletide Half ‘N’ Half Sandwich
4.Tesco Christmas Wrapped Up
5.Tesco Festive Chicken & Trimmings Sub
6.Tesco Ho-Ho-Hog Wrap
7.The Gym Kitchen Chicken Bacon & Stuffing Sandwich
8.Tesco Cracking Currywurst Sub
9.Tesco Finest Festive Chicken & Bacon with Gravy Mayonnaise Dip
10.Tesco Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings Sandwich

“Turkey isn’t just for the big day, our customers love bringing festive flavours to their lunchtimes even as early as October,” commented Sarah Bryer, who is the Product Development Manager for Tesco Meal Deal.

“With the crowd-pleasing Turkey and Trimmings Sandwich back again, this year’s line-up of Meal Deal mains has something to suit both traditionalists and those looking for something new with the addition of our Honey Ham, Red Leicester and Festive Chutney Sandwich, Finest Brie and Bacon Brioche Bagel, and Tesco Plant Chef Festive Feast Wrap.“

Read more:

So, what’s your go-to festive Tesco meal deal then?

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Eats

Stockport town centre’s first ramen spot sat above a coffee shop that we can’t get enough of

Danny Jones Danny Jones Uma ramen restaurant inside Odioba coffee shop Stockport review

If you’re a local Stockport resident or have even walked along the increasingly cultured cobbles of Underbank, chances are you’ve passed a place called Ōdiobā, but did you know that by night, its loft turns into a stylish listening bar that also serves some of the best ramen around?

Seriously: not only is it, to our knowledge, the only venue serving traditional ramen in Stockport town centre, but it’s some of the best we’ve had in years. Literally, YEARS.

Central Manchester has the benefit of being spoiled by numerous noodle masters – New Wave, Ramenshop (formerly known as Tokyo Ramen), Shogun, etc. – but we’d genuinely wager that this relative newcomer known simply as Uma is right up there with them.

In fact, it might currently be vying for the top spot itself.

We really try our best to shy away from the most ultimate of superlatives where we can, especially because we’re lucky enough to come across so many culinary gems and new restaurants all the time, but the more we’ve revisited this place, the more we’re convinced it’s utterly brilliant.

On a personal note, in a post-Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun world, we feel like we’ve come very close to finding a new go-to that’s on a par with the late, great CBRB; perhaps we’ll never quite get there, or maybe we’re falling victim to the rose-tinted lens of nostalgia, but Uma is at least in the conversation.

Something we can say for sure is that they’ve gone with the tried and tested method of doing just a few things extremely over trying to cater to everyone.

Offering a small but stunning menu, with just three small plates and three options when it comes to ramen, each one is well-balanced and portioned, guaranteeing a filling bowl of ramen finished with great quality toppings.

You’re not left needing a single noodle more, nor do they cut you a single spring onion shy – but let’s be honest, this cuisine also leaves you craving more broth.

This might be a small thing, but we even like how the deep bowls come with built-in grooves/utensil holders for you to rest your spoons and chopsticks in. It’s only a little extra, we know, but it’s a nice touch, nevertheless.

Having now done a couple laps of the menu over the course of just a handful of visits, there are few taste bud journeys as satisfying as those gently-seasoned edamame beans, with the vibrant, lightly-acidic pickled daikon radishes and cucumber cutting through, before the savoury bomb of those mains.

And above all else, it’s the broth. My word… that broth.

Most impressively of all, perhaps, is that while we were expecting to enjoy the shoyu or red miso option the most, it’s the vegan ramen that we found to be the most flavourful.

The white miso and vegetable soup base is about as rich as you could hope for from any broth, as are the surprisingly satisfying slices of sweet soy tofu.

odioba uma ramen stockport
The smell of this freshly-charred chashu. Wow.
noodles places stockport
The ideal thickness – great, minimal chew, too.
Is Stockport town centre’s first ramen spot also one of the best in Greater Manchester right now? It might just be. (Credit: The Manc Eats)

Put simply, this particular bowl truly puts the Uma in umami.

It really is perfect as is, complemented by the shitake mushrooms, mustard greens, bamboo shoots and aromatic roasted sesame.

However, we honestly believe we have mastered a flawless order: choosing the vegan bowl and then adding pieces of chashu pork, a gooey ramen egg and maybe some chilli oil for good measure.

Try it for yourselves and tell us we’re anything other than absolutely bang on.

As for the space itself, you’ll struggle to find another spot as simultaneously casually aesthetic and atmospheric as the top floor of this building.

It’s well worth a visit to try the sophisticated selection of cocktails co-curated by founder Nam Tran – who first won over foodie fans with his conveniently self-titled Vietnamese venue in Ancoats, which sadly closed in 2024 – or sample his handmade hi-fi system alone, but the bonus of ramen takes the cake.

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With DJ sets from the man himself as well as other selectors and artists, not to mention jazz nights and other live music during the week, it’s an effortlessly cool couple of floors that just so happens to serve some of our favourite food to the highest order.

Now, we will confess that we’ve only seen Ōdiobā in its ‘shadow self’ form, for lack of a better phrase, and are yet to sample the artisan café side of this business, but we assure you that it is a failure on our part and one we’ll be making up for as soon as possible.

Let’s just say, if the coffee is as good as the other liquids we’ve drunk here, be it the booze or the very last drop of broth from the bottom of the bowl, it’s probably some of the best in Stockport.

You can guarantee we’ll be coming back to this place time and time again whenever we visit the borough.

The Sicilian street food spot tucked away on the rooftop of a beloved Manchester boozer
There’s something extra fun about finding a great rooftop spot, isn’t there?

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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