Revered Manchester chef Simon Wood has announced that his fine dining restaurant will be transformed into a “tacos and tequila” joint next month.
As the MasterChef champion’s flagship restaurant, WOOD – on Jack Rosenthal Street in the heart of Manchester city centre – sadly will not be able to fully reopen to the public until 17th May, at the earliest, as per the government’s “irreversible” roadmap for lifting England’s current national lockdown, it will instead be launching a new month-long “taco terrace” from 12th April, when outdoor hospitality venues are allowed to get back to business.
The restaurant’s food offering will be available to take away from the WOOD Shack, or can instead be eaten on the terrace area on First Street.
🌮 Tacos & Tequila 🍸
For one month only we’ve created a ‘Signature Taco Range’ – each ingredient cared for, expertly paired with a range of Tequila cocktails & Mexican beers.
Running w/c 12th April ‘til 9th May (outside only) with an option to grab & go from the WOOD shack! pic.twitter.com/FfoyKyAICm
There’ll be three taco fillings to take your pick from when the new concept launches.
Simon has said that he will be working closely with the team from his more casual Cheltenham restaurant, WOODKRAFT, to develop a menu of signature tacos, with the limited-run of the traditional Mexican dishes all set to be served with fermented red chillies and Simon’s signature ‘Devils Tongue’ hot sauce.
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When it comes to what’s on the menu, there’ll be a pulled chicken taco served with homemade pico de gallo, Devils Tongue hot sauce, guacamole, and shredded gem lettuce, as well as an Aleppo cod taco, again with pico de gallo, pepper, and lime sauce, and then for vegetarians, a charcoal-smoked oyster mushroom taco with chilli cheese tostada, and pink onion is on the cards.
WOOD’s new taco offering will be served alongside an extensive margarita menu too.
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And if all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, they’re also promising a free taco with the first beer or margarita purchase to “get you going”.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 EXCITING NEWS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Throughout the pandemic the team here @WoodRestaurants have strived to deliver a quality dinner to your Door
Finally from 12th April we can deliver you one outside my Manchester restaurant
The Taco Terrace at WOOD is set to open its doors between 12th April and 9th May 2021 and you can find more information via its website here.
If you’re looking for something a little more affordable and in-keeping with a tighter food budget in the meantime however, then you can find more information about Simon Wood’s Feeding Families With Simon Wood initiative, with all recipes for £30 or less, here.
The UK’s largest wine festival is returning to Manchester this autumn
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The UK’s biggest festival of wine will be coming back to Manchester this year, with more than 300 wines on offer plus plenty more.
The Laithwaites’ Wine Festival is returning up north, following the major success of last year.
As well as having hundreds of wines to showcase, the festival will also offer a chance to discover a selection of luxury spirits, plus join expert-led tastings, and visit artisan food stands, all under one roof.
As the UK’s longest-running wine tasting event, with 40 producers from 17 different countries, and artisan food all accompanied with carefully paired wines at each stall, it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing.
Struggling to think of a birthday present or ideas for how to celebrate with loved ones? Look no further – each ticket includes a tasting guide to help plan your route around the room and a complimentary tasting glass to sample over 300 different wines – trust me, they will love it.
As part of the Friday evening entertainment, guests can also expect a special appearance from wine presenter and communicator Tom Gilbey. Here, fans will be able to talk with Tom and sample the Signature Six case, which is a collection of wines approved by the man himself.
What’s more, is that this year, guests are invited to get creative at their brand new ‘design a wine label’ competition. You never know, maybe a few top-quality glasses of wine is the sweet spot for your drawing abilities to show themselves.
It is also possible to upgrade each ticket to gain access to expert-led masterclasses, with tutored tastings of sparkling wine, sherry and food, or cheese with wine. Fine Wine ticket holders will also be granted access to the Fine Wine Room and its rarer bottles.
Whether you spend ages aimlessly deliberating in a supermarket aisle, pick the cheapest bottle and call it a day, or you can smell the bottle and tell me the exact province it is from – this event welcomes all wine-drinkers, no matter the level of expertise.
The festival will be hosted at Manchester Central, starting with an evening session (6pm to 9pm) on Friday 20 November, as well as a lunchtime (12pm-3pm) and evening session (5pm to 8pm), on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at £40 per session. Click HERE to grab yours now.
Award-winning Manchester cocktail bar Red Light announces surprise return in new location
Daisy Jackson
Red Light, an award-winning cocktail bar that closed its doors earlier this year, has announced it’s making a grand return.
The celebrated watering hole had been at Kampus in the city centre for three years before it closed for good in August.
But now, in news that will thrill a lot of us in Manchester, the bar has announced it’s returning, with plenty of new ’surprises’ to come.
Announcing Red Light 2.0 this evening, they revealed a brand-new location, with all the cocktails we all loved before, plus a new bar snack offering.
Also new with its reopening will be a dedicated clubbing space (operating in a residential area was one of the reasons Red Light closed at Kampus) and the return of its legendary street parties.
They said: “Your love and support has meant the absolute world to us since we closed the doors to our Kampus venue.
“It’s been a tricky secret to keep but we’re thrilled to share that we’re back and in a brand new location!
“This one feels special, it’s not often you get a second chance at things in the current climate.”
They added: “We can’t wait to welcome you with open arms. Red Light NQ. LETS GO BABY!”
Although they’ve not announced the location, they have teased some pictures – and unless we’re very much mistaken, they’ll be moving into Tariff Street, in the old El Capo site.
Emily Sergeant -
12th March 2021 
