We already take brunch very seriously here in Manchester, but now one of the city’s most popular restaurants is taking it to a whole new level.
The Botanist has always been known for its imaginative food and drink creations, but now, the restaurant chain has unveiled a huge new brunch menu at the beginning of this month, and it’s giving diners the chance to build their own brunch board – with endless options and combinations to choose from.
The brand-new concept from the restaurant chain – which has a number of sites in Greater Manchester and across the North West – lets you select five small plates from a choice of 28 different options.
Your chosen five dishes come served on a “very Instagrammable” wooden board, and it’s priced at £15.95 per person.
If you’re really hungry though, extra dishes can be added for an additional £3 each.
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The Botanist has launched a new ‘build your own brunch’ board concept / Credit: The Botanist
So, how does the build your own brunch board actually work then?
Well, it’s split into five categories – bakery, protein punch, hearty, on the side, and sweet treat – to give you a wide range of mouthwatering options, with some of the dishes including Ham Hock Egg Benedict, Croque Monsieur, Smoked Trout and Salmon Pate, Acai Berry Protein Smoothie, and Nutella and Biscoff French Toast.
There’s plenty of options suitable for vegans and those following a plant based diet too, with dishes including Scrambled Tofu with sundried tomato oil and toasted seeds, Plant Based Cumberland Sausage, Mini Hash Browns, and Passion Fruit and Chia Yoghurt.
There’s over 98,280 different combinations to choose from / Credit: The Botanist
Diners can either choose one dish from each section to create a balanced board of options, or choose any five dishes they like from the full list.
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This means there’s a total of a whopping 98,280 different combinations to create.
That’s not all either as there’s a drinks package upgrade too, with new brunch cocktails that have expertly-crafted by The Botanist’s in-house “cocktail wizards”, including Smoked Rose-Mary, Campari G&T, and Watermelon Garibaldi, as well as a range of nourishing and freshly-prepared Juice Boosts.
The Botanist Brunch is now available from 9am at participating sites, although specific service days and times vary depending on individual venues, and you can find out more information here.
Featured Image – The Botanist
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Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 and confirms launch date
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has officially unveiled its Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026, and has revealed when it’ll be arriving in stores.
Spooky season may not have even arrived yet, but it won’t be long before the most wonderful time of the year is here and most of the UK’s major supermarkets have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas food, drink, and gifts galore.
Tesco has now unveiled all the sandwiches and snacks forming part of its iconic lunchtime meal deal selection.
10 new seasonal mains and sides have been launched this year, as well as some classics and returning fan favourites too.
The retailer says its food on-the-go experts have worked hard to bring a variety of festive flavours and great-quality ingredients together this year, with something on offer to cater to all tastes and preferences.
Tesco officially unveils Christmas Meal Deal menu for 2026 / Credit: Tesco
Available in stores and online from next week, with Tesco Clubcard members paying just £3.80 or £5.50 to upgrade to a Premium Meal Deal, some of the all-new main options you can choose from in 2026’s festive lineup include the Fully Loaded Chicken, Stuffing, Braised Red Cabbage & Cranberry Sauce Sandwich, the Christmas Triple Sandwich, and the Pork Meatball Wrap with smoky sage and onion mayonnaise.
Other returning favourites include the Brie and Cranberry Sandwich, the Currywurst Sausage Sub, and the absolute classic Turkey & Trimmings Sandwich.
For veggies and vegans, there’s a new Tesco Plant Chef Christmas Veg Fest Wrap, and for those who follow a gluten free diet, you can grab the Gluten Free Festive Chicken & Trimmings sandwich.
When it comes to snacks to accompany those mains, the festive Mini Pork Pies and Pig in Blanket Sausage Rolls are returning to the lineup this year, alongside some new additions like the Pretzels with Salted Caramel Soft Cheese Dip, and Mini Cheese Twists.
The 2026 Tesco Christmas Meal Deal range will be in stores across the UK from Monday 12 October, and there’s thousands of combinations to try.
Featured Image – Tesco
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Emily Sergeant -
8th June 2022 
