Turkey hanging kebabs, and pies topped with pigs in blankets are just some of the dishes on The Botanist’s new winter menu.
The Botanist may have been known for its imaginative food and drink creations for quite some time now, its new winter menu for 2023 is something else – with everything from indulgent sharing boards, oozy Camembert bread loaves, and mouthwatering twists on Christmas classics on the lineup to choose from.
Described as being “comfort food to indulge in as the winter chill creeps in”, The Botanist‘s new limited-edition seasonal menu has been expertly-crafted by the chain’s in-house chefs, with diners told to expect every dish to have been “created lovingly” from scratch.
So, what’s on the lineup for the festive season then?
The Botanist has launched its festive food and drink menu for the winter season / Credit: Supplied
Well for starters, there’s a whole melted camembert baked inside a sourdough loaf, with sweet onion marmalade and served with crispy garlic croutons to dip in.
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For those feeling a little indecisive, there’s a new ‘Hot Board’ that comes with tater tot poutine, Cumberland scotch eggs, halloumi fries, salt and pepper chicken wings, and chicken katsu bites, as well as a vegan version with bang bang cauliflower, giant couscous, houmous with roasted chickpeas, vegan meatballs in marinara sauce, and crispy mushrooms.
But, of course, it wouldn’t be The Botanist without those famous hanging kebabs, right?
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And thankfully, there’s a new seasonal special to get stuck into this year – with orange and cranberry glazed turkey, stuffing, and pigs in blankets, served with all the trimmings and a pot of gravy to drizzle down the kebab.
There’s turkey hanging kebabs, pies topped with pigs in blankets, and more / Credit: Supplied
Another showstopping main dish available right up until Christmas is the turkey ‘pie of the day’, which is topped with a giant pig in blanket, and served with mashed potato, cranberry sauce, crispy sage, and lashings of gravy on the side.
There’s also a new prawn linguine, a spicy coconut sweet potato pie, a sweet potato and goat’s cheese tart, butternut squash soup, chicken and liver brandy pate, and even a tear-and-share garlic fougasse bread.
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Those with a sweet tooth haven’t been forgotten either, as the restaurant’s signature cookie dough has had a seasonal update too to create a new S’mores option that’s topped with toasted marshmallows and chocolate brownie chunks, and finished off with a biscuit crumb.
There’s also a Salted Caramel Pretzel version too that comes with a sticky and sweet butterscotch sauce, and lots of salted pretzel pieces.
“This time of year is all about celebration and enjoying good food with loved ones,” explained James Scott, who is the Executive Chef at The Botanist.
“With this menu we wanted to showcase a modern take on feel-good comfort food with festive flavours, offering our diners a seasonal update to the signature dishes they’ve come to know and love when visiting our restaurants.”
The Botanist’s new winter menu is now available to indulge in at all Greater Manchester locations, with dishes starting from £7.25 for starters, £13.95 for mains, and £5.25 for desserts.
Featured Image – Supplied
Food & Drink
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Daisy Jackson
A nightclub in Manchester has shared a picture of a recent customer’s bill – and to call them a big spender would be underselling it.
The luxury nightclub posted a photo of a bill that racked up to an eye-watering £88k.
Or, to be very specific, £88,589.60.
The flash customer was at The Continental Club, otherwise known as The Conti, an ‘exclusive’ bar and club on South King Street.
The bar is a drastic departure from the former nightlife spot which stood in its place – the building was previously home to South, a legendary underground club famed for its alternative soundtrack.
Now it’s got a new life as a nightlife haunt where, apparently, it’s not uncommon to spend the equivalent of a small terrace house on drinks.
The bar shared the picture of the receipt yesterday, describing it as a ‘record-breaker’.
The Continental Club has claimed that it’s not only the biggest spend in its own walls, but the most expensive bill to have ever taken place in any club in Manchester.
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Curious to see how exactly a person could spend £88k on drinks? Let’s break down some of the more expensive items.
Let’s kick things off with three bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Extra Anejo, a tequila which retails for around £2.5k but set this customer back £9,500 a pop…
Then there’s a couple of magnums of Dom Perignon rose champagne (£2,000 each), a few bottles of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne (£1,500 each), and a few £950 bottles of Chivas Regal 25 whiskey.
It makes the £850 Grey Goose at the bottom seem like child’s play.
They also slammed at least 48 Red Bulls, according to the bill.
Then on top of that you’ve got a staggering £8k worth of service charge – some very happy staff went home that night, I’d imagine.
The Continental Club wrote: “Some come to sip…others come to set records. The biggest table spend to EVER take place in a club in Manchester.”
V.Goode Pies – Michelin-recommended Manchester restaurant launches new pie shop
Daisy Jackson
A new pie shop has opened in Manchester today – and it comes from the same team behind a Michelin-recommended restaurant.
Chefs Shaun Moffat (of Winsome fame) and Sam Grainger (Madre, Belzan, Doug’s and loads more) have joined forces for V.Goode Pies.
The Oxford Road pie shop promises to serve ‘the kind of pies Manchester’s been waiting for’ that won’t cost the earth.
Shaun and Sam dreamed up the idea following the success of the pie offering at Winsome, which are a highlight of its proudly British menu.
Now open on Oxford Road, you’ll find four core individual pies as well as breakfast pies.
Expect classic flavours like cheese and onion, and meat and potato, but also less common creations like a lasagne pie and a breakfast pie too.
There’ll be the option to have your pie served in a barm, Wigan kebab-style, or have it as it comes after a hefty dunk in a vat of gravy.
Pie dinner trays at V.Goode PiesInside the breakfast pie and the lasagne pie at V.Goode PiesA pie barm at V.Goode PiesShaun Moffat and Sam GraingerTraditional British piesThe full spreadInside V.Goode PiesCredit: The Manc Group
You can also have it served on a classic dinner tray, with mash and mushy peas on the side.
As well as traditional fillings, V. Goode Pies will have more out-there bakes like a lasagne pie, where layers of pasta are packed into a pie crust.
You can also expect rotating specials and collaborations.
V.Goode Pies – or, to use its government name, Valerie Goode’s Pies – is inspired by co-founder Tom Fastiggi’s dinner lady grandmother and pie connoisseur.
V.Goode Pies will take over the old Loaf store on Oxford Road and is set to open on 18 November, with a pop-up also planned at Freight Island this winter.
The pie shop will be open Monday to Saturday, from 8am until they sell out.
Emily Sergeant -
27th November 2023 
