One of Manchester’s most popular outdoor bars and restaurants has announced that bookings are now live ahead of reopening next month.
Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unveiling of the government’s roadmap to lift England’s current national lockdown – which has seen all hospitality businesses shut, with the exception of takeaway services, for the duration – beloved city centre hangout The Oast House has revealed that it will be reopening to the public once again on Monday 12th April.
As per government restrictions however, the venue will only be reopening for outdoor hospitality on this date.
But as many Mancunians and visitors to the city will likely tell you, The Oast House‘s outdoor space is undeniably the best bit.
Given that it boasts one of the largest outdoor dining and entertainment areas in the city centre, many are known to flock to The Oast House to bask in the sunshine with a drink and a bite to eat during the warmer months, but that usual hustle and bustle has sadly been more subdued over the last year amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as, like the majority of Manchester’s hospitality establishments, the ever-popular Spinnigfields sun trap has been subjected to several temporary closures and ongoing COVID-safety restrictions.
ADVERTISEMENT
With a national goal to lift all limits on social contact before 21st June, at the earliest, though, business looks set to resume as normal before the best of the season is out.
The Oast House
The Oast House will be operating under ‘the rule of six’ once it reopens next month.
ADVERTISEMENT
Launching its online booking system for 12th April onwards, and providing customers with important details about the reopening, The Oast House said: “We welcome groups of up to six people to book in our outdoor courtyard.
“We kindly ask you to follow all current guidelines and as such groups may not split across multiple tables.
“To share the love and make it fair for all, bookings will be allocated a two-hour time slot and will be limited to one booking per group per day”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Visitors keen to pre-book a table are also advised bythat not all of the outdoor courtyard area is covered and it’s therefore best to bring an umbrella along with you to avoid getting caught out in the classic Manchester April showers, and for those looking to turn up on the day, The Oast House has confirmed that: “We have reserved a number of tables for people without bookings which will be available on the day on a first come, first served basis”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLolDc5gaO3/
The reopening of The Oast House’s indoor premises are also planned from 17th May, and after this date, outdoor bookings will not be taken.
Group bookings of seven or more are also set to resume from 21st June.
You can find more information and book your table for 12th April onwards via The Oast House website here.
Food & Drink
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
What is the UK’s national dish? New survey reveals Brits’ pick in landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
What is the UK’s national dish? A new survey has revealed Brits’ pick in a landslide victory / Credit: The Manc Group
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
Emily Sergeant -
1st March 2021 
