One of Manchester’s most popular street food stalls has won a huge accolade in the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards, scooping the prize for Best Newcomer.
Salt & Pepper serves a Chinese-inspired menu from a stall inside the Arndale food market, as well as from the kitchens at Black Dog in the Northern Quarter.
The local business has centred its menu around the ever-popular Chinese dish of salt and pepper, with variations including chicken wings, surf and turf, and battered king prawns.
They also serve up sticky Canton-glazed meals, all loaded onto salt and pepper crinkle fries or rice.
Salt & Pepper operates from the Arndale food market and Black Dog in the Northern Quarter. Credit: Supplied
Owner Chloe Tao said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win the award for best newcomer and wanna thank everyone that voted for us.
“Quite honestly, we’ve not had a lot of good news this year and this award has really cheered us all up and kept us validated.
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“We’re really grateful that we’re still able to serve good food to good people and I’m so proud of my incredible team who continue to make this their priority.”
Wingstop won the very top prize – and opens in Manchester this week. Credit: Supplied
Several larger restaurant groups with presences here in Manchester did scoop an award though, including Dishoom, which was crowned best Indian restaurant, and Gaucho, for fine dining.
Wingstop, which is about to open its first Manchester location just off Piccadilly Gardens, was named the Restaurant of the Year.
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The chicken wing restaurant beat out the likes of Proove Pizza and Fat Hippo to claim the top prize.
Read more: Kampus’s restaurant-on-stilts to become bakery, florist and bagel shop
The Deliveroo Restaurant Awards were first launched in 2019 to celebrate the best restaurants and grocers on the platform, with winners across 21 categories chosen by public vote.
The Restaurant of the Year was chosen by a panel of expert judges, made up of food critic Grace Dent, presenter and TV chef Big Zuu, Junior Bake-Off judge Ravneet Gill, and Deliveroo CEO Will Shu.
Will Shu said: “Well done to all of our winners and finalists in every category, the food we’re delivering to customers has never been better and that’s thanks to the incredible restaurants and grocers on our platform.”
Featured Image – Salt & Pepper Manchester
Eats
A restaurant dedicated to all things truffle is opening in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
A new restaurant and takeaway with a menu dedicated to truffle-infused dishes is opening in the Northern Quarter.
Mother Truffler is set to open on Tib Street, taking over the former Kingfisher chippy (which we didn’t even know had shut down).
Signs have appeared in the windows of the corner unit, which will count venues like Siop Shop and Ad Maiora as neighbours.
Mother Truffler has been successfully operating as a dark kitchen with glowing reviews on delivery platforms, but is now venturing out into its first bricks and mortar site.
Based on their delivery menu, Mother Truffler will be serving a menu of different burgers, each one featuring a truffle-infused sauce.
And there’s a gap in the market for burgers in the Northern Quarter since the closure of Super Awesome Deluxe.
Founder Youssef Taha has been sharing updates of the renovation of the space, as work gets underway to transform the old chippy into a truffle restaurant.
The new website states: “Proudly crafting truffle-rich food in the heart of Manchester. Rooted in quality. Inspired by truffle.”
And menu items are set to include smash burgers with truffle mayo, chicken burgers with truffle ranch, truffle parmesan fries, and a range of other mouth-watering sides.
TGI Fridays to close even more UK locations as franchise falls further into administration
Danny Jones
Yes, American export and multinational TGI Fridays is closing even more locations across the UK following the previous batch of restaurant shutdowns.
This comes after Liberty Bar and Restaurant Group, the parent company which oversees the global TGI Fridays franchise, filed a third notice to appoint administrators this week.
Founded way back in 1965 and opening in the UK by the 80s – 1990 here in Manchester, to be specific – the New York-born diner brand continues to struggle all over Great Britain.
The only city centre TGIs was hit by the first raft of closures in October 2024, and now another Greater Manchester branch is on the chopping block.
TGIs Preswitch and Royal Exchange have both been shut for some time (Credit: David Dixon/The Manc)
Announced on Wednesday, 14 January, a further 16 TGI Fridays restaurants are shutting down imminently amid administration.
Totalling just 33 transatlantic venues left, this also means the loss of around 450 jobs, though the company insists they believe it to be the best decision to help “reinvigorate” the brand.
In a statement, Global President of TGI Fridays, Phil Broad, said: “We’ve been working closely to explore all available options for securing the long-term future of TGI Fridays in the UK, and believe that this is the best outcome for the business, preserves jobs, and offers a strong platform for success and growth.
As per an official press release shared on Monday, TGI bosses are hoping to reassert their presence in the American bar and grill scene as well as casual dining culture with a “bold new 1-2-3 strategic vision.”
Meanwhile, you can see the full list of TGI Fridays sites closing in Great Britain down below:
It seems that the entities within the hospitality sector, no matter how big or small, are still being struck by rising business rates, inflation and the general cost of living crisis.
I suggest you speak to your team @RachelReevesMP … an emergency cut in VAT is the ONLY lever you have to save thousands of Hospitality businesses folding. Much of Europe has VAT rates 10-13% to support their Hospitality industry.
For now, at least, the now only remaining regional TGI Fridays in the Trafford Centre (which has been there since 1998) is set to stay open.
In the case of the site in Tameside, the 36-year-old spot has unfortunately closed with immediate effect.
As for those sadly now without a job, it’s absolutely gutting – sending love and support from everyone here at The Manc Group, and we hope other parties at Ashton Leisure Park will step in to help when and where they can.
This is far from the only recognisable name closing down local venues, either…
Daisy Jackson -
16th November 2021 
