If you love yourself a good chippy tea (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t), you won’t want to miss out on this – because next week there’ll be a van handing out a load of free chippy teas in the centre of Manchester.
On Tuesday 21 September, Green Flag is teaming up with The Frying Squad to give away free portions of fish and chips to 300 lucky people from a food truck on Piccadilly Gardens.
The breakdown cover provider first began life above a fish and chip shop fifty years ago. Now, in homage to their humble salt and vinegar-filled office beginnings, the company is celebrating half a century in the game with the ultimate fish and chip collaboration.
Having begun life above a fish and chip shop in 1973, the company is taking things back to its roots to celebrate its 50th anniversary / Image: The Frying Squad
Taking it back to their roots, in honour of the company’s 50th anniversary Green Flag will be offering people a voucher for a free fish and chip lunch from the Frying Squad, who’ll be parked up nearby from 11 am – 3 pm.
You won’t want to hang about, though, as it’s first come first served and they’re only giving away 300 portions.
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The giveaway comes after new research has revealed that fish and chips are the most popular British dish of all time. Of those surveyed, 69 percent voted for the chippy tea, winning out over the full English (60%) and a Sunday roast (57%) significantly.
Green Flag has teamed up with The Frying Squad to hand out free portions of fish and chips in Piccadilly Gardens next week / Image: The Frying Squad
Perhaps unsurprisingly, here in Manchester over two-thirds of people (67%) voted for fish and chips as the most British dish of all time.
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The study also found that well over a third (36%) of people living in Manchester thought that eating with fingers is the best way to enjoy a fish and chips meal, compared with the 19% who preferred using a knife and fork.
The fish and chip van will be parked on Piccadilly Gardens from 11 am – 3 pm on Tuesday 21 September / Image: The Frying Squad
Mark Newberry, Commercial Director at Green Flag, commented:“It’s very exciting to be celebrating our 50th birthday.
“Since founding the business above a fish ‘n’ chip shop back in 1971, we’ve always had big ambitions here at Green Flag, using our network of local independent recovery experts to deliver excellent service and great value breakdown cover some five decades on.
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“We want everyone to come together and celebrate this milestone and enjoy a fish and chip lunch from The Frying Squad, on us!”
Salford industrial estate bakery with incredible cinnamon rolls to open new site
Daisy Jackson
Mayya Bakery, a local ‘hidden gem’ with incredible cinnamon rolls, is set to open a brand-new bakery that will make it significantly less hidden.
Until now, Mayya has been quietly trading from an industrial estate in Salford, where it’s built a great reputation for its bakes despite an off-the-beaten-track-location and relatively little social media fanfare.
It opened its doors in 2024, operated by former primary school teacher Meli and her husband, dentist Oguz.
This is an artisan bakery with a real Turkish flare, with plenty of comfort food like freshly made gözleme (or gozzies for short) and bigger dishes if you fancy sitting in.
Their counters are stuffed with sweet bakes, like their perfect cinnamon rolls, plus loaves, babka, cookies, and homemade cheesecake.
For bigger dishes, you’ll find breakfast dishes like Turkish eggs, Simit (a traditional sesame bagel) breakfasts, and menemen.
The counters at Mayya Bakery’s current locationIncredible cheesecake at Mayya BakerySigns on Chapel Street Salford for the new Mayya Bakery
And now Mayya Bakery has revealed plans to open a new location in a much more prominent spot in town, with signs appearing in the windows of a unit on Chapel Street.
The sign reads: “Everything is homemade – including this picture.”
It also quips: “They called us hidden gem… not hidden anymore.”
Mayya will open on Chapel Street soon – keep an eye on our food and drink Instagram page The Manc Eats for the latest.
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of one Greater Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few ocassions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Georgina Pellant -
15th September 2021 
