A couple of chefs in Manchester have created a Christmas kebab menu with pigs in blanket-loaded fries – and we are a little bit obsessed.
From festive loaded fries to kebabs stuffed with the likes of pulled turkey, cranberry hot sauce, and fried sprouts, this might be the most indulgent Christmas street food menu we’ve come across yet.
Created by the team behind Kong’s Chicken Shop and Meat and Three, the menu reimagines the classic takeaway favourite for the festive season with four different filled kebab options.
Chipotle orange and cumin pulled pork Christmas kebab with pickled red cabbage, tomato and cucumber, lettuce, garlic sauce, homemade chilli sauce and spiced pickled gherkins (£13) / Image: The Manc Group
Think pulled turkey with spicy cranberry sauce and fried sprouts (£13), chipotle orange and cumin pulled pork (£13), mulled wine braised beef brisket (£14), or slow-cooked mushrooms and fennel (£13) – all rolled in pillowy, soft naan bread.
All come served with extra pickled red cabbage, tomato and cucumber salad, lettuce, garlic sauce, homemade chilli sauce, and spiced pickled gherkins for those authentic late-night takeaway feels.
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But that’s not all – there’s also a handful of loaded fries options to choose from. Opt for classic fries loaded with pigs in blankets, baconnaise, and cranberry hot sauce, or go down the Canadian route with Kong’s Christmas poutine, which comes loaded with mozzarella, mulled wine gravy, and more sprouts.
Pigs in blankets loaded fries with bacconaise and cranberry hot sauce (£5) / Image: The Manc GroupThe Clubhouse Christmas bar is selling festive cocktails like ‘Santa Baby’ and ‘Life’s a Grinch’ to help to wash down your kebabs / Image: The Manc Group
The poutine standardly comes as vegetarian or vegan (vegan mozzarella cheese is available on request), but for those meat-eaters that want to add on a few cheeky extras, you can also include pulled turkey and pigs in blankets for £2 apiece.
Available from today throughout the season from a pop-up kitchen on Spinningfields square, the menu has been created as part of the crazy cocktail bar Clubhouse’s Christmas takeover – which sees the team also bring karaoke huts, a curling lane, and a live music stage to the edge of Deansgate.
Elsewhere, you’ll find festive cocktails like ‘Santa Baby’ (pink gin, triple sec, sour, sugar and cranberry) and ‘Life’s A Grinch’ (kiwi, sour, sugar and coconut) to wash your kebab down, available from the square’s neighbouring bar – run by the Clubhouse team.
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On top of all this, down at Spinningfields square, there are also karaoke huts offering drinks service and an infinite number of songs, duelling pianos taking requests from 7pm on the weekends, and a curling lane to get stuck into.
We’ve heard some rumours about a grinch causing mischief in the evenings too – but that’s not been confirmed yet.
Feature image – The Manc Group
Manchester
New flights to magical Christmas Market city launch from Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A new route from Manchester that will whisk passengers away to a world-famous Christmas Markets city has launched.
EasyJet is now jetting off to Nuremberg from Manchester Airport, opening up a brand-new direct route to Bavaria’s second city.
The pretty German destination is famed across the globe for its traditional Christmas Markets, as well as its medieval architecture, rich history, and Franconian food and drink.
The Nuremberg Christmas Market has just been named among the cheapest in Europe too, with mulled wine usually costing around £3.85 (compared to the £5.50 of Manchester Christmas Markets last year).
And with return flights from just £64 per person, it actually might be a cheaper way to join in the festivities than celebrating on home turf.
Nuremberg is the second-largest city in Bavaria, behind Munich, and boasts a beautiful and walkable old town that makes it an ideal choice for a short break.
The world-famous Christmas Market – known here as Christkindlesmarkt – dates back centuries and spills out across the city’s picturesque Hauptmarkt square with traditional wooden stalls selling handcrafted gifts, decorations and festive treats.
You’ll also find traditional winter food and drink like Gluhwein, roasted almonds, and gingerbread, soundtracked by live choirs and carol singers.
And don’t miss Drei im Weggla, the city’s famous chipolata-sized grilled pork sausages that are typically served three at a time in a crusty bread roll, then topped with sauerkraut and German mustard.
New direct flights to Nuremberg from Manchester have launched. Credit: Pixabay, ArminEP
You can also explore attractions here like the Nuremberg Castle, perched high above the city, with panoramic views across the Old Town, then wander some of Europe’s best-preserved city walls and cobbled streets.
Stephen Turner, Chief Commercial Officer at Manchester Airport, said: “We’re proud to connect people from across the North with the destinations they want to travel to – so it’s incredibly exciting to see easyJet launching direct flights to Nuremberg from Manchester, just in time for the city’s iconic Christmas markets.
“This service makes us the only UK airport outside London with a direct connection to Bavaria’s second city.
“Nuremberg is a hotbed of German culture, history, cuisine and architecture – there’s so much to explore within the city and we’re sure it’ll prove extremely popular with travellers from Manchester.”
Nuremberg is a magical winter city in Bavaria. Credit: Unsplash, Ram Lanka
Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: “We’re really pleased to be celebrating the launch of our first flight from Manchester to Nuremberg today and welcoming customers onboard our newest route from the North West.
“Nuremberg is a fantastic addition to our network and an ideal destination for a winter city break, from its famous Christmas markets to its fascinating history and medieval architecture.
“The launch further expands the choice we offer our customers from Manchester, providing even more great-value connectivity across Europe and beyond.”
Flights from Manchester to Nuremberg will operate twice per week until early January 2027, on Mondays and Fridays, with return fares from only £64pp.
Police urgently appeal after 19-year-old pedestrian is hit and ‘seriously injured’ on Mancunian Way
Emily Sergeant
An urgent police appeal has been issued following a serious collision on the Mancunian Way this past weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at 11:50pm on Halloween (Saturday 31 October), officers responded to reports of a serious collision on the Mancunian Way, by the exit slip road for London Road.
It was reported that a 19-year-old man had walked on the slip road, where he was struck by a vehicle – causing him to sustain ‘life-threatening injuries’ in the process.
Police say the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, and has cooperated with enquires.
As officers continue to establish the full circumstances of this shocking incident, GMP has now issued an appeal for anyone with information to come forward.
This includes anyone who witnessed the collision, or has any dashcam or CCTV footage from around the time and location of the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 4579 of 31/10/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Georgina Pellant -
18th November 2021 
