Spooky season is almost upon us, and with that comes all manner of ghouls and ghosts. Our favourite variety, most definitely, has to be the edible kind – and one Manchester baker has really delivered the goods this year.
Over on Tib Street, Manchester coffee and donut shop Siop Shop is pulling out all the stops this October by combining two of the harvest season’s best attributes: Halloween, and pumpkin spice.
Shaped just like a little gourd, its pumpkin spice pumpkin donuts are covered in orange icing and topped with a green sugary ‘stem’, whilst inside they’re stuffed with delicately spiced pumpkin creme patisserie.
Priced at £4.50 each, they’re available at the Northern Quarter coffee and donut shop all month alongside a selection of other Halloween-themed donuts (or ghoul’nuts, as the shop’s owner is calling them).
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Alongside the pumpkin spice donuts, described by staff when we visit as ‘undoubtedly the star of the show’, Siop Shop is also selling coffee and white chocolate Egyptian mummies (£4.50), vegan ghosts (£4.20), and bone-shaped donuts covered in a classic glaze (£3.65).
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Elsewhere, you’ll find an array of coffees, classic donuts and salted caramel brownies, alongside giant sausage rolls and a selection of savoury danishes, filled with the likes of tomato, mascarpone and parma ham, or braised leek and feta.
It’s not the first time that Siop Shop has impressed with its themed donuts. Earlier this year, the bakers behind the cafe also released a series of amazing ‘kiss off’ Love Hearts specials for Valentine’s Day.
The baking team took the nostalgic favourite and brought it firmly into 2022 with “crude, off-color sentiments” like ‘kiss off’, ‘u stink’ and, our personal favourite, ‘prize pig’.
If you consider yourself a fan of good coffee and donuts, then you really need to pay Siop Shop a visit. Trust us, you will have no regrets.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
Date set for Manchester’s move to London-style ‘touch in, touch out’ public transport system
Emily Sergeant
The date for Manchester’s switch to a London-style ‘touch in, touch out’ public transport system has officially been set.
With just three months to go until all buses in Greater Manchester are back under local control, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now set the date for the introduction of capped contactless payments on the Bee Network in a bid to “support multi-modal travel”, and it’s already being described as a “huge step forward”.
TfGM believes contactless pay-as-you-go systems on buses and trams will make travel easier overall, as it’ll guarantee passengers pay the right fare for their journey.
But how exactly will it work?
Coming soon, contactless Pay As You Go on #BeeNetwork buses. Travel seamlessly between bus and tram, with fares automatically worked out for you.
🟡 Pay no more than the daily or weekly cap for your journeys (adult fares) 🟡 Unlimited daily travel by bus for £5 a day pic.twitter.com/dOa8o96vqA
Well, similar to how customers currently travel on the Metrolink, passengers will be able to use their bank card or smart payment device to touch in on all Bee Network bus services, and rest assured knowing that they will only be charged the lowest fare up to the daily cap of £5, or the new weekly cap of £20.
Under the new system, people travelling by Bee Network bus will simply ‘touch on’ as they board the service.
Not only that, but passengers will also be able to travel across both Metrolink and Bee Network bus services at the same time, and only be charged a single multi-modal fare, instead of having to plan or buy tickets in advance – which is similar to travelling in London.
Passengers who use both Bee Network bus and Metrolink can use pay as you go for unlimited all-day travel across Greater Manchester, which is expected to cost a maximum of £9.50, or £7.80 if you start your journey after 9:30am or at weekends.
Journeys will be cheaper if travelling across fewer Metrolink zones.
Manchester is set to move to London-style ‘touch in, touch out’ public transport payment system / Credit: TfGM
For the time being, TfGM has confirmed that pay as you go travel will operate with adult fares only, but this may be rolled-out to others in the future.
“Pay as you go will be launching across Bee Network buses to build on the system that has been in place on the Metrolink since 2019,” explained Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
“This is a massive step forward in terms of delivering a London-style transport network for the people of Greater Manchester, putting our region on par with not only the capital, but also major cities across the world that offer seamless integrated travel by public transport.”
Mr Burnham also said it’ll be “affordable and easier to pay for”, and will ultimately “take the worry out of choosing the right ticket”.
Manchester’s switch to ‘touch in, touch out’ payment across the Bee Network will arrive on 23 March 2025.
Featured Image – TfGM
Manchester
Manchester set for its ‘best-ever Christmas’ as all 2024 Market locations confirmed
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is gearing up for its “best-ever Christmas”, as all the locations for this year’s Christmas Markets have now been confirmed.
In case you missed it, Manchester City Council announced the news we had all been waiting for a couple of weeks back by revealing that the city’s iconic Christmas Markets would be returning for 2024 from the first week of November – with well over 200 stalls set to line the streets as the beloved event enters is 26th year.
Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for delighting local residents and visiting shoppers alike, bringing millions of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and to soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
And it’s now only a month to go until the big opening day on Friday 8 November.
The best Christmas Markets in the UK are back in Manchester for another year! 🎊🎄
In just over a month, we'll be bringing our famous festivities to the city centre. 🥂
It had already been revealed that King Street West, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, and Cathedral Gardens would all be hosting the festivities this year, as well as Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens as usual, but now, the Council has shared a break-down of what stalls shoppers can find in each location.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester is preparing for its “best-ever Christmas” / Credit: Manchester City Council
Winter Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens will, once again, be transformed into Winter Gardens for 2024, but this year, it’s set to be bigger and better than ever – with two twinkling light-filled marquees providing more undercover space for Christmas shoppers, and all the festive food favourites back for another year, plus bars serving continental and foreign ales.
Live entertainment and music will also be on offer beneath the shelter of marquees each day, making it an ideal place to cosy up with family and friends.
Market Street
Even more stalls than usual are to be expected on Market Street in 2024, so keep head on down there for sellers showcasing a wide range of bespoke crafts, gifts, and produce – with everything from tweed hats, spiced rum and Christmas decorations, to candles, freshly-baked coconut macaroons, jewellery, cheese truckles, and so much more on offer.
Cathedral Gardens
As always, Cathedral Gardens will be home to Skate Manchester’s huge covered ice rink, which will be open daily, but not only that, there’ll also be free live entertainment hosted every Thursday to Sunday all the way up to New Year’s Eve.
Plus, you can even warm up with authentic crepes, gourmet hotdogs, hot chocolate, and much more at the collection of food and drink stalls.
Manchester Christmas Markets return for 2024 on Friday 8 November / Credit: Flickr
New Cathedral Street
Just like it is all year round, New Cathedral Street will be your go-to spot for high-end gifts and foodie favourites this year, so expect a selection of handmade candles, ceramics, local spirits, and thoughtful keepsakes, before you savour a cold beer and currywurst from The Witch House, or a hearty burrito from Wrap Up, once your shopping’s done.
Exchange Square
Exchange Square will be one of the largest market locations in the city in 2024.
Here Christmas shoppers will find a host of seasonal stalls selling everything from clothing and soaps, to boutique babywear, local crafts, and handmade gifts, as well as legendary The Mill Exchange with their Mancunian mulled wine, much-loved Yorkshire pudding wrap experts Porky Pig, and lots of other food traders serving hot curries, mini pancakes, and more.
The Corn Exchange
You’ll find some of the most unique gifts available from crafters at The Corn Exchange this year, so head on down here for homemade pies, Nepalese woollen jumpers, handmade jewellery, Christmas decorations made from recycled wood, artisan chocolates, and loads more.
St Ann’s Square and Exchange Street
If you make your way over to St Ann’s Square and the neighbouring Exchange Street, which were the sites of Manchester’s first-ever Christmas Market, you can cosy up for a drink in the undercover bar and enjoy a selection of authentic German goods from some of the city’s longest-standing traders.
This is where you’ll find Northern Quarter favourites, Yard and Coop.
More than 200 stalls will line the streets / Credit: Manchester City Council
King Street
King Street is a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike, as you can expect to find authentic Italian deli, Ballaro, serving up fresh cannelloni and arancini, and El Gato Negro bringing some Mediterranean menu flavours to their seating area, as well as a wide range of stalls selling crafts and more.
Here you’ll find the always-popular French soap stall, personalised tree decorations, handmade wooden furniture, and beautifully-illustrated bottles from local distillery, Salford Rum.
Manchester Christmas Markets will return from Friday 8 November.
Stalls will be open daily from 10am – 8pm throughout the six-week run, with food and drink stalls staying open until 9pm, until it all officially wraps up on Sunday 23 December – except for stalls in Cathedral Gardens, which will remain open until New Year’s Eve.
Georgina Pellant -
20th October 2022 
