Manchester

Crown & Kettle to host Signature Brew takeover with Hot Chip supported by The Manc

Crown & Kettle - one of Manchester's most historic and best-loved institutions - is running the one-off special event to celebrate the end of COVID restrictions and mark the long-awaited return to dancefloors in England.

The Manc The Manc - 26th July 2021

Crown & Kettle has announced a FREE Signature Brew Tap Takeover next week starring a live DJ set from Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip.

Officially supported by The Manc, the one-off event is set to feature six of the tastiest creations from the London brewers.

Taylor – lead vocalist and frontman of the smash-hit synthpop group Hot Chip – will be soundtracking the evening with 3 hours’ worth of bouncing tracks.

The electronic band will even have their own Signature Brew collaboration available at the event titled ‘One Pure Thought’.

Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip will be performing a 3 hour DJ set at Crown & Kettle / Image: Wikipedia

Crown & Kettle – one of Manchester’s most historic and best-loved institutions – is running the special event to celebrate the end of COVID restrictions and mark the long-awaited return to dancefloors in England.

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Entrance is completely free. Spaces on the door will operate on a first come, first served basis.

On the taps for the evening you’ll find half a dozen delicious signature brews (alongside the usual Crown & Kettle tipples) including:

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  • One Pure Thought Sicilian Lemon Rice Lager 4.8%
  • Stagediver DIPA 7.5%
  • Pigs / Beer x 7 Neipa 4.5%
  • C-Sharp Sicilian Lemon & Citra Sour 4.5%
  • Nightliner Coffe Porter 5.7%
  • Roadie – All Night IPA 4.3%

The takeover event will run on Wednesday 4 August.

Visit the official Facebook event post to learn more.

Manchester

The Manchester cafe serving viral Dubai pistachio chocolate, smores platters, chocolate fondue and more

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Cocoa Cabana in Manchester sells the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group

There’s a cafe in Manchester that is dedicated to ticking off every chocolate food craze under one roof, from indulgent platters to those viral ‘Dubai’ pistachio bars. 

We are of course talking about Cocoa Cabana, a pretty little spot in the heart of Ancoats (as well as its original site over in Didsbury), which specialises in all things artisan chocolate. 

From beautiful cakes and chocolates made by hand and displayed in their cabinets, to traditional afternoon teas, to brunches and lunches – there’s a LOT to satisfy your sweet and savoury tooth at Cocoa Cabana. 

First founded by Sarah Gallacher back in 2012, this is one of those spots that keeps people coming back time and time again thanks to a packed programme of experiences, including cocktail-making classes, tasting events, and chocolate making classes.

Now, if you’re one of those people who orders the sizzling fajitas in a restaurant, you’re going to enjoy the Cocoa Cabana smores platter, which arrives with a similar amount of ‘ooh look at me’ pomp and ceremony.

You’re presented with your own miniature firepit-in-a-tin, flickering blue flames surrounded by a mountain of giant marshmallows, homemade cookies, and little jars of molten chocolate.

A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
A smores platter at Cocoa Cabana in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group

Skewer your squishy mallow, stick it over the fire until its outsides are all golden and bubbling, then squash that between two cookies and apply whatever sauce – white chocolate, dark chocolate, or pistachio sauce – you fancy. Sickly, yes, but so good.

There’s also the option to have a more traditional chocolate fondue, again presented on fire.

This time it’s a dark vat of artisan molten chocolate, with a heaped bowl of fresh strawberries, banana, chocolate straws, waffles, brownies, and more for dipping.

Dunking a fudgy, iced brownie into a pot of chocolate is the ultimate indulgence.

Cocoa Cabana’s chocolate fondue. Credit: The Manc Group
Cocoa Cabana’s chocolate fondue. Credit: The Manc Group
Cocoa Cabana in Manchester sells the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group
Cocoa Cabana in Manchester sells the viral Dubai pistachio chocolate. Credit: The Manc Group

And then, as all smart chocolatiers have done this year, Cocoa Cabana has brought those viral pistachio chocolate bars from Dubai straight to Manchester.

These enormous bars are stuffed with pistachio sauce and knafeh, a crunchy, traditional Arabic pastry that is sort of reminiscent of when you use to make Easter nests with a Shredded Wheat in primary school.

Cocoa Cabana finishes theirs in a shimmering coat of edible gold (because why not).

This is just one of those spots that proves you don’t need a golden ticket to find chocolate heaven in Manchester.

Find out more about Cocoa Cabana HERE.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Manchester

Listen to Bring Me the Horizon’s cover of an Oasis classic

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bring Me The Horizon cover Wonderwall by Oasis

Sheffield favourites Bring Me the Horizon have covered not just an Oasis classic but arguably their biggest song of all time – but is it any good?

The high-flying alternative metalcore band are one of the biggest contemporary rock artists on the planet right now, having most recently been nominated as ‘Group of the Year’ ahead of the 2025 BRIT Awards.

Undoubtedly one of the best-known acts to ever come out of not just Sheffield but Yorkshire as a whole, there’s no project or challenge too big for these lads at this point, which is exactly why they had no trouble taking on one of the most famous songs ever written.

We never thought we’d hear Bring Me the Horizon covering Oasis‘ ‘Wonderwall’, but here we are.

Covering the legendary Britpop anthem to Spotify singles, if you’re expecting it to sound anything like the ‘Wonderwall’ you know, then you’re in for a shock.

It’s certainly not just a straightforward stripped-back bashed out quickly in a studio with an acoustic guitar – far from it…

However, if you are a fan of the current Bring Me sound, you’ll be glad to hear that the Northern heavyweights are tapping into that raw aggression with plenty of nu-metal production value.

On the other hand, although frontman Oli Sykes’ softer and more melodic vocals of late get a good deal of the spotlight, there are plenty of rip-roaring screams layered throughout, not to mention some emo-esque guitar playing and shredding drums with plenty of staccato, double-time and fun fills thrown in.

They even recreated that iconic shot from the music video for the cover art:

They faired rather well.

Uncanny, lads.

Put simply, it’s got some of the best bits from both old and new BMTH only with those iconic lyrics; it does take a minute to get used to hearing ‘Because mayyybe‘ being sung like that, but it’s definitely a grower in our opinion.

The single release also comes with a new somewhat lo-fi electronic ‘EarthcOre remix’ of ‘YOUtopa’ from their most recent seventh studio album, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn; again, this version is rather different from the original but we like both.

Without further ado, please enjoy a short preview down below and you can listen to the Bring Me the Horizon cover version of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis in full HERE.

What do you make of it?

Does the Bring Me The Horizon cover make ‘Wonderwall’ feel interesting again or is it still just Oasis’ most over-played song ever?

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Featured Images — Press Shots

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