Across the world, one app has been uniting strangers in 235 cities, matching six lucky diners for an evening meal at a surprise restaurant table and now Manchester is the latest city to open its taste buds to this pseudo-Come Dine With Me concept. Only this one involves less cooking.
Guests are expected to partake in an evening of food, booze and plenty of interesting conversations between six total strangers, only with hopefully less drama than the hit Channel 4 show. Strictly no Jane’s spoiling anything…
The concept is being pushed by French entrepreneur Maxime Barbier and his company ‘TimeLeft’. He has a lengthy career in the nightlife industry behind him and now wants to further strengthen good food and good times via this app.
And it’s clearly working: according to the company’s official website, 96% of dining groups consider themselves compatible meaning their carefully selected pairings are pretty accurate.
All curious diners have to do is download Timeleft and take a personality test before they’re whisked away for a night of entertainment and lush catering picked out by the pioneering new app.
Fear not, there will be a ‘Break the ice’ game where you can get to know the like-minded and compatible strangers you’re spending the rest of the evening with.
Once the table fills up and the evening is well away, everyone round the table will receive a notification to continue the night at a nearby bar chosen once again by this new dining concept app.
This new mealtime experience is a really good way of making connections, especially for newcomers to the city who are looking to expand their friendship group and navigate Manchester with some similar fresh-faced companions. There’s crucially much less cooking involved too, by which we mean none.
Throughout their website, the company shares a range of blogs breaking down everything from ‘6 tips for smoothing over a heated conversation’ to ‘the ultimate guide to Timeleft’.
In a standout piece entitled, ‘The 10 types of strangers at your table‘, they discuss the different types of personalities that you may come across during your meal.
From the simpler and recognisable labels like the introvert and extrovert to the more complex like the contemplative and the humourist, these little excerpts are handy to anyone who may have any nerves ahead of the meeting.
So, anyone located in Greater Manchester who might be interested in this new dining concept can participate by downloading the TimeLeft app and seeing where the night takes them.
You might not go home with £1,000 in cash but you’ll certainly create some memories and come pretty close to living out your Come Dine With Me fantasy – there really is an app for everything.
There’s a ‘not snobby’ cheese tasting evening coming to Manchester this autumn
Thomas Melia
An evening dedicated to celebrating all things cheese is coming to a Manchester city centre pub this autumn.
Leeds-based cheese company Homage2Fromage launched its cheese-focused company back in 2011 as a monthly service highlighting all the delicious dairy offerings.
Since this, Homage2Fromage has gone on to host incredible events and activities, including an all-you-can-eat cheese festival right here in Manchester back in 2023.
Now, the cheese fanatics return with a brand-new event titled ‘Extreme Cheese’, where it’s bringing lots of creamy and crumbly varieties to local Manchester city centre pub, The Wayfarer.
You can expect to sample eight dairy delights, with some expected to be ‘very strong’, as the company adds ‘fromage not for the faint-hearted’, so if you like your cheese strong, then this one’s for you.
Homage2Fromage host cheese tasting experiences across the country including Manchester / Credit: Supplied
This cheese provider offers tasting experiences up and down the country, including prime spots in the north like Halifax, Harrogate, Leeds, and Sheffield.
The newest cheese-inspired event is set to be no different, with an itinerary packed regarding all things cheese.
You can grab a drink on arrival, and as soon as you hear ‘CHEESE’ the tasting begins, followed by scoring and, most importantly, an informative chat where you learn all about this dreamy delicacy.
For those who are cheese aficionados, the company even lets you host your own cheese event and provides everything you could ever need – including that golden flavour-packed good stuff.
If you’d rather put your hosting skills to one side though, and just simply tuck into some of the best cheddar varieties there is, then you can do just that at this upcoming cheese testing evening this autumn.
Homage2Fromage is bringing an exclusive cheese tasting evening, ‘Extreme Cheese’, to Manchester city centre at The Wayfarer on 24 September, and you can find tickets HERE.
Featured Images – Publicity Pictures (via Supplied)
Eats
Cult Manchester food brand Brewski to launch new BBQ concept at MediaCity
Emily Sergeant
The creators of Manchester’s viral restaurants Brewski, American Pies, and Foldies are set to launch another new exciting concept.
Spanning 5,235 sq. ft and inspired by Brewski’s ongoing culinary tour of the US, the new concept at Quayside MediaCity will be called BIG TRAY BBQ and will be setting up shop at the bustling new food hall Kargo MKT this autumn, adding another exciting offering to the destination’s lineup of tasty food brands.
BIG TRAY BBQ is set to bring a counter-service smokehouse to Quayside, serving up BBQ by weight, alongside homemade sides and standout sauces, with inspiration from across the 52 states of the US and cutting-edge smoked meats and flavours.
With ‘smoke and spice’ set to be at the heart of the new concept, foodies can expect Brewski’s famous crowd-pleasing portions – but this time, with a twist.
New dishes to look forward to include 16-hour brisket, hot honey jalapeño cornbread, loaded trays of jerk chicken sausage, and smoked birria lamb shanks and ribs – with counter-side carving to give a true authentic experience.
“We’re delighted to be launching our latest concept BIG TRAY BBQ at Quayside later this year,” commented James Daly and Steven Stockton-King, who are the co-founders of Brewski.
“As a Manchester-based brand, it was important that our next chapter stayed true to our roots. We’re excited to bring something completely new to Quayside’s growing food scene and be part of what’s to come at the destination for the local community.”
Ben Hey, who is the Asset Director at Quayside, added: “We’re excited to welcome one of Manchester’s most loved food brands to Quayside.
“Their decision to open their new concept here is a real testament to the growth of the area and our exciting plans for the future. We know they’re going to bring something completely unique to our visitors, and we can’t wait to see the new concept thrive here at Quayside”.
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There is no confirmed opening date for BIG TRAY BBQ just yet, but what we do know is that it’ll be opening in the autumn, so keep your eyes peeled.
Thomas Melia -
5th December 2024 
