When it comes to finding a quick lunch in Manchester city centre, you can never go wrong at Pancho’s Burritos.
Nestled into its own very colourful corner of the Arndale food Market (just upwind from our favourite fishmonger), it has been a fixture in this bustling wing of independent food traders since 2010.
A hallowed stop-off for burrito fans in the know, for the past thirteen years chef-owner Enrique Martinez has been dealing in big, fat wraps and tacos stuffed with flavourful slow-cooked meats.
Cochinita pibil (pulled pork marinaded in achiote spices and lime), chicken tinga and beef in chipotle are longstanding favourites, served alongside an array of homemade salsas – all made as they would be in Mexico City using a Volcanic stone called a Molcajete.
A grande burrito at Pancho’s Burritos in the Arndale Market filled with cochinita pibil (pulled pork marinated in lime and achiote spices). / Image: The Manc Eats
A packet of chilli lime ‘fuego’ Mexican Taki crisps, the best selling rolled corn snack in Mexico. / Image: The Manc Eats
Homemade sides and salsas here include Enrique’s special taquero sauce, own-recipe guacamole and XXX Habanero hot sauce. The latter is made using a recipe that has remained unchanged since 2009, and is to be treated with serious caution thanks to his use of fresh Habanero Chilies.
Other interesting morsels on offer include packets of chilli lime ‘fuego’ Mexican Taki crisps and a tangy portion of nopalitos (cactus leaf salad) – a staple in Mexican cuisine used widely in tacos, salads and stews.
There’s plenty for vegans too, with plant-based fillings choices spanning a vegan chilli, vegan fajita tofu and vegan jackfruit with broad beans in green salsa.
Open from 10.30am in the week and 11am on Sundays, Enrique also serves up a handful of breakfast dishes.
Fans of the stall will know that his 10 inch burrito stuffed with eggs, ham, black beans,cheese and homemade pico de Gallo salsa is just the thing to fix a hangover.
Priced at £7.50 as part of a breakfast meal deal, you can also secure a coffee, hot chocolate or tea to kick start your day. It’s also available as a quesadilla, but for us the burrito wins hands down every time.
Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find soft-corn Masa Harina Mexico City tacos stuffed with Mexican red rice, your choice of fillings and Taquero salsa, 12-inch quesadilla ‘Gringas’, and Pancho’s nachos loaded with melted cheese, fresh jalapenos, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole and beans.
Add to that Enrique’s freshly-made Mexican flan and a variety of brightly-coloured Jarritos Meixcan soft drinks in flavours like guava and pineapple, and it truly is a lunchtime dream.
Homemade traditional Mexican creme caramel flan at Pancho’s Burritos. / Image: The Manc Eats
Mexico City tacos at Pancho’s Burritos with guava Jarritos. / Image: The Manc Eats
The family-run business has been a fixture in the Arndale for as long as we can remember. Owned by couple Enrique and Collette, the magic all began when the pair met in 2006 whilst Enrique was studying in Manchester.
The pair moved to Mexico for a couple of years, then had the idea of returning to start their own food business in the north of England. Having landed back in the UK in late 2009, their company was quickly formed and in in January 2010 Panchos Burritos opened inside the Arndale Market.
Enrique grew up on his Mother’s home cooking and the street food of Mexico City, a mixture of tacos, quesdillas, sopes, tortas, enchiladas and Sunday morning markets selling Mixiot – a traditional pit-barbecued meat dish that is very popular in central Mexico.
It’s this heritage that inspires the dishes he cooks up on the market stall every day.
Delivering big flavours for a pretty minimal price, it’s no wonder that this tiny little spot is constantly pulling in big queues at lunchtime.
We recommend heading down early or preparing to queue for a while, it’s always incredibly busy between the hours of 12 and 3 – but entirely worth the wait.
Being such huge fans of the place, we headed down to grab ourselves a big fat order Enrique’s Meixcan – and we even managed to score a discount code for you to get a tenner off when your order from Pancho’s with Deliveroo.
To see the full menu click here and to find out more about Pancho’s Burritos head over to their Instagram page here.
Oh, and to save on your next Deliveroo order from Pancho’s make sure to use the code 2X5@PANCHOS when you check out (note that the code can be used twice for two £5 savings on separate orders).
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
Viral Manchester beauty brand P. Louise to open first ever flagship store in Trafford Palazzo
Thomas Melia
Beauty brand and viral cosmetics giant P. Louise has announced her first ever flagship store, and it’s opening at Trafford Palazzo.
Droylsden-born beauty guru, turned makeup mogul, P. Louise, is opening her first ever flagship store in Manchester in one of the region’s biggest shopping centres.
Titled P. Louise City, the pastel pink viral cosmetics company is launching its very-first physical site in Trafford Palazzo.
The beauty brand has become a social media sensation, as well as a Greater Manchester hotspot thanks to its P. Louise Empire headquarters located in Stockport.
This pink-furnished warehouse site offers customers an immersive experience with makeover sessions, shopping DIY activities, a cafe, and lots of photo opportunities.
The upcoming P. Louise City is set to build off this success with a 19,000 sq ft store that houses a variety of distinctive zones with iconic names.
You’ll be able to quench your thirst at the ‘Bad B*tch Juice Bar’, find all the latest pink-hued goodies at ‘Juicy News’, and pick up all your essentials at the ‘P. Louise Supermarket’.
P. Louise may not be a medical company, but her ‘P. Louise Pharmacy’ will cure all your retail therapy needs, and although many of her fans already knew her products were liquid gold, the ‘P. Louise Vault’ definitely confirms this.
As well as lots of shopping areas throughout this massive Trafford Palazzo site, there will be lots of hands-on activities – including makeup education zones, and even a dancefloor to bust a move or two.
P. Louise is set to open its first ever flagship store titled P. Louise City in Trafford Palazzo / Credit: Supplied
In an Instagram post on her personal social media account she calls this physical store ‘a dream come true’, adding: “[It’s] truly a pinch me moment – here’s to my next chapter”.
Featured Images – Press Shots / @plouise1 via Instagram
Manchester
The top 13 biggest gigs in Manchester music history
Thomas Melia
When you think of Manchester one of the first things that comes to mind obviously after ‘best city in the world’ is one word: ‘music’.
Our capital of the North West has birthed some of the world’s greatest singers of all time and welcomed some of the planet’s biggest stars.
Manchester has many live music venues to host impressive gigs including stadiums, arenas, parks and a wide variety of performance spaces.
The real reason these artists keep coming back is because of you, everyone who shows up and shows out to every single tour and performance happening in our culturally rich city.
Although not 2008, here is Kylie in all her grandeur at AO Arena in 2014 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
With a tour titled ‘KylieX2008’, the Aussie sensation made our heads spin around in 2008 as she graced the AO Arena for six nights of pop perfection from 11 July to 18 July.
Minogue has a special connection to Manchester and this arena specifically, performing here over 30 times to a total of 400,000 people.
Taylor Swift performing on the B-Stage at Etihad Stadium in 2018 / Credit: The Manc Group
‘Baby let the games begin!’ Swift opened her ‘Reputation Stadium Tour’ in 2018 while standing behind a backdrop of snakes, scales and reptile-like patterns.
The legendary pop star commanded the stage even walking through the crowd to greet fans with smiles and high fives, making sure to get up close and personal even in a venue this grand.
‘Tay-Tay’s last visit to the North West saw her playing three nights of her monumental ‘The Eras Tour’ just a stone’s throw away at Anfield Stadium and who knows, maybe once the Etihad renovation is complete, she might be keen to make another appearance.
11. Oasis: 80,000 – Maine Road (1996)
In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals.In signature Liam style, the tambourine is in hand and ready to accompany both the brother’s vocals / Credit:Wikimedia Commons
The Burnage boys were always destined to be on this list in one way or another due to their incredible impact in pushing Manchester music and bands to the mainstream.
Singing hits from their well-known music catalogue, Oasis attracted 80,000 to Manchester City’s former ground in the mid-90s.
Unlike the tour taking place in 2025, tickets for this gig would’ve only set you back £17.50, you’d have been silly not to grab yourself one!
10. Drake: 94,000 – Co-op Live (2025)
Drake played four non-consecutive gigs at Co-op Live with roars from the crowd each night/ Credit: The Come Up Show (via Flickr)
Canadian rap heavyweight Drake played four huge Co-op Live dates as recent as last week and with two more on the way, with four nights of smash hits
Also referred to as Champagne Papi, the hip-hop artist has played out four impressive nights at Co-op Live on a similarly impressive 360 stage which sees Drake getting up close and personal with fans.
His 2025 visit to the music capital of the North marks his largest scale gig to date and saw him sharing the bill with fellow Canadian performer PartyNextDoor.
9. Billie Eilish – 94,000 – Co-op Live (2025)
Global superstar Billie Eilish had the crowd hooked all four nights at Co-op Live / Credit: Lars Crommelnick via Wikimedia Commons
Bedroom-pop sensation turned global megastarBillie Eilish has visited Manchester three times through her rise to stardom with her most recent being at Co-op Live.
The American singer-songwriter played four non-consecutive nights of her current ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour, where she commanded 23,500 fans.
Eilish has a soft spot for Manchester as she debuted her single ‘TV’ at AO Arena in 2022 and brought out her brother and fellow musician Finneas as a special guest at her most recent city centre dates.
8. Harry Styles: 99,526 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2022)
The former One Direction star Harry Styles spent two nights in June spreading the love with his mega ‘Love On Tour’ and the feeling was definitely mutual.
On 15 and 16 June the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer had nearly 100,000 devotees in the palm of his hand as he belted out some of his best solo numbers.
The Cheshire-born superstar even paused his show to find his primary school teacher who he’d been informed was in the crowd, thanking her for all her help and hard work while he was in education. Adorable.
7. Foo Fighters: 100,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2024)
The Washington-formed band put on two impressive nights where Mancs witnessed ‘music royalty’ on their ‘Everything or Nothing at All Tour’ in June.
As well as ‘The Pretender’ hitmakers, the sold-out shows were spoilt with not one but four support acts split across the two dates, including Wet Leg.
On 13 June the rock champions even previewed an unreleased track ‘Unconditional’ for the first time, adding it to the setlist for the 15 June show too!
Foo Fighters played out to 100,000 people at Old Trafford Cricket Ground / Credit: The Manc Group / Publicity Picture (Supplied)
6. Spice Girls: 150,955 – Etihad Stadium (2019)
Etihad Stadium and Spice Girls spiced up our lives three times in 2019 with three non-consecutive performances from 29 May to 1 June.
This tour was missing one key ingredient, ‘Posh Spice’, who missed out on this string of shows for the first time in her career.
In addition to these four fierce ladies, another UK household act Jess Glynne joined them on the bill as a support act. The girls were met with raptures as they made their entrance to Manchester after 11 years since their last visit.
Just look at those iconic fits! Spice Girls performing at Wembley Stadium on the same tour that visited Manchester / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 2023 they brought their Music Of The Spheres world tour to Manchester from 31 May to 4 June for four nights of dazzling lights, wowed fans and of course incredible live arrangements.
Altogether, these shows brought together almost 200,000 attendees who had the opportunity to get involved with the show’s production themselves by cycling electric bikes and kinetic dancefloor which both helped power the stage.
The Coldplay lads in all their glory.An awe-inspiring crowd lighting up the already phenomenal Etihad Stadium.Coldplay performed four nights at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium in 2023 / Credit: Wikicommons / The Manc Group
4. Ed Sheeran: 218,639 – Etihad Stadium (2022)
Starting his musical career just over the hill busking in Hebden Bridge before becoming one of the UK’s most prominent and successful artists of all time.
In 2022, the ‘Galway Girl’ singer took to Manchester City‘s awesome stadium to play hits from his full discography titled ‘The Mathematics Tour’ in honour of his equation-themed album titles.
The one-man, one-guitar show attracted almost 55,000 people across four nights who watched the singing red-head belt out his bangers on a 360 circular stage.
Ed Sheeran at V Festival in 2014, already a star in his own right / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
3. The Stone Roses: 225,000 – Heaton Park (2012)
The Manchester rock pioneers played a three-night hometown residency as part of their reunion tour following a 17-year concert hiatus.
Fans came in abundance to pack out to Heaton Park, a notorious music-hosting site which has hosted a plethora of acts as well as this formidable band.
Spanning from 29 June to 1 July, The Stone Roses played to a whopping 75,000 fans every night across the three sold-out Manchester shows at Heaton Park in 2012.
The Stone Roses performing at Fuji Rock Festival in 2012, the same year as their Heaton Park residency / Credit: Wikicommons Media
2. Oasis – 400,000 – Heaton Park (2025)
This year has seen some cracking live music events but none will ever be as monumental as the five nights the two Burnage boys and their troupe hosted this summer.
Liam and Noel Gallagher decided to get the band back together for a series of groundbreaking shows titled ‘Oasis Live ’25’.
Each night drew in 80,000 avid bucket-hat wearing Oasis fans and the support acts were just as legendary with The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft and Liverpool lads Cast helping make history.
Oasis was one of the biggest dates in Manchester’s music calendar ever/ Credit: The Manc Group
In 2011, ‘The Flood’ boys put on a remarkable eight nights for nearly half a million lucky Mancs from 3 June till 12 June, making for a summer everyone could ‘Never Forget’.
However, they weren’t the only boyband gracing the Manchester City stadium as dance duo Pet Shop Boys supported them on their ‘Progress Live’ tour across the UK.
A fan-captured moment of Take That reunited amidst their eight show run at Etihad Stadium in Manchester/ Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Honourable mention:
One Love Manchester, 55,000 – Old Trafford Cricket Ground (2017)
Even though this event may not be topping the attendance records, this concert was a special and remarkable moment in Manchester’s history.
Fronted by Ariana Grande, just two weeks after the Manchester Arena attack, Old Trafford Cricket Ground saw a multitude of artists coming together to celebrate the importance of music while paying respect to those affected by the events in the month prior.
BBC reported the ‘One Love Manchester’ live show had 14.5 million viewers at its peak with an average of 10.9 million worldwide and this benefit concert has since raised more than £10 million for the ‘We Love Manchester Emergency Fund’.
Georgina Pellant -
6th March 2023 
