A restaurant that only serves viral food inspired by trends seen on TikTok is opening in Manchester this summer, it has been revealed.
From nibbles like fluffy cloud bread and corn ribs to trendy pasta dishes like spicy vodka penne and whole baked feta fusilli, Mancs can expect to see all of their favourite TikTok recipes on the menu when PlateTok opens its doors in the Northern Quarter this summer.
It’s tipped to be taking over the old Nexus Art Cafe unit, a once-iconic basement cafe that has stood empty for the past two years after being hit hard in the early days of the Covid pandemic.
The new restaurant is the brainchild of Pete Stake – a former social media manager who decided to venture into the world of restaurants after seeing just how popular some of these viral food trends had become online in the last few years.
‘Ribs’ made out of sweetcorn took the world by storm – now they’re coming to PlateTok’s menu. / Image: Twitter
Pete spent a lot of lockdown eating TikTok recipes his partner would cook for him and, after being made redundant from his position at the end of last year, decided to delve into hospitality instead – taking his years of social media marketing experience with him.
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Now, he’s gearing up to open PlateTok this summer with a launch date set for the start of June.
Speaking on the new opening, Mr P Stake said: “I’m so excited to bring PlateTok to Manchester, I just can’t believe that no one has thought to do this before. Gimmicky restaurants seem to be all the rage right now.
“I came up with the idea in part thanks to my partner, who’ll cook me Nando’s pasta as a treat when I needed cheering up. It just got me thinking, I’d definitely go out for dinner to have this – and maybe others will be into it too.
“Sometimes it’s the maddest ideas that are the most successful – just look at Salt Bae’s Nusr-Et. People will really go and pay £100 to eat a sh*t burger wrapped in gold leaf, in the hopes of seeing him sprinkle a bit of salt off his arm.
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Mermaid toast with blue-green algae powders and almond milk cream cheese on Pollen sourdough is one of the dishes set to appear on PlateTok’s menu. / Image: Youtube
“Don’t worry, our prices won’t be anywhere near that – but the overall feeling of quirky, fun dishes that look good on your feed is still there. It’s all about bringing the social media experience to life in the restaurant.”
Further viral foods set to appear on the menu include burger tortilla ‘crunch’ wraps (made using locally-sourced beef from PlateTok’s neighbours The Butcher’s Quarter), baked pasta ‘chips’ with an olive tapenade dip, green and red bell pepper sandwiches, salmon rice bowls and a dish initially created by Lizzo called ‘nature’s cereal’ – which is really anything but.
Elsewhere, you’ll find ocean-blue Mermaid toast (blue-green algae powders and almond milk cream cheese on Pollen sourdough) and ‘Galaxy bagels’ loaded with pink cream cheese – a twist on the popular Rainbow Bagel trend that instead uses food colouring to create a cosmic starry-sky illusion.
As for drinks, think whipped coffees, bottles of pre-batched Jungle Juice, tamarind-rimmed mimosas packed with frozen fruit ice cubes and more, as well as a range of standard soft drinks, wines and beers.
Suffice to say, we’re really through that looking glass now, Alice.
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The site is expected to open this summer with a fresh, modern look.
Expect bright neon signs, industrial elements nodding to Manchester’s history and plenty of selfie traps – including a digital photo cutout board that can be customised with your own images, taking the TikTok Camera Roll Sticker firmly ‘irl’.
Due to open in Manchester sometime this June, no official launch date has yet been set so make sure to follow PlateTok on social media to keep up with further updates.
And if you made it this far without twigging the date… we are sorry.
Feature image – Google/ Twitter
News
Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
News
Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
1st April 2022 
