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
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The BRIT Awards to return to Manchester in 2027 with ceremony date confirmed
Emily Sergeant
It’s official – the BRIT Awards are returning to Manchester in 2027, and the ceremony date has now been confirmed.
Well, technically we already knew they would be, as it was announced last year that for the first time in its illustrious 48-year history, British music’s most prestigious awards show would be leaving London and heading up to the capital of the North, as ITV confirmed the BRITs would be staged in Manchester for the next two years.
After nearly five decades in London, The BRIT Awards were hosted in Manchester at Co-op Live earlier this year, and (in our opinion) proved to everyone why it’s the best city on Earth.
The 2026 BRITs delivered its biggest audience ever worldwide and was said to have had a record-breaking reach on socials too, cementing the show’s status as a global stage for showcasing talent.
So it’s only natural that the iconic celebration of UK music would be back for more.
Continuing on with this ‘bold new chapter’ for the legendary event, it has been confirmed that the show will take place on Saturday 27 February, airing on ITV1 and ITVX in a prime-time weekend slot that will see fans all over the UK and the world come together to celebrate the biggest artists and most exciting music of the year.
2027 is also a big year for the BRITs too, as next year’s ceremony is celebrating 50 years since the very first awards were televised.
“This year’s BRIT Awards in Manchester were a huge success, with a global reach and massive local impact, and we’re excited and ready to help make 2027 the biggest year yet for The BRITs,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, the Leader of Manchester City Council, ahead of next year’s ceremony.
The BRIT Awards will be returning to Manchester in 2027 / Credit: The Manc Group
“The impact of the awards was felt across the city region, from the cash benefit for our economy, showcasing small local music venues, incredible opportunities for our up-and-coming young musicians and creatives, and engagement with Greater Manchester schools.
“We’ll be creating even more ways for local people and for visitors to get involved in next year’s awards, which look set to be another incredible celebration of music and our city.”
The BRIT Awards 2027 will take place on Saturday 27 February, and further announcements will be made in the coming months.
Keep your eyes peeled, Manchester.
Featured Image – BRITs
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Police issue statement after triple stabbing at Manchester high school
Emily Sergeant
A formal update and police statement has now been issued following a stabbing at a high school in Manchester earlier this morning.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers were called to reports of a stabbing at a school on Plant Hill Road in Blackley – confirmed to be Co-op Academy Manchester – earlier this morning (Tuesday 9 June 2026), and when they arrived on the scene, they discovered that two students and a teacher had been injured.
Staff were quick to detain a girl to ensure no further harm came to pupils or staff, before police arrived shortly afterwards.
A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault, and remains in custody for questioning.
At this time, officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and have stated that there is no wider threat to the public.
The police have issued a statement after a triple stabbing at a Manchester high school / Credit: GMP
As mentioned, three people were injured during the incident – a 14-year-old schoolgirl, a 14-year-old schoolboy, and a 27-year-old male member of staff. All were taken to hospital, however thankfully, their injuries are not believed to be serious, and they are stable at this time.
Giving a statement following the shocking incident earlier this morning, Chief Inspector Jon Shilvock said: “We understand that this incident will have cause concern to pupils, staff and the wider school community.
“The incident was swiftly and quickly dealt with by staff before officers attended to arrest the girl. There is believed to be no wider threat at this time, and we thank everyone for their support as emergency services dealt with this.
Georgina Pellant -
1st April 2022 
