Typically when people plan a wine pairing dinner they’re not running straight to the crisp section, but then Manchester’s Open Kitchen has never been one to do things by the book.
The sustainable riverside cafe, found inside The People’s History Museum, has built its reputation on saving perfectly edible food from rubbish heaps and turning it into healthy, affordable meals.
Run by Corin Bell, it intercepts food that would have otherwise ended up in the bin and repurposes it into an ever-changing selection of all-day dishes.
Now, it’s also dipping its toe into events, announcing a wine and crisp pairing night that will see guests sample pub snacking favourites like Monster Munch, Wotsits and Frazzles alongside some ‘beautiful’, organic and low-intervention wines.
Image: Supplied
“We just thought we’d cut through all the bull by pairing some beautiful wines with classic snacks that remind us that we’re Northern.”
Corin bell, Founder of Open Kitchen
Designed to combat the notion that “wine tastings and pairing evenings can sometimes feel a little, erm…. intimidating, snobby, bewildering”, organisers are planning the antithesis of your standard tasting evening.
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They explain: “We thought what better way to take all of the snobbery, and quite frankly the class, out of a wine tasting evening, than pairing beautiful wines with the likes of Wotsits, Frazzles, and some Monster Munch??”
Classy or not, we’re here for it.
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Image: Open Kitchen PHM
Image: Open Kitchen PHM
The principle, however, is the same as any other wine tasting. Guests will learn about wines and how they complement different flavours.
Led by Open Kitchen’s good friend Nathan Fiske, from C&O Wines, the price includes five wines paired with popular snack foods and more drinks available to buy on top.
C&O Wines have selected a range of small, independent, family-run or cooperative owned vineyards, and wineries that have organic or minimal intervention methods at their core.
There will also be a small plates menu on hand for those who require a few more carbs to soak up the plonk.
Image: Supplied
The entire pairing menu will be suitable for vegetarians, but some snacks, like Wotsits, may not be suitable for vegans.
However, those with specific dietary requirements who would like to attend are encouraged to drop an email and organisers will try and find snack alternatives that allow them to join in.
Plans submitted for new £250 million mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport
Danny Jones
Plans have officially been submitted for a brand-new £250 million neighbourhood in the heart of Stockport town centre.
The new mixed residential mini-village simply dubbed, ‘Stockport 8’, has been put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund – itself a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse).
Set to cost a quarter of a million, the proposed neighbourhood is just the latest step of the ever-growing Stockport Mayor Development Corporation (MDC) masterplan, a wider £500m scheme to transform the specific Stockport Town Centre West area into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the UK.
With a planning application now submitted, we’ve also been given another look at what the new Stockport neighbourhood would look like if green-lit.
We first heard reports of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood back in January after CGIs of what the developers envisioned were shared with the public, alongside how it fit into the West blueprints.
The overall goal of the development is to create a high-quality, green neighbourhood featuring a mix of housing tenures to suit existing and new homeowners and tenants.
Aiming to build a grand total of 1,300 high-quality, energy-efficient homes all told as part of a whipping £1bn investment in Stockport town centre, there will also be room for businesses and community spaces on the ground floor level to knit into the existing centre and its community.
There’s also an insistence from those behind the project to create different atmospheres, creating new environments for people to meet, socialise, relax and enjoy, such as residential courtyards and green roofs, as well as the usual modern amenities re: parking, vehicle charging, bike storage etc.
All told, the council and their development partners – which include chief designers, shedkm, and landscape architects, Planit – are hoping to contribute nearly a third of the homes in Stockport MDC masterplan, which is hoping to surpass 4,000 homes over a total of 130 acres.
As well as helping contribute to the busy and vital road network that is continuing to be redeveloped, the goal is to create a safe and sustainable travel environment too, with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.
With one big road (Cook Street) running throughout the neighbourhood, the new builds will also look to knit into Stockport’s existing structure, celebrating the area’s rich heritage and character by even reintroducing historic street patterns and street names.
If you’re interested in the skyline-changing new project, you can find out more HERE.
Planning permission applications in Manchester can sometimes take upwards of 13 weeks due to the various individual stages and processes, so we’re still a while of way from knowing if/when Stockport 8 will begin work but with a summer 2027 completion date, it could be a huge moment for the town.
Hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k exposed by police in Bury
Emily Sergeant
Police in Bury have exposed a drug den worth an estimated £100,000 hidden behind closed doors during early morning warrants.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained, earlier this week (9 December), officers from the Radcliffe and Elton and Church Neighbourhood Teams were joined by Bury’s newest district commander, Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, to conduct a warrant at an address on Mitchell Street.
The warrant was conducted by acting on intelligence that was gathered from members of the public within the community.
Officers the address, where they forced entry and discovered what has been described as a “sophisticated cannabis farm” within the property.
A hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k has been exposed by police in Bury / Credit: GMP
The set-up was spread across two floors, and according to police, resulted in around 300 plants being seized overall – with half of them being at the beginning of their growth-cycle, and 100 which had been harvested.
All the plants seized have a combined street value of an estimated £100,000, it is believed.
On top of this, a vehicle was also seized after officers found it suspiciously parked outside the premises, and following further inspection, it was discovered to be outstanding as stolen and had false registration plates.
Early morning warrants uncover a hidden drug den worth an estimated £100,000 in #Bury thanks to intelligence from within the community.
Police believe that the warrant could be linked with West Balkan’s Organized Crime Groups, and are investigating additional lines of enquiry.
Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, Bury’s new district commander, thanked the public for their help in yesterday’s warrant.
“We received information sent in by concerned members of the community who wanted to create a safer environment,” Chief Superintendent Oliver explained.
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“Communities are essential to preventing and solving crime, and I encourage you to continue to report any criminal acts or suspicious behaviour to us and let us know what is happening in your area.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st September 2022 
