Indian street food favourite Bundobust has announced it will be launching a Middle Eastern-Indian fusion menu at its Manchester restaurants over the coming weeks to welcome Liverpool’s Maray to the city.
Teaming up with Maray, the popular Liverpool Bold Street restaurant tipped to open on Lincoln Square later this year, the chefs have put their heads together to introduce something a little bit different this fortnight.
Available for the next wo weeks only, a series of new collab dishes combine some famous Bundo customer favourites, like the bhel puri, okra fries and vada pav, with Maray’s most iconic dishes – not least, the infamous disco cauliflower.
The ‘valafel pav’ is only available for a fortnight before it’s gone. / Image: The Manc Eats
It combines the deep-fried potato ball we know and love with Maray’s falafel. / Image: The Manc Eats
Bundo’s okra fries become ‘jazzy fries’ – topped with tahini, tamarind, spring onion and chilli, and served with a Maray sauce trio of harrisa, zhug and tahini.
Elsewhere, the Bundobust vada pave becomes the valafel pav – taking the ever-popular deep-fried potato burger and adding Maray’s signature falafel into the mix.
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As for Maray’s disco cauliflower, this inimitable dish weaves its way into Bundo’s bhel puri. Sharing the disco love, this classic Mumbai broken samosa dish is dressed with added caramelised cauli, flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds.
A selection of special Maray variations on Bundobust favourites, available for two weeks only. / Image:The Manc Eats
There is also halloumi tikka served with sour cherry jam, dukkah and sumac, available as part of the collaboration between the two restaurants.
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The special menu is available for two weeks, starting from Monday 9 May at both Bundobust sites on Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly,
Kicking off on Monday 9 May, Bundobust Brewery on Oxford Road along with their Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Bold Street restaurants bring Middle Eastern-Indian fusion to the specials menu with a series of collab dishes.
Image: The Manc Eats
The special menu will be available as single dishes or as the ‘Bundobust x Maray Combo for 2′.
£2 from every combo and £1 from every Valafel Pav sold will be donated to Eat Well MCR, the social enterprise providing nutritious, restaurant-quality meals to local people in need.
The menu will is available from now until Sunday 22 May at both of Bundobust’s Manchester restaurants.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Georgina Pellant -
9th May 2022 
