Longstanding West Didsbury vegetarian haunt Greensis opening a second restaurant in Sale, its owners have revealed.
The restaurant’s co-owners, celebrity TV chef Simon Rimmer and Simon Connolly, shared the news to social media over the weekend – posting images of their new site in Sale and of them celebrating the new opening over a glass of fizz.
Sharing the news to Twitter, celebrity chef Rimmer wrote: “so yesterday @SimonConnolly9 and I signed the lease on a new site for @greensveggie – 31 years since we opened site 1….site 3 coming 2053!”
Not a veggie but most likeable chef must go to @simonrim and the most patient chef must go to @SimonConolly9 good luck guys
A fixture in the south Manchester suburb for over three decades, Greens vegetarian restaurant was a trailblazer in its time – and remains so today, as the oldest surviving veggie restaurant in Manchester.
The pair initially met as co-workers in another Didsbury eatery (neither was the chef – one was a waiter, the other worked front-of-house), but after opening Greens neither looked back.
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They have been proudly ‘terrifying carnivores’ ever since, according to the tongue-in-cheek restaurant strapline.
Their new Greens restaurant will open in Stanley Square, joining the likes of Sale Foodhall, southern Italian pasta kitchen Sugo and newcomer Petisco, as part of the old sixties shopping precinct’s ambitious new regeneration project.
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Their new Greens restaurant will open in Stanley Square / Image: Greens
Details are yet to be revealed on the opening date and menu, but it’s likely the kitchen will follow a similar format to create menus similar to those at the existing restaurant on Lapwing Lane.
Greens first began life in 1990 when now-celebrity TV chef Simon Rimmer and his friend, Simon Connolly, set their sites on the Lapwing Lane cafe during an afternoon spent ‘putting the world to rights over a Nepalese curry and a beverage or two.’
It has since become a staple for veggies and vegans across Manchester, with many people travelling just to dine at the restaurant.
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After all, there might be lots of vegan restaurants in Manchester nowadays but there still aren’t that many places dedicated to serving veggies – a group that feels very strongly about good cheese, for one.
Image: Greens
When the pair first launched Greens in the nineties, they championed what they called ‘magpie cuisine’.
In the restaurant’s own words, this meant “shamelessly stealing from cultures across the world to develop dishes that are defined not by a negative absence of meat, but by the positive inclusion of fantastic ingredients and flavours that happen to be purely vegetarian.”
Things have moved on since then, both in the restaurant and across the city. To be vegetarian-only is no longer a shocking concept and the options for plant-based meat alternatives are much greater than it was thirty years ago.
As such, to neglect vegetarians – and, even more noticeably, vegans – in Manchester is to be very much behind the times nowadays.
Greens cater to both very well. A sample a la carte menu is packed with the ultimate veggie indulgence, cheese (feta, halloumi, burrata, gorgonzola all appear), but there’s also plenty of plant protein for vegans, like tofu, falafel and red lentils.
Stand-out dishes for us include the veggie black pudding, mustard mayo, (£4.50 and ve), deep-fried oyster mushrooms, pancakes, spring onion, cucumber, plum sauce (£7.25, or available as a main for £13, ve), and the burrata, salted caramel pecan vinaigrette, pomegranate (£8.50).
As for desserts, think chocolate and avocado mousse with poached pear (ve), sticky toffee pudding (ve), and a white chocolate cheesecake served with blueberries and vanilla syrup.
That said, all is yet to be revealed at the new site – and there could well be a new menu landing there when it opens too.
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Whether you’re a ‘confirmed meat eater’ like Simon Rimmer, or dedicated to a plant-based diet, there’s a lot to get excited about here – that’s for certain.
To keep up with further updates, make sure to follow Greens on Instagram here.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home
Emily Sergeant
The Council is now offering financial help to support people moving into a smaller and ‘more manageable’ property.
Ever heard of ‘rightsizing? Well, according Manchester City Council it’s a process where a tenant in a larger social rent, Council, or Housing Association property, that may have more rooms than they need or perhaps are struggling to manage a big house as they get older, can be supported into a smaller property that better suits their needs.
The benefits of this process include cheaper bills, lower rents, and overall, just homes that are easier to clean and manage.
The aim of it is also to free up larger Council properties for families who are on the housing register – of which there are said to be around 20,000 of them currently at this time, with larger homes having some of the most significant wait times.
Are you struggling to look after a big Council or housing association home? We can help!
We are offering £2,500 to help people move into a smaller more manageable home, freeing up larger homes for families that need them.
It’s also estimated, according to the Council, that a third of all social rented family homes are thought to ‘underoccupied’.
This is why financial support and grants are now being offered.
Last year alone, 109 households were helped to ‘rightsize’ and were supported in the process by a dedicated team of Council officers, as well as benefitting from the Rightsizing Incentive Scheme – with a further 432 households having expressed interest doing so in the future.
Residents interested in ‘rightsizing’ could get a cash incentive of £2,500, which can be spent on anything they like, along with moving costs.
The Council is giving Mancs £2,500 to move into a ‘more manageable’ home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
“Rightsizing could be a brilliant option for older people who are renting a Council home who may have spare rooms they don’t need or would benefit from looking after a smaller property,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Development.
“Often a barrier to moving is the cost, but the Council will take care of the financial burden to help a resident move into a new home.
“The benefit for the city is that we can free up more larger homes for people who are waiting for a property that properly meets their needs. We think around a third of Council tenants could be under occupying their home, which means they could be paying more than they need to or they could be hit with the bedroom tax.”
Does this sound like you? Are you ready to ‘rightsize’? Find out more and begin the process via Manchester City Council’s website here.
Featured Image – Vitaly Gariev (via Unsplash)
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Trailer released for Netflix’s new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’
Emily Sergeant
The trailer for Netflix’s new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby has been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby – the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital – hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film – simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby – is described as being the most ‘comprehensive’ look at one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given ‘unparalleled and exclusive access’ to those central to the story.
“This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility,” commented director, Dominic Sivyer. “Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case.”
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions – who produced the documentary – added: “The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone’s perspectives with care and understanding.
“We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story.”
Georgina Pellant -
17th January 2022 
