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.
Police seize 17 dogs after 6-year-old girl is injured during attack in Carrington
Emily Sergeant
17 dogs have now been seized by police after a six-year-old girl was injured during at attack in Carrington this past weekend.
Shortly before 2:40pm on Sunday 26 March, officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to an address on Ackers Lane in Carrington in Trafford after receiving reports that a child had “suffered injuries caused by dogs”.
The child, a six-year-old girl, was taken to hospital shortly after police arrived at the scene, and remains there “in a stable condition”.
GMP first confirmed that four adult dogs and nine puppies were seized by officers on Sunday, and were taken away by specialist partners.
Four more dogs were then seized yesterday, bringing the total to 17.
With investigations ongoing, GMP has confirmed that a “vehicle of interest” has been recovered and searched, as well as three people having been arrested on suspicion of owning a dangerous dog – but they have each since been released on bail.
Enquires are still continuing to locate individuals the force believes “have responsibility for the dogs”.
Police seize 17 dogs after 6-year-old girl is injured during attack in Carrington / Credit: Google Maps
Detective Inspector Matthew Dixon, of GMP’s Trafford district, called it “a fluid investigation”, and added that: “So far we have recovered 17 dogs and made three arrests, as well as a vehicle of interest – however, the investigation is very much ongoing.”
Greater Manchester Police says it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over the incident.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact police quoting log 1612-26/03/23.
Featured Image – Google Maps
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Manchester United reject offers for Mason Greenwood as rep says he ‘should be allowed to move forward with his young life’
Danny Jones
Manchester United have reportedly rejected a number of offers for Mason Greenwood as the club continues their internal investigation into his behaviour.
The club have reportedly received a number of offers for the young forward from Turkish teams in recent weeks and months while Greenwood has been suspended from playing or training. He has yet to return to the sport after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm were dropped.
The charges handed down in January 2022 were ultimately dropped last month when key witnesses withdrew, more than a year on from the incident that was widely circulated on social media.
Now, following a behind-the-scenes feature by The Athletic and ‘new material’ leading the Crown Prosecution Service to drop the case for the foreseeable, it seems United are now the only party still investigating Greenwood, with his own team and figures around the club pushing for a resolution.
▪️ Police spoke to #MUFC about Greenwood during lockdown ▪️ Senior staff offered guidance but no specialists brought in ▪️ Man United have rejected offers from Turkish sides as internal investigation continues
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) March 27, 2023
Speaking to Laurie Whitwell as part of the piece, one of Greenwood’s representatives argued that there is “no real substance” to the allegations, them “a mix of old news, speculation, half-truths and completely untrue claims.”
He went on to say, “Mason is 21, he has been cleared and should be allowed the opportunity to rebuild and move forward with his young life.”
Another source is also said to have told the outlet that the youngster has been fundamentally changed by the experience, insisting that he “would run through a brick wall” to be back playing at United.
As for the club’s stance, it remains to be seen what their final decision on his future will be, but it was reported earlier this month that a potential return is still “firmly under consideration” and his number 11 shirt has not yet been vacated as many would have expected if he was set to move on.
His potential ‘phased return’ could include everything from therapy to a TV interview.https://t.co/DTisidvpRr
On the other hand, the article goes on to detail questions surrounding Greenwood’s conduct and general attitude during his relatively short time as a senior player too, the suggestion being that he was slacking in training because “he knew he was a good player”.
His attendance at Carrington is said to have been raised as an issue on more than one occasion and then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær often covered for training sessions and games he missed after failing to turn up to the team hotel for “unexplained absences”.
Another source who watched him play aged just 16 also went on to reveal that Bradford-born academy product “wasn’t shy about telling someone they were s***”, apparently even calling out Cristiano Ronaldo as “dead [finished]” when he was still at Real Madrid.
Greenwood played over 100 senior games for United and was widely considered one of the brightest young prospects in England, let alone the club, but the career trajectory he looked to be on is widely different from the problematic position he finds himself in now, regardless of any offers from abroad.
Georgina Pellant -
17th January 2022 
