Christmas market favourite Panc is opening a new street food stall in the heart of Manchester, taking over the former Salt and Pepper unit at the Arndale Market.
Having impressed vegans and non-vegans alike with their naturally-coloured buns, plant-based burgers and bratwursts at last year’s Christmas markets, chefs Ariane Cardoso and Hannah Jobe are now gearing up to open a new space in the city centre.
Here, Panc fans will be able to find all their savoury favourites as well as a range of sweet desserts under the new banner Yum Yum.
Splitting the stall into two, Panc and Yum Yum will each be housed in their own individual sections – one serving up tasty vegan ‘junk’ food like kebabs, burgers, loaded fries, hot dogs and ‘chick’n’, the other focusing exclusively on milkshakes and desserts.
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Yum Yum will boast a brand new vegan soft serve machine, bringing plant-based ice cream to the Arndale market for the very first time alongside Panc’s popular churros, loaded PANCakes and Belgian waffles.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Panc already offers a ‘Sweet Tingz’ section on its dark kitchen Deliveroo menu, but now they’ll be bringing the sweet-tooth offering to life in a new way with its very own stall – as well as maintaining their busy dark kitchen operation alongside.
Open at the market until 6pm throughout the week, they’ll then carry on cooking into the evening from their kitchen in Ardwick – with full menus available to either collect or order for delivery at both sites.
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It’s an exciting new development for Ariane and Hannah, who first started cooking during lockdown over in Gatley before they got an opportunity to be in the Christmas markets
Since closing their Piccadilly Gardens stall at the start of January, the pair have been serving customers from Salford to Fallowfield from their base at Ghost Kitchens in Ardwick.
Image: The Manc Eats
Speaking on the journey of their business up to this point, Hannah told The Manc: “We got an opportunity to be in the Christmas markets, and we were like ‘oh we really want to be in the city centre'”,
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“Ariane sent me a message in the lockdown and just said are you working, I said no I’m on furlough, alright let’s open a business and we did!”
Before that, both had worked in hospitality for some time. Hannah was a Business Development Manager selling coffee, whilst Ariane – a vegan cook for many years – was managing Brazilian steakhouse Bem Brasil, having opened sites in Northern Quarter, Deansgate and Liverpool for the group.
Panc proved a huge hit with both vegans and meat-eaters alike at the 2021 Manchester Christmas Markets. / Image: Panc Foods
Despite their success at the Manchester Christmas Markets, both said that they felt they had to start from scratch when they arrived in Ardwick – adding that Deliveroo helped them to do a lot of marketing to introduce themselves to their new customer base.
Now they’re taking another step forward – bringing the tried-and-tested dessert arm of their dark kitchen business out into the world under a brand new name.
Tipped to open in the Arndale Market any day now. keep an eye on Panc’s socials for more updates ahead of their launch.
Feature image – PancFoods / The Manc Eats
News
A Japanese fine dining restaurant is opening in the former Randall & Aubin site
Georgina Pellant
A new Japanese fine dining restaurant will open on Bridge Street in Manchester this October, bringing a theatrical ‘multi-sensory’ dining experience to the city.
Giving diners the chance to dine from specially created 7 and 11-course tasting menus or opt for a traditional ‘chef’s choice’ experience at its six-seat Omakase counter, bosses say it will offer a contemporary interpretation of Japanese dishes currently not seen outside of London.
Called MUSU, which translates as ‘infinite possibilities,’ the restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Patron Michael Shaw, who has worked at top eateries including Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and Richard Neat’s eponymous restaurant in Canne.
Image: Supplied
Shaw has spent the last 18 months honing his passion for Japanese cuisine in preparation to open MUSU and will bring on Head Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar, who has trained under renowned Japanese sushi master YugoKato, to head up the kitchen.
When MUSU it opens its doors on Bridge Street on 6 October, diners will be treated to a new tasting menu concept that promises to deliver a ‘multi-sensory dining experience.’
Its menu is divided into three sections – Sentaku, Kaiseki and Omakase – giving diners the choice between ordering dishes a la carte style, opting for a set seven or eleven-course tasting menu, or entrusting the chef to create their ‘perfect menu.’
Served to guests at the six-seat Omakase counter, the latter is presided over by Head Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar.
Drinks-wise, diners can look forward to a mixture of classic cocktails, Japanese sakes and whiskies, as well as a specially chosen list of wines handpicked by house sommelier Ivan Milchev.
As for the new high-end Japanese restaurant’s design, MUSU’s multi-million-pound interiors will boast bespoke Italian furniture, subtle mood lighting and bespoke Geisha-inspired walls, with a bar made from Dekton stone, banana leaf patterned brass and onyx.
Feature image – Supplied
News
A huge Spanish food festival is coming to Manchester
Georgina Pellant
A huge festival dedicated to the wonders of Spanish cuisine is coming to Manchester next month.
Organised as part of country-wide celebration by Spanish brewery Estrella Galicia, the festival will bring some of the city’s finest Spanish and South American chefs together for a vibrant mix of tapas tours, foodie masterclasses and high-end tasting menus.
Hosted cross Manchester, London, Cardiff, Brighton and Newcastle, locals can take part in the ultimate Spanish food tour with selected restaurants offering their best-selling tapas plates with a pint of Estrella Galicia on the side.
Former Masterchef contestant Caroline Martins of the Sao Paulo Project will host a special tasting menu at her current home inside Ancoats’ Blossom Street Social, mixing traditional Spanish dishes with influences from her home country of Brazil in Central America on Sunday 11 September.
Sao Paulo signature petit four: Coconut Marshmallow (Maria-Mole) / Guava Jam (Goiabada) / Jambu Flower (South American flower that numbs your tongue) / Image: The Sao Paulo Project
The ‘Romeo and Julieta’ with Guava Parfait / Guava Jelly / Parmesan Genoise Sponge / Sangiorgio’s Minas Cheese / Dormouse Chocolate & Lime Crumble / Image: The Manc Eats
An official Estrella Galicia Chef Ambassador for 2022, Martins has made quite a name for herself since arriving in Manchester – appearing on the Great British Menu earlier this year and wowing local diners in Ancoats with her Alice in Wonderland-style food.
Known for serving weird and wonderful creations like edible ‘beef fat’ candles, marshmallows topped with tongue-numbing Jambu flowers and desserts disguised as poisonous mushrooms, Caroline has become something of a local sensation since moving to Manchester in 2020.
Elsewhere across the festival, local tapas favourites Evuna, La Bandera and the family-run staple El Rincon de Rafa will all get involved in a special tapas tour across the city on Thursday 29 September.
A fixture in Manchester for over 25 years, El Rincon de Rafa is a family-run favourite amongst foodies in the know. / Image: El Rincon
Image: La Bandera is located just off Deansgate and is another long-running Spanish tapas favourite
Estrella Galicia offers a wide variety of drinks here in the UK including Estrella Galicia Cerveza Lager, 0,0%, Gluten-free, 1906 Reserva Especial and 1906 Black Coupage.
Georgina Pellant -
27th June 2022 
