Deliveroo has just announced the finalists for this year’s Restaurant Awards – and an impressive 24 Manchester restaurants made the shortlist.
Manchester eatery Salt n Pepper has only just landed on the platform, but it’s already up for a best newcomer award this year.
Three Manchester restaurants were nominated for the best vegan award (Oowee Vegan, What the Pitta and Frost Burgers) and two for Restaurant of the Year (Proove pizza and Fat Hippo) whilst an absolute slew have been shortlisted for categories including Best Asian, Best Chinese, Best Sushi and Best Eco Friendly restaurant.
Zumu sushi is up for this year’s Best Sushi award / Image: Zumu sushi
Voted for by the Manchester public, the 24 restaurants listed below have beaten thousands of others across the UK after their popularity was put to a customer vote.
The first round of public voting saw over 50,000 people cast their vote, resulting in more than 600 hopefuls being reduced to 132 finalists Now, it’s up to Manchester locals to ensure their favourite wins – with just under two weeks to go until voting for awards closes on 18 October.
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For 2021, Deliveroo has increased the number of award categories to help celebrate even more of its traders and ensure more restaurants can take home accolades after a rollercoaster year. In total, there are 22 trophies up for grabs – including the much-coveted Restaurant of the Year Award, which is voted for by a celebrity panel of judges still to be revealed.
New awards being introduced for 2021 include categories Best Essentials, Best Meals Under £10, Best Mexican Restaurant, Best Sushi, Best Kebab, Best Fine-dining Restaurant, Best Salads and Bowls.
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Manchester’s What The PItta is up for the Best Vegan award / Image: What The Pitta
Repeat categories, meanwhile, include Best Burger, Best Pizza, Best Vegan Restaurant, Best Indian Restaurant and Best Eco-friendly Restaurant.
Speaking on this year’s awards, Deliveroo CEO Will Shu said: “Celebrating our incredible restaurant and grocery partners has never been more important.
“We are launching our third annual Deliveroo Restaurant Awards to shine a light on the very best food the UK and Ireland has to offer, from high-street favourites to local gems.
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Image: Eatmcr
“With new categories, and over 45,000 restaurants and grocers in the running, this year’s awards will be bigger and better than ever. We’re calling on the public to celebrate their favourite local restaurants and grocers by casting your vote and supporting these great businesses.”
Winners will be announced at Deliveroo’s virtual awards ceremony on November 15th.
The full list of Manchester restaurants to make the shortlist is as follows:
Proove Pizza – Restaurant of the Year
Fat Hippo – Restaurant of the Year
Burgerism – Best Burger
Little Yang Sing – Best Chinese
Chinese Red Chilli 红辣椒 – 曼大店 – Oxford Rd – Best Chinese
The Premier League is keeping its crucial cap on away game ticket prices – for now
Danny Jones
The Premier League has announced it is extending its crucial price cap for away games, as the general cost of match tickets continues to creep up all over the country.
Most season card holders, be they here in Greater Manchester or elsewhere, are likely looking at their annual spending going up simply, so steps like these are key in keeping first division football as affordable as possible.
And that’s just the ongoing cost of living, let alone the clubs that are continuing the trend of charging more each year and, unfortunately, even pricing some supporters out entirely.
With that in mind, the news of England’s top-flight sides voting unanimously to keep the £30 cap intact for at least another two years comes as relief to those who spend most of the year putting their hard-earned cash towards following their team home and away.
BREAKING: The Premier League extend £30 cap on away tickets for another two seasons 🚨 pic.twitter.com/L336aZwmn3
Now confirmed to remain in place until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, travelling fans obviously still spend plenty of money on transport and so on every year, but at least they don’t have to worry about rising general admissions.
At least not for the time being…
Writing in a statement, the Premier League said: “Away fans help create the incredible atmosphere Premier League matches are renowned for. Since the cap’s implementation in 2016, it has contributed to attendance at away games increasing from 82% to 91%.”
They also acknowledged the significant and regular funds that supporters still spend on these trips, with plenty of people online also praising the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), which helped spearhead the campaign over a decade ago.
With so many other obstacles still getting in the way of fans making it to games either at their usual stadium or on an away day – not least of all the constant and increasingly frustrating rescheduling of fixtures – it’s good to see this isn’t an area the Prem are trying to target.
As always, the multi-billion-pound business can always seek out other, newer money spinners, and we’re absolutley certain they will. For instance, there’s at least one happening over in Spain that we’d happily see carried over here.
Following the news, this now means that fans will ultimately have enjoyed 12 back-to-back seasons of the benefit, and long may it continue.
Nevertheless, the biggest barrier for people to watch the beautiful game at its highest level in the UK remains the cost of standard tickets.
The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds and more have already let matchgoers know that their season ticket prices will be going up, and the likes of Man City have already seen backlash for increasing rates amid the expansion of the Etihad Campus.
Greater Manchester’s fire service officially rated ‘outstanding’ following inspection
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s fire service has officially been rated ‘outstanding’.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has awarded published its latest inspection report, and has awarded Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) two ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the first time in the service’s history.
One ‘outstanding’ rating was given for the preventing of fire and emergencies, and one for values and culture.
Some of the areas of strength noted in the report include outstanding prevention work, acknowledging the service’s innovative partnership activity and targeted risk reduction programmes, and a ‘strong, positive, and inclusive’ culture, with strong communication and a clear focus on values, staff voice, and transparent decision making.
The service was also commended for having high levels of operational preparedness, and ‘effective’ governance and scrutiny, with ‘clear’ performance reporting and strategic direction.
In addition to the two ‘Outstanding’ ratings, inspectors also rated GMFRS as ‘Good’ in seven of the eight other inspection categories – including responding to fires and other emergencies, training and developing the right people with the right skills, and ensuring fairness and diversity across the workplace.
Inspectors also acknowledged the ‘significant capacity pressures’ on fire safety regulation across the UK, and the unique challenges posed by Greater Manchester’s complex and fast-changing urban environment.
“Greater Manchester has a fire and rescue service we can be proud of,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham, as the inspection report was published this week.
Greater Manchester’s fire service has officially been rated ‘outstanding’ following its latest inspection / Credit: GMFRS
“I’ve often said that GMFRS is one of the best services not just in this country, but anywhere. The inspectors’ findings reinforce this belief. I’m pleased that this strong inspection report recognises its outstanding prevention work as part of Greater Manchester’s Live Well approach, its outstanding culture and values, and consistently good performance across almost every other area.”
Chief Fire Officer, Dave Russell, added: “I am really pleased that the inspectors have recognised our progress towards this goal, by awarding us ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the first time in our service’s history.
“I am particularly pleased to have been awarded these for our nation-leading work on prevention, helping us to use our resources in the most effective way, and in our service’s culture, which I made my number one priority when joining the service.”
Georgina Pellant -
4th October 2021 
