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.
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.
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.
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
New free app launches to help people find the best nature spots in and around Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new free app has launched to help people find, discover, and visit nature on their doorstep.
Wildling is aiming to be a simple one-step solution to the growing mental health crisis and the urgent need to care for the natural world.
By helping people visit nature more easily, and giving them tools to truly connect with it at this same time, Wildling is well on its way to supporting personal wellbeing and the joy of easily discovering nature across the UK, all while nurturing a sense of care and action for the planet.
Supported by partners including the RSPB, Marine Conservation Society ,and Forestry England, and backed by advisors and environmentalists like Ben Goldsmith, Eden Project founder Tim Smit, and Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden, the new app brings the UK’s wild spaces and hidden green spots together in one place.
A new free app has launched to help people find the best nature spots in Manchester / Credit: Kitera Dent | Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Featuring more than 1,500 locations across the country, from coastlines and woodlands, to nature reserves, the app also includes a wide range of tips to help you make your time in nature easier, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
The app has been created with the input of research carried out by the University of Derby, based on responses from more than 68,000 adults across England over two years.
The study found that people who spend time in nature every day report up to 22% greater life satisfaction, 17% higher happiness, and an average uplift of around 19% in overall wellbeing, compared to those who rarely go out.
Regular time in nature was also found to have a ‘striking’ effect on pro-environmental behaviour too, according to the survey.
Wildling was created by impact entrepreneur Ant Rawlins who wanted to make accessing nature ‘easier’ for everyone.
“We wanted to give people the tools to engage with nature by making it genuinely easy to visit, by showing them nearby nature places and giving them everything they need to make it happen,” says Ant Rawlins commented.
Wildling connects Mancs to the outside world and all it has to offer / Credit: Sol Stock (Supplied)
Ant said the study shows that spending more time in nature just a nice idea, it makes you happier, increases your satisfaction with life, lifts your overall wellbeing, and encourages you to look after the world around you.
“That’s exactly why Wildling was created,” he concluded.
The Wildling app is available now to download for free through the App Store and Google Play, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Shironosov (Supplied)
News
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s adorable baby snow leopard who went viral last week could very well be about to go viral again.
That’s because new footage of it venturing outside for the first time have been released.
After arriving to first-time parents Nubra and Yashin, who are both three-years-old, last month (10 June 2025), keepers at Chester Zoo said mum and cub had mostly spent their time quietly tucked away in a cosy den, away from the eyes of the onlooking public – but now, it’s time for the little one to see what the outside world is all about.
Now, at seven-weeks old, the cub has gained in strength and confidence, and experts expected that it could venture outside at ‘any moment’.
Zookeepers are still yet to confirm the sex of the cub, and will be able to do soon once it has undergone its first health check-up with the vets.
We can also expect to hear one the little one’s name is very soon too.
If you’re unfamiliar with snow leopards, they are classed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it’s believed there are as few as 4,000 now remaining in the wild.
Nicknamed the ‘ghosts of the mountains’, these elusive – but adorable – big cats are found in the rugged, remote regions of Central Asia and the Himalayas – but sadly, despite being known for living in desolate, harsh environments, they continue to face threats from habitat loss, climate change, poaching, and retaliatory killings by farmers.
Chester Zoo’s viral new snow leopard cub ventures outside for the first time / Credit: Chester Zoo
The cub’s birth follows the opening of Chester Zoo’s Himalayan habitat in May 2024, which is a vast, rocky environment that authentically recreates the mountainous terrain of Central Asia.
“This is the first snow leopard cub to be born at Chester Zoo,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo, last week when the adorable hidden den cam footage was first released to the public.
“It’s a truly historic moment and a real cause for celebration – not just for our teams here, but also for the future of this magnificent species globally.”
Although it’s still early days, carnivore experts at the zoo say Nubra is showing ‘excellent maternal instincts’ by nursing her new arrival every few hours and always keeping close by.
Georgina Pellant -
4th October 2021 
