Former MasterChef contestant opens fine dining pop-up inside Ancoats wine bar
Canapes disguised as succulents, beef fat 'candles' and puddings that look like lethal mushrooms are just a few of the surprises in store at the Sao Paulo Project
A new fine dining pop-up by a former MasterChef contestant has landed inside the kitchen of Ancoats wine bar Blossom Street Social.
Called the Sao Paulo project, it’s the brainchild of former Brazilian MasterChef contestant Caroline Martins.
Offering a British-Brazilian fusion menu that draws on her experiences working in Michelin starred kitchens around the world, she’s only in residency at the bar for the next three months – running from now until 19 March 2022.
Operating on a walk-in basis only (and just a stone’s throw from Mana, Manchester’s only Michelin starred restaurant), she’s serving up Michelin-style food for a tiny fraction of the price.
Here, canapes disguised as succulents, beef fat ‘candles’ and a pudding that looks like a lethal mushroom are just a few of the surprises in store for visitors to the Sao Paulo Project – and unlike most fine dining settings, there’s no set menu obligation.
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The ‘Romeu & Julieta’ pudding plays cleverly with appearance and reality, combining guava parfait and jam, parmesan Genoise sponge, Sangiorgio’s Minas cheese, Dormouse chocolate and lime crumble and edible flowers from Platt Fields Market Garden. / Image: The Manc Group
Rather, you can pay per dish, ordering what you like and leaving what you don’t.
There are seven different options on the menu to choose from, each distinct and interesting in its own way – with the bar currently working on a matching (optional) wine pairing list.
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Standouts include the ‘Romeu & Julieta’ pudding (£7.50), a combination of guava parfait and jam, parmesan Genoise sponge, Sangiorgio’s Minas cheese, Dormouse chocolate and lime crumble and edible flowers from Platt Fields Market Garden; and a terrarium of cheesy, meaty and fruity canapes simply titled a ‘selection of threes’ (£5.50).
A terrarium of canapes simply titled a ‘selection of three’ combines earthy cheeses and chicken liver with fruit purees, nuts, Exmoor caviar and more. / Image: The Manc GroupA hand-dived scallop served with tropical Brazilian ingredients like heart of palm and nutty, starchy cassava root mousseline. / Image: The Manc Group
Elsewhere, you’ll find a beautifully soft hand-dived scallop served with tropical Brazilian ingredients like heart of palm and nutty, starchy cassava root mousseline (£5.50); a sumptuous dry aged picanha from the Butcher’s Quarter (£12); and several cheese courses that combine punchy English cheeses with fruity chutneys and relishes made from banana, mushroom and more (£10-20).
Her ‘Bread Course’ (£6) surpasses all expectations, too.
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Switching out the tired old sourdough and bold butter format we’ve become used to, Caroline’s version features light, Calabrian sausage-laden brioche, textured caramelised onion butter and, just for a touch of theatre, an edible beef fat ‘candle’. Exquisite.
The beef fat ‘candle’ is served with light, Calabrian sausage-laden brioche and a textured, caramelised onion butter. /Image: The Manc Group
The final course on the list, a designated sharer, is great for groups – combining baked Tunworth cheese with guava paste, mixed nuts, rosemary and thyme in such a way as to revive a love of gooey, hot cheese (no mean feat following a Christmas spent stuffing ourselves with unreasonable amounts of the stuff).
Flanked all around by soft, buttery tearaway brioche rolls, it’s recommended for four but can easily feed plenty more – more than justifying the hefty-ish £20 price tag.
‘To Share’ combine baked Tunworth cheese with guava paste, mixed nuts, rosemary and thyme and is served with a mountain of brioche. / Image: The Manc Group. A cheese course combines punchy English cheeses from the Crafty Cheese Man with fruity chutneys and relishes made from banana, mushroom and more. / Image: The Manc Group.
Previously, Caroline has worked at the two Michelin star Trenkerstube at Hotel Castel in Tyrol, and in London at various kitchens including the two-star Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs in Fitzrovia and the one-star Galvin La Chapella.
Most recently, here in Manchester, she hosted a supper club pop-up at Manchester Union Lager brewery. Now she’s bringing those stand out dishes to Ancoats.
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When many think of Brazilian restaurants, they might think of all-you-can-eat steakhouses like Fazenda, Bem Brazil and Jardim Rodizio. Whilst Caroline does nod to this with a stunning dry-aged picanha course, ultimately this is not what you’ll find at the Sao Paulo project. Far from it.
Image: The Manc Group
Instead, the Cordon Bleu graduate Caroline’s menu showcases popular tropical Brazilian ingredients in a fine-dining style, combining them with local produce sourced from a wealth of independent Manchester suppliers like Flawd’s Cinderwood Market Garden, the Crafty Cheese Man and fellow Ancaots’ Brazilian the Flat Baker.
Assisted in the kitchen by former Mana and Lowry Hotel chefs, she’s headed for great things – no doubt about it. Not to be missed, make sure to pay her a visit – that way, when she’s on the telly later this year, you can say to your family with pride, ‘I’ve eaten that dish, it was amazing.’
To find out more, visit the Sao Paulo Project’s website here.
Feature image – The Manc Group / The Sao Paulo Project
News
Manchester United opening up ‘warm spaces’ in Red Cafe to the community this winter
Danny Jones
Manchester United are opening up the doors of their Red Cafe to the local community for December, providing “warm spaces” to those set to struggle over the coming months.
As part of the club’s winter campaign, United by Your Side, the Red Cafe will provide a safe space for people to stay warm, eat, drink and chat.
The area will be available to absolutely everyone and completely free of charge every Monday and Wednesday for the next three weeks, starting on 6 December from 5:00-8:00pm.
People can arrive and register via the North Stand reception (Sir Alex Ferguson Stand), before being guided to the Red Cafe and left to get warm, enjoy hot beverages and plenty of snacks, as well as socialise.
Crucially, another objective of the Red Cafe’s United by Your Side scheme is helping combat loneliness, as a big part of the warm spaces are the ‘talking benches’ located on the forecourt at Old Trafford.
Signposted as a welcoming place for people who feel alone or are simply worried, shy or anxious to sit and talk to others, this area is designed for people to look after one another and reach out during a period when we’re all encouraged to be more giving.
As United’s COO Collette Roche detailed in an official statement: “Whether Christmas is part of people’s life or not, the festive period can be a difficult time for many. It’s a time of year that puts extra pressure on people and can affect mental health and wellbeing in lots of different ways.
“Through our United by Your Side campaign, we want people who are struggling to know that they are not alone, particularly in our local community. We want to make Old Trafford a second home by providing winter accessories, company, warmth and food for those who need it.”
In addition, today (Friday 2 December), fans are drumming up extra support for the United Foundation and homeless charity Centrepoint by staging a fundraising sleepout in the Munich Tunnel.
Today is 𝙩𝙝𝙚 day 🏟️
Supporters are bedding down inside #OldTrafford's Munich Tunnel tonight for our first ever sleepout ❤️
The fundraiser is in aid of the Foundation and @centrepointuk's work with vulnerable young people 🤝
The club is working with the council and several local and national charities like Centrepoint to deliver the initiatives and communicate them to people who need it most.
Eleanor Roaf, Director of Public Health at Trafford Council, said: “This year with the increase in the cost of heating and food, many people are likely to find winter and the festive period challenging.
“I’m delighted that Manchester United are opening their Red Cafe and providing this space with hot snacks and drinks. This helps to how football is at the heart of our borough.”
Manchester Mind are also playing a key role in the campaign. The CEO of the mental health charity’s Mancunian arm, Elizabeth Simpson, said: “We know that many people are struggling at the moment due to the cost of living crisis and that this is impacting their mental health.”
Elizabeth Simpson, our CEO said “During these challenging times we… know that our local organisations play a key role in supporting the most vulnerable in our community, and we are proud to be a part of United by Your Side this winter.” https://t.co/ermWj4V02p
— Manchester Mind #NeverMoreNeeded (@ManchesterMind) December 2, 2022
She went on to note these added pressures on top of an already busy and often stressful time of year “can feel overwhelming and isolating”, which is why initiatives like United By Your Side are so important.
The sleepout alone has already raised nearly £15,000 at the time of writing and the lifeline the warm spaces set up in Old Trafford will provide cannot be overstated.
Moreover, while it fills our hearts to hear of local institutions like this doing their bit to help people in the community, it’s heartbreaking to know that warm banks are even required. Sadly, United are by no means the only organisation that felt it was necessary to offer up this kind of support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, loneliness, rising costs or simply not knowing where to go for help, please send them to Manchester Mind’s cost of living information, their wellbeing hub and be sure to make them aware of warm spaces like those at Red Cafe if they need it.
Well done to the club and the associated charities for setting up such vital resources and a safe haven this December. United by name, united by nature.
*Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 16 and due to United’s EFL Cup fixture against Burnley on Wednesday 21 December, the Red Cafe will open on Thursday 22 December instead.
Featured Image — Manchester United/Dayne Topkin (via Unsplash)
News
Part of Greater Manchester named as one of the happiest places to live
Georgina Pellant
A new study has named a part of Greater Manchester as one of the happiest places to live in the North West of England.
This year’s Happy at Home study by Rightmove, now in its 11th year, asked over 21,000 people how they feel about their hometowns.
The results showed having a sense of belonging to your local area to be the most important contributor towards happiness, alongside a strong sense of community, and polite and friendly neighbours.
Overall, the coastal town of St Ives in Cornwall was named this year’s happiest place to live in Great Britain by its residents, with Galashiels in the Scottish Borders in second place and the market town of Woodbridge in Suffolk in third.
However, in the regional ranking for the North West Greater Manchester came out on top – with the Trafford market town of Altrincham ranking at number 17 in the whole of the UK and in second place out of 25 regional locations.
Coming in just behind Northwich in Cheshire, it wasn’t the only town in Greater Manchester to make the regional list.
Wth Stockport ranking at number 9, Bury at number 11, followed by Oldham (12), Salford (13) Manchester (14), Rochdale (17), Wigan (23) and Bolton (25), it definitely seems that residents have confirmed what we already know – that Greater Manchester is a great place to live.
You can see the full local ranking of all the regions in the North West below. To see how the rest of the country fared, click here to visit the Rightmove Happy At Home website page.
Georgina Pellant -
19th January 2022 
