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
Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
20 December: 10am – 10pm
21 December: 12pm – 6pm
22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
Christmas: 9am – 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
27 December: 10am – 9pm
28 December: 12pm – 6pm
29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)
News
Greater Manchester’s ‘clean taxi’ plans backed by government funding
Danny Jones
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘clean taxi’ initiative has been officially backed by the UK government, with an extra boost coming from a leading electric vehicle brand.
Millions of pounds are set to be pumped into the scheme over the coming years as the North West at large strives to become greener.
The Mayor himself, Andy Burnham, has made environmentally conscious travel a core part of his plans for the city region ever since he took up the post back in 2017; now he and his team are helping link up with connections in the capital to secure further investment.
With the new £8 million Hackney Support Fund being put into action as we speak, a further £2m is now set to go towards Manchester city centre and its surrounding boroughs via LEVC.
LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) have done away with classic petrol and diesel engines in their particular corner of the automotive industry, setting a more eco-friendly example for metropolitan cities up and down Great Britain.
As a result, Manchester City Council and the GMCA as a whole are looking to take a leaf out of their book as part of their wider carbon reduction targets, with local authorities having recently reaffirmed their five-year ‘climate change action plan’.
For context, the Hackney Support Fund in question is a series of government-backed grants aimed at helping taxi drivers replace older black cabs with more modern, zero-emission capable vehicles.
Not only that, but LEVC will also be offering licensed carriage drivers extended warranties on new and used TX cabs – like their new ‘eCity powetrain’ pictured above – as well as taxi scrappage allowance on other models.
Like any part of the country, our region itself has its own clean air goals, and with the continued expansion of the Bee Network continuing to advance that progress, we’re heading in the right direction.
It goes without saying that adding a fully-fledged fleet of cleaner, more energy-efficient EV taxis into that mix could help benefit these greener pursuits.
Managing Director at LEVC, Chris Allen, noted that the company has “helped the capital achieve legal air quality targets for the first time” and strongly believes that they can do the same up North.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our taxi trade is a vital part of Greater Manchester’s transport network and supports the local economy.
“That’s why we’re working hard to secure funding and practical support to help drivers upgrade to cleaner, greener vehicles – improving air quality for everyone, while protecting livelihoods. By backing our taxi trade, we’re building a fairer, healthier city-region for all.”
Georgina Pellant -
19th January 2022 
