Award-winning pie company Great North Pie is opening a pie and mash cafe in Manchester this year.
Set to arrive on the cobbles of Little David Street in spring, the cafe will be the first to move into the long-forgotten avenue as it is brought back to life this year by the developers behind KAMPUS.
Putting some modern touches on the traditional pie and mash cafe, Great North Pie will serve up all the traditional favourites like classic Lancashire cheese and onion, roast chicken and mushroom, and 14 hour braised beef and ale alongside a regularly-changing selection of seasonal specials.
Smoked haddock, salmon and fish sauce pie / Image: Great North Pie Company Steak and kidney steamed suet pudding, mash, roast onion and brown sauce gravy / Image: Great North Pie Company
Previous specials at other Great North Pie cafes have included a macaroni and cheese pie, various fish pies (a favourite being the smoked mackerel, horseradish and mustard pie), a steak and kidney steam suet pudding, and a corned beef and potato pie.
As for sides with your pies, think lashings of gravy, signature mushy peas with mascarpone, and plenty of buttery mash.
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Alongside a great selection of hand-crafted pies, diners will also find a full drinks menu celebrating local brewers and distillers – with the option to choose a matching beer or glass of prosecco to go with their chosen dish.
Seating will be available inside and out, with a covered outdoor patio stretching out onto the cobbles and looking over both the Bridgewater canal and Kampus garden.
Husband and wife team Neil and Sarah Broomfield started Great North Pie ten years ago, making pies in their home kitchen for local farmers markets.
The business is now one of the North West’s success stories with cafes in Altrincham and Ambleside in the Lake District. The pair also act as judges for the Great British Pie Awards and were recently named as finalists in Radio 4’s Food & Farming Awards.
Co-owner and pie-maker Neil said that both he and Sarah had always wanted a base in the city centre, it was simply a matter of finding the right place – and now it seems that they have.
Image: Great North Pie Company Image: Great North Pie Company
“It had to be somewhere intimate and cosy and Kampus really nails that laid back vibe.,” he said.
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Promising “great northern pies and mash, with loads of gravy”, he says they’ll be keeping things simple at the new cafe and are looking forward to being part of an independent community with the “mix of independent traders that are coming.”
Little David street, which is part of the Kampus neighbourhood being developed by HBD and Capital&Centric, is thought to be one of the only untouched cobbled streets in Manchester.
Development plans for the street see it set to become a hub of bars, cafes, shops and restaurants – with Great North Pie expected to be the first arrival of many.
The Macaroni pie special from Great North Pie Company / Image: Great North Pie Company
Adam Brady, HBD said: “Great North Pie is something of an institution when it comes to pie and mash and it’s amazing to welcome them to the Kampus community.
“They’re the first to sign up at Little David Street which will have cafes, bars and shops all spilling out onto the beautiful cobbles,giving it an almost European feel.
It’s exciting to see how the Kampus neighbourhood is growing, whether you live here or not there’ll be something for everyone, and there’s lots more to come. There’s really going to be nowhere else like it in the city.”
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Great North Pie is the latest name to join Kampus which, with the likes of Nell’s, General Store, Pollen and Beeswing also signed up, is fast becoming a hub for local foodie independents.
Kampus’ is a mix of old and new, with developers having made use of historic buildings that have lain derelict for years.
It sits right next to the famous Canal Street in Manchester’s Gay Village and is just minutes from Piccadilly Station.
Kate Scott praised for impassioned speech following more racism in Champions League
Danny Jones
Football pundit and sports presenter Kate Scott has been met with plenty of praise for her ‘expert’ handling of the fallout following more racism in the Champions League this week, delivering an emotional and impassioned speech about discrimination live on TV.
The Manchester-born broadcaster, formerly Kate Abdo, was serving as the host on her usual CBS Sports panel on Tuesday, 17 February, when the story of the playoff game between Benfica and Real Madrid – which included a worldie from Vinicius Jr. – was overshadowed by more allegations of racial abuse.
In case you missed it, Argentine player Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making racist remarks by both Vini Jr and Kylian Mbappe, but supposedly covered his mouth so as not to be caught on camera; the match was then stopped for more than 11 minutes.
Speaking in the aftermath amid the following European fixtures the next day, the Withington-schooled journalist and University of Salford graduate delivered an eloquent reaction to the controversy with peak professionalism.
Absolutely pitch perfect, and all those involved in preparing the statement should be applauded.
While Scott herself recognised that it’s a shame we even have to keep talking about issues like these rather than the sheer simplistic beauty of, well, ‘the beautiful game’, her response is an example of the job being done at arguably its very best: factual, ethical, moving and inspiring.
As you can see, Scott goes on to say, “This isn’t Real Madrid versus Benfica – it is right versus wrong. Vini Junior and Kylian Mbappe said that there was repeated racial abuse.
“Gianluca Prestiani said they misheard, but he covered his mouth to hide what he said from the cameras, and hopefully, we can all agree that if what you are saying on a football pitch is shameful enough to have to hide it from the public, then you’re wrong.”
The Portuguese club, which ultimately lost 1-0 in their first leg at home on the night, have released a statement reaffirming their commitment to “equality, respect, and inclusion” but reiterates that they believe Prestiani and feel he is now the subject of a “defamation campaign”.
Conversely, in a definitive and emphatic closing message, she signs off by adding the following: “The racial diversity on a football pitch in the Champions League is the representation of the global love for this game and the global belonging in this game. This is the very spirit of football.
“And if you don’t agree, then respectfully, you are the one who doesn’t belong.”
This is what the Athletic is supposed to be. Telling important stories & giving in depth analysis. I hope this signals that it will be its focus moving forward.
From CBS ‘Golazo’ show being applauded for tackling the subject head-on, to Cross herself being labelled as everything from “a role model” and “a benchmark” to “the best on the planet” in the outpouring of reactions on social media, it’s fair to say they absolutely nailed it.
Sadly, this is one of many recent examples of prejudice being shared publicly across various UEFA tournaments and beyond in recent years, but the only way we can truly help anti-hate initiatives is by continuing to call them out.
Manchester United to offer fans FREE coach travel for upcoming away game
Danny Jones
Manchester United have offered free coaches to away fans hoping to travel to their game against AFC Bournemouth.
The fixture against The Cherries isn’t here just yet, with four other matches before then – two home and two away – but many supporters have already been fretting about how they’re going to get there.
With a 252-mile trek and what could be upwards of a 10-hour round trip, there and back, the club has informed the travelling ‘Stretford Enders‘ that they will be arranging at least some of the nearly 1,300 members of the fan base to travel down south to the Vitality Stadium.
Although not entirely unheard of, it’s nevertheless been praised as a classy touch and way of recognising some of their most dedicated support year-round, especially after a turbulent few weeks.
🚌 We are offering free coach travel for fans who are travelling to our match at Bournemouth on Friday 20 March ❤️
Set to be free of charge for anyone with a valid away ticket next month, the gesture will at least make life a little bit easier for Reds heading to the coastal town at the end of an already long working week.
Scheduled to take place at 8pm on 20 March, Bournemouth vs Man United is the late kick-off, but the first of that Premier League round (gameweek 31).
With limited transport options via both public and supporters group networks, they’ve decided to step in and aid those willing to make the journey.
They also seemed to make what some have perceived as a dig at the division, noting that “this fixture follows an unusually high number of games that have been played midweek this season.”
Writing a lengthy statement, they said: “The club, listening to the views raised by supporters in both the Fan Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum, has raised concerns in meetings with senior counterparts at both the Premier League and broadcasters in recent months…
Acknowledging the “impact scheduling decisions have on match-goers and urging them to make earlier decisions”, they are one of many teams that have urged the footballing body to adjust their plans where possible and afford fans extra time to plan.
With both recognised supporters’ trusts and other fan groups alike having played a crucial role in a number of key observances of late, it only feels fitting that they be rewarded for their commitment.
That being said, director of fan engagement Rick McGagh went on to add: “We believe we have the best and loudest away following in the country, and we wanted to do something for our fans to show we appreciate their dedication and support.
“When games are moved from a weekend to a Friday or Monday night, we know it impacts fans, meaning they often have to take time off work and face more expensive and greatly restricted travel options.
“We continue to work with our FAB and Fans’ Forum reps and share their concerns to broadcasters and the Premier League. We hope this gesture helps our fans travelling down to Bournemouth for the game, and, on behalf of the players and everyone at the club, we thank them for their continued support.”
As an added bonus, they also detailed that besides free coach travel to the far-flung game, those attending the Bournemouth game will also be entered into a raffle to win a United shirt signed by one of the men’s first-team.
While fans must organise their transport to arrive at Old Trafford, with no alternative pick-up or drop-off points, all the details on how to book the free coach travel will be shared with successful applicants, along with confirmation of their place in the away ballot.
Georgina Pellant -
5th January 2022 
