First came V-Rev, then Frost Burgers. What The Pitta, Purezza and Vegan Shack soon followed suit. Now, another fast food-style vegan spot, The Vurger Co, is tipped to be opening in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Already hugely popular in London and Brighton, The Vurger Co. is now set to try its luck up north as it expands into Manchester to open what will be the group’s fourth site – following openings in Shoreditch, Canary Wharf and Brighton.
Image: The Vurger Co
First founded as a market stall in North London back in 2016, the concept has come a long way from those early DIY pop-up days – and now even has its own range of vegan sauces and mayos for sale through Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic and Selfridges.
Due to open this April, it will move into the Northern Quarter’s Transmission House development on Tib Street as it launches its largest and ‘most ambitious’ restaurant to date.
Menu-wise, think indulgent burgers like their classic New York Melt, Buffalo Vurger (crispy ‘chicken’ patty dipped in buffalo hot sauce) and Hunny Chicken (house-made vegan honey, drizzled over The Vurger Co’s chicken patty, with honey mustard aioli, gherkins, and fresh brioche).
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Image: The Vurger Co
Image: The Vurger Co
Image: The Vurger Co
Elsewhere, you’ll find vegan mac ‘n cheese, crispy dippers, tater tots, fauxerella sticks and a decent vegan shake menu with flavours like strawberry, salted caramel popcorn, banoffee and Biscoff.
Known for its 100% plant-based burgers, which successfully mimick mainstream favourites with the help of some rather good vegan cheese and homemade sauce, unlike some of its competitors The Vurger Co. only cooks with products that have been completely ethically sourced.
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So strong is its commitment to the vegan ethos, all its packaging is also made from plants and is fully compostable, with a customer guarantee that nothing you buy here ends up being dumped in a landfill.
Image: The Vurger Co
With room for 50 covers inside, the new vegan restaurant will open seven days a week with walk-in bookings only from 30 April 2022.
Speaking on the new opening, Rachel Hugh, Co-Founder of The Vurger Co. explained: “This is a really exciting time for us at The Vurger Co.
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“We’ve worked hard to establish ourselves in London & Brighton and can’t wait to be part of the thriving restaurant & food scene in Manchester, one of our favourite cities. Customers can expect amazing plant-based food, packed with texture & flavour that’s fun & delicious.”
Rich Oliver, Senior Asset Manager at Fabrix (the developer behind Transmission House), added: “The Vurger Co’s decision to sign at Transmission House adds a new destination to the vibrant food scene of the Northern Quarter, which has long been known as the home of music and fashion venues.
“The Vurger Co. joins renowned piano manufacturer Bechstein at Transmission House, making it a new hub for tradition and innovation in the heart of the district.”
The new location will open at Unit 2, Transmission House, 11 Tib Street, Manchester. M4 1AE.To keep up to date with the launch, follow @thevurgerco on Instagram.
Feature image – The Vurger Co
News
Police ‘delighted’ after Manchester man is jailed for running county lines drug operation
Emily Sergeant
A Manchester man has been jailed for his part in running a county lines drug operation that exploited vulnerable people.
Following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) County Lines Team, John Joyce, of Stuart Street in Manchester, was identified as operating a county lines drugs network that supplied Class A drugs across Greater Manchester, and was subsequently jailed for possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
The investigation – which uncovered extensive evidence of drug supply – found that Joyce was the controller of the “CEE” line – a mobile number used to distribute crack cocaine and heroin.
Among that ‘extensive’ evidence was more than 31,000 text messages and 8,700 calls linked to drug dealing activity, and ‘flare’ messages advertising drugs for sale sent in bulk, as well as forensic analysis linking Joyce to two personal mobile numbers and vehicles used during the operation.
CCTV footage was also uncovered showing Joyce purchasing top-up vouchers for the drugs line.
#JAILED | Man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for running county lines drug operation
Our County Lines Team investigation uncovered extensive evidence of drug supply & found he was the controller of the “CEE” line, a mobile number used to distribute crack cocaine & heroin pic.twitter.com/WAdej9lLxU
And the final nail in the coffin was that a search of the 28-year-old’s Manchester apartment uncovered more than 460g of crack cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and cash.
Joyce fled the UK and headed to Dubai in an attempt to evade justice, but was arrested upon his return at Manchester Airport in October 2025.
“This case demonstrates our commitment to dismantling county lines networks that exploit vulnerable people and blight communities,” explained Detective Constable Josh Claxton, of GMP’s County Lines Team.
“Joyce’s operation was significant and his sentence reflects the harm caused by class A drug supply in Greater Manchester.
“He evaded justice for a long time, but now we are delighted to have locked him up so he can no longer cause damage to people’s lives.”
Joyce has been jailed for five years and three months after appearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court this week (Tuesday 16 December).
Featured Image – GMP
News
Popular bar chain The Alchemist to rewind back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 next month
Emily Sergeant
One of the UK’s most popular bar chains is celebrating its sweet 16th birthday next month by winding back to 2010.
Money is always tight in January, right?
Once Christmas is over with, and so is the festive feasting and drinking, many like to use the first month of the new year to lay low and save some money back up – which is why The Alchemist is launching a limited-edition ‘2010 Revival Menu’, bringing back some of its most iconic early cocktails and dishes – all at their original prices from 16 years ago.
For the whole month, you can enjoy the curated throwback selection starting from £6, which i perfectly timed for a month of saving without sacrificing going out.
The Alchemist is rewinding back to 2010 with cocktails and dishes for £6 / Credit: The Manc Group
The 2010 Revival Menu includes the return of the fan-favourite White Chocolate Raspberry Martini for £6 on the cocktail menu, which was an early Alchemist staple, alongside other fan-favourites like the Colour Changing One and Virgin Pornstar, both for £6 again.
When it comes to food dishes for £6, you can tuck into a selection of different refreshing salads, while stretching your budget up to £10 will get you things like Chicken in a Basket, a Cheeseburger, and Fish and Chips.
Other iconic Alchemist cocktails returning for a fraction of the price next month include the popular Smoky Old Fashioned, and Dead Read Zombie – both for £8.
The Alchemist opened its original bar in Manchester‘s swanky Spinningfields district all the way back in 2010, and quickly became a popular and stylish destination with its high ceilings and industrial features, and has since developed into a much larger chain – with not only more Manchester destinations, but others across the UK too.
Georgina Pellant -
5th April 2022 
