There’s no question that one of the things we’ve missed most during lockdown is dining out.
Sitting in my favourite restaurants with friends whilst eating, drinking and putting the world to rights – surrounded by the gentle hustle and bustle of others doing the exact same thing – is something I cannot wait to do again (not to mention the utter joy at the thought of having someone do the washing up).
However, right at the very beginning ‘of all this’, our hospitality friends were dealt a huge blow and were left with no option other than to innovate at the speed of knots or close altogether. There were a few places that reacted in a flash and began to launch ‘At Home Kits’.
Pretty much straight off the starting line were the guys over at Six By Nico.
The Spring Gardens restaurant is still a relatively new addition to Manchester – having found success in Edinburgh and Glasgow with their rotating six-course tasting menus.
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Six By Nico went down an absolute storm from the minute it opened just off King Street and quickly amassed a fiercely loyal customer base, so when the venue launched the ‘Home by Nico’ concept – it was no surprise it sold out immediately.
I remember ordering the Mexican menu right at the start of lockdown and it was like trying to get festival tickets; poised with both phones and a laptop hoping we’d get through and secure a slot (which we did and it was delicious).
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As the lockdown has dragged on, Six By Nico have fine-tuned their offering and launched Home-X – which is described as a ‘mission to deliver you food, drink and lifestyle experiences that can be brought to life and enjoyed, in the comfort of your own home.’
The offering includes The Cheese Club, Green Haus and Chateau-X – and I’ve been lucky enough to try their Surf and Turf Chateau-X April edition a little early.
It’s no exaggeration to say this was something really special.
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Each part of the meal was already prepared and it was just a case of cooking it. The recipe/instructions were super easy to follow and before we knew it – we were sat down with the most perfectly cooked Chateaubriand, topped with juicy king prawns, beef fat carrots, the most divine nduja spiced new season potatoes, and a fantastically velvety Cote du Rhone.
There was something genuinely different about this to other ‘At Home’ kits I’ve tried before. It felt like the real deal – as if we were having a real restaurant experience at home (so, the guys over at Six by Nico have really nailed it there!).
The absolute knock out though, was the dessert. The Chocolate and Orange fondant was just sheer indulgence and everything you’d want from a sweet treat: Oozy, gloriously silky and just bloody delicious.
I would highly recommend you treating yourself to a Home-X when you can. It’s ridiculously good value and gives you just a glimmer of ‘normal-ness’ in an otherwise strange time.
Yes, things are slowly going back to normal. But luxury home delivery like this will surely continue beyond lockdown. I, for one, could definitely see this being the perfect dinner solution when you just want to stay in.
Check out all the kits available through the Home-X website here.
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Ticket requests are now officially open for Harry Styles’ one-night-only Manchester gig
Emily Sergeant
The time has come – the ticket request system for Harry Styles’ one-night-only gig in Manchester is now live.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced on Wednesday evening after much speculation that Harry Styles would be making a return home to Manchester for a one-night-only ‘intimate’ gig at Co-op Live to celebrate the release of his fourth studio album next month.
Styles is set to share Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally with the world on Friday 6 March – and it’s that very same night he’ll be taking to the stage in Manchester.
Although little is known about what to expect at the gig, the poster for the event does state that there’ll be a ‘special performance of the album’, so it seems fair to say that Manchester will be the first to hear the new set of songs in full live.
And if all of that wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the tickets are only £20 per person.
But, of course, there is a bit of a catch, as this isn’t your regular online queuing up for tickets scenario, this is a ‘ticket request’ system instead.
So, like us – and literally every other fan in the vicinity of Greater Manchester and beyond this week – you’re probably wondering what a ‘ticket request’ system is… what does it look like? How does it work? Basically, what the heck is it? Well, we’ve done a bit of digging around to get to the bottom of it so you’re not left too much in the dark.
According to Ticketmaster’s website, if an artist is running a ticket request, they’ll invite fans to request tickets so you don’t have to compete in a first-come, first-served sale.
This means you can take your time to review the available options and request the right tickets for you.
All you need to do is tell Ticketmaster which shows you’re interested in, the type of ticket you want, and your payment details. Then, if the tickets you request can be fulfilled, your card will be charged and you’ll get emailed instructions to access them in the Ticketmaster App.
Unfortunately, as much as we’d love it to be the case for everyone, submitting a request doesn’t guarantee you tickets – it really is just luck of the draw.
To request tickets, you’ll need to follow these three simple steps:
Select which shows you’re interested in and the type of ticket you want
Add your payment details
Harry Styles ticket requests are now live / Credit: Johnny Dufort (Publicity Picture)
Ticketmaster will then send you a summary email that details the tickets you’ve requested. Your card won’t be charged at this time, but they may charge a temporary £1 authorisation to your card to validate your request.
A maximum of two tickets per person can be requested, which has been set to allow for as many fans as possible to get tickets.
Now, here’s the crucial part – you will need to submit your request for tickets while the window is open until Sunday 8 February at 11pm GMT. After the request window closes, you’ll get a second email by 11:59pm GMT on Tuesday 10 February confirming whether or not your request has been fulfilled.
All that’s left to do now is provide you with the link here and send you on your way… oh, and may the odds be ever in your favour.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Oldham RLFC chairman to step aside following ‘stadium ban’ and winding-up petition
Danny Jones
Oldham Rugby League Football Club chairman Bill Quinn has said he is stepping down from his role at the organisation following a reported club-wide stadium ban and an HMRC winding-up petition earlier this month.
Quinn has now claimed that the petition, which requires a company to appear in court over debts, has since been resolved, but the 59-year-old is still set to leave the local outfit.
Mirroring the concerning circumstances that nearly saw Salford Red Devils disappear completely last year, before a former player’s investment rescued the sporting institute in the eleventh hour, Oldham RLFC looked to be staring down a deeply concerning period of uncertainty.
Speaking directly to Roughyeds fans in a lengthy video share on social media, Quinn said that while he disagreed with many of the comments left by supporters online over the last few weeks, he understands their frustration and right to know what’s going on in and around Boundary Park.
Reiterating that he’s “more than happy” to answer reasonable questions levelled by Oldham residents and matchgoers, he said that he denies allegations made by fellow native club, Oldham Athletic, stating that they are “totally unfounded and untrue”.
The Latics are currently refusing the rugby league side from using their usual home ground, with the football team also serving as landlords and raising concerns over unpaid taxes and outstanding funds still owed to debtors – including OAFC themselves.
You can read their most recent public statement in full HERE.
However, Quinn claims that both entities claim the other one owes them money, and the situation looks to be unfortunately heading towards formal litigation.
Nevertheless, while Chorley-based businessmen say the club is prepared to settle their monetary differences if arrears prove to be the case on their part, he has still said that he will soon be quitting.
As you can see, despite plenty of support and sympathy from the faithful fan base, the process looks to already be in motion, and many are being urged to provide their feedback on what should happen next.
"Trust between a club and its supporters relies on openness and communication — both of which currently feel lacking. This open letter is not written in a spirit of hostility, but out of genuine concern for the future of Oldham RLFC".
Despite Quinn’s insistence that “everyone will be paid”, the spectre of possible liquidation has still caused plenty of concern among the community.
In the case of Salford RLFC, they were fortunate enough to have ex-winger Mason Caton-Brown step in as part of a consortium – you can read our full interview with him HERE – but as the weeks and months of that saga proved, a lot can change even day to day.
As for the coaching front, Alan Kilshaw has been confirmed as the new boss of the Roughyeds following director of rugby Mike Ford and his assistant Callum Irving leaving last week.
While winding-up summons obviously still loom large over the club at the moment, Oldham fans do at least have games to look forward to, with the Greater Manchester Championship club set to face off against Dewsbury Rams in the third round of the Challenge Cup this Sunday, 8 February (3pm).
Anna Gledson -
24th March 2021 
