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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Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”