Manchester is not short of fried chicken spots, we know, it’s the kind of 3am standard fare you tend to find in most late-night takeaways.But when a really good one comes along, we feel we need to shout about it.
Enter Bird of Prey, the latest arrival at Manchester’s Circle Square development specialising in fried chicken ‘with a difference.’
Promising ‘Manchester’s hottest chicken wings’ alongside a host of fried chicken comfort food classics, you’ll find it down on Oxford Road pretty much where the BBC’s New Broadcasting House once stood.
The brainchild of family restaurateurs Asad, Sadaf, Saify and Saj, after years of honing their skills and tweaking their secret recipe for buttermilk fried chicken the trio is finally opening their doors in Manchester.
Bird of Prey serves up a menu of signature fried chicken sandwiches, wings, strips, sides and shakes, as well as an intriguing-looking brunch menu.
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Image: Supplied
Think dirty loaded fries topped with fried chicken strips, house fries, cheese sauce, turkey bacon, white Alabama BBQ sauce and jalapenos; fried chicken and waffle stacks with maple syrup and peanut butter mousse; and even ‘hash nuggets’.
All chicken here undergoes an extensive marinading process with meat soaked in buttermilk for a minimum of eight hours overnight. It’s then double dredged in a special mix of flour, herbs and spices, being dropped into the fryer to turn crisp and golden.
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As for drinks, you’ll find Vimto, Irn Bru, Sunkist and pink lemonade all on tap, as well as a selection of milkshakes that promise to use the same attention to detail as is applied to the fried chicken.
Sadaf Bukhari, Co-Owner of Bird of Prey said: “Bird of Prey is about incredible fried chicken and baskets of comfort food with great shakes, sodas and an awesome soundtrack.
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“We are beyond delighted to be bringing our fried chicken to Manchester, this is the city we are from, and we can’t wait to throw open the doors and get frying at Circle Square.”
Feature image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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The route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes revealed ahead of Manchester debut
Danny Jones
The route for next year’s women’s historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to pass through Greater Manchester and more.
Yet another big coup for the region and our sporting scene.
Speaking with the City Council, now that the full route has been revealed, our very own Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway with our friends in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester.
Upon entering our neck of the woods, the course will pass through the likes of Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before heading into Stockport and neighbouring North West county, Derbyshire, and finally heading back through the Peaks.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event’s breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of ‘The Big Loop’ in more detail below.
Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, went on to add: “Being able to watch the world’s best cyclists in action and in such an iconic event, taking place right here on our doorstep in the heart of Manchester next summer, is going to be epic on so many levels.
“Championing women and girls to participate in and enjoy sports – including cycling – at all levels from entry through to elite, is really important to us and next year’s Tour de France Femmes is set to play a huge part in helping inspire the next generation of sporting talent from our city.
“With millions of spectators expected to line the routes, including here in the city centre, we’ll be going all out to help ensure the event’s success with what is set to be a ‘Tour takeover’ of the city to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses to get involved, to grow their own sporting skills, and to take part in the many community activities being planned.”
Having hosted everything from the BRITs and the MOBO Awards to another Super League Grand Finals in both netball and rugby, not to mention numerous other huge events over the past couple of years, it truly is a great time to be living in Greater Manchester.
Georgina Pellant -
13th June 2022 
