The nights are longer, the clocks have gone back, and spring has begun to sprung here in Greater Manchester.
With the turn of the season, it seems, comes a host of new openings in the city centre and beyond.
From bespoke butty shops to new delis and tasting rooms, to boozy coffee bars in a secret garden and pop-ups across town, there are loads of great new eateries to get stuck into this April.
Keep reading to find out where to put on your list this month.
The Vurger Co.
Image: The Vurger Co.
Popular London-born vegan fast food joint The Vurger Co is opening its first restaurant in the north this month, right here in Manchester.
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Diners can expect indulgent plant-based burgers, alongside sides like crispy dippers, vegan mac ‘n’ cheese and vegan shakes in flavours like Biscoff, strawberry, salted caramel popcorn and banoffee.
So strong is the commitment to the vegan ethos here, all its packaging is made from plants and is fully compostable with a customer guarantee that nothing you buy will end up in landfill.
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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.
Unit 2, Transmission House, 11 Tib Street, Manchester. M4 1AE.
House of Habesha
Image: House of Habesha
Having moved away from its Blossom Street Social pop-up a few months ago, House of Habesha’s delicious Ethiopian and Eritraean curries found a new home serving the crowds at Mala’s secret garden.
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Now it’s planning moving into The Eagle Inn pub in Salford’s kitchen, giving fans the chance to get their mits on their coveted injera bread and flavoursome stews from Thursday 7 April.
19 Collier St, Salford M3 7DW.
Lucky Mamas
Image: Lucky Mamas
From a trailer in their Eccles backgarden to a brand new shopfront in Chorlton, Lucky Mamas is the success story that just keeps on giving.
After a few trials and tribulations, owners Mamadou and Gaby have opened their own restaurant next door to the popular Jasmine, serving up their famous ‘Rasta Pasta’ alongside other Senegalese-inspired pizza and pasta dishes.
565 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 8AE.
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Sndwch
Image: Sndwch
Image: Sndwch
First established in 2018, over the past four years, the Sndwch team has progressed from making sandwiches at their kitchen table to opening their own counter over in Media City.
You’ll have likely already seen their wares stocked in the General Stores around the city, now you can also get them straight from the source – made to your bespoke specifications. Known for having a great plant-based range.
Inside Media City General Store, Media City UK, City of Salford.
Lucky Ramen
Image: Supplied
This April Ancoats hotspot Mule launches its delicious new Ramen offering, Lucky Ramen.
Curated by a local chef, the menu will consist of five lovingly crafted ramen bowls made with 8-hour broths, with meat, fish and vegan options served alongside a delicious selection of sides.
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Think crispy karaage chicken, stir-fried soboro pork, char sui and crispy soft shell crab with snow crab sticks, then tell us you’re not craving one of these.
Elsewhere, you’ll find ‘magic mushrooms’ (chargrilled with spicy miso butter, crispy shallots, sesame, truffle and crispy chilli oil), gyoza and tempura crab.
Lucky Ramen will be serving Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm-late alongside Mule’s modern cocktail, classic wine and beer menu.
Lucky Foot
This spring, Escape To Freight Island will welcome a host of new traders, including a new deep-fried and charcoal-grilled chicken offering from Belzan called Lucky Foot.
Think buckets of orange wine and modern cooking using the best chicken – made from scratch in Manchester – and you’ve pretty much got the jist. Also moving in this month will be bakeries Batard and Gooey, as well as new concept Carnival from Hawksmoor co-founder Richard Turner.
Fat Pat’s, the sell-out sandwich specialists who had most of South Manchester queueing up for a taste, has found a new home on Portland Street.
Operating out of a hole in the wall as walk-ups only, fans can now get their hands on a brand new menu featuring the likes of Philly Cheesesteak and Hot Honey Fried Chicken every weekend, from 12pm Thursday-Sunday until sell out.
88 Portland Street, M1 4GX.
Ornella’s Kitchen, Denton
Image: Ornella’s Kitchen
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Parmigiano Reggiano ravioli with saffron sauce. / Image: Ornella’s Kitchen
Previously head chef at Pollen, Ornelia set up her delivery-only kitchen during the first lockdown whilst on maternity leave. Over a year later, she’s just opened her own deli pasta shop and kitchen in Denton.
Cooking seasonally using only the freshest local ingredients, diners can expect to find a range of delightful pasta dishes alongside Italian street food favourites like arancini and parmigiana. Open now.
10 Manchester Rd, Denton, Manchester M34 3LE.
Crunched Tacos
Image: Crunched Tacos
Putting a northern twist on hard shell tacos, Crunched has just opened up inside the shipping container neighbourhood at Pollard Yard in Ancoats.
Think Frazzle-dusted taco shells filled will pulled pork and Strongbow Dark Fruits sauce, cauliflower cheese tacos, chicken nuggets and nachos, and we think you’ll get the jist.
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If you’ve ever heard of TexMex, this is kind of like that – but a lot more Mancunian. MancMex, we guess?
Tacos Pollard Yard, Crunched, 15 Pollard St E, Manchester M40 7QX.
BQ Farm and Fish, Monton
Loch Fyne Beetroot Cured Salmon on Toast. / Image: BQ Farm & Fish
A collaboration between the Butcher’s Quarter and Wandering Palate. Farm and Fish is part Artisan Butcher, part fishmonger, and part tasting room.
The expansive selection of fresh fish here is sourced from sustainable fisheries on the British coast, whilst cheeses, wines and cured meats are sourced internationally. Pop in to pick up some nice bits for dinner and sample a few small plates whilst you’re at it. Winner.
190 Monton Rd, Eccles, Manchester M30 9PY.
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The Donut Whisperer, Northern Quarter
Image: The Donut Whisperer
Image: The Donut Whisperer
This Chester bakery was named the best in the UK for vegan doughnuts last year, now it’s coming to Manchester city centre for a short residency at Home Sweet Home.
For the next 8 weeks from Wednesday, 30 March, the Doughnut Whisperer is popping up in the Northern Quarter with a range of giant, all-vegan bakes. Think giant square Lotus Biscoff and cornflake-loaded bakes smothered in icing and stuffed with all things sweet.
49-51 Edge St, Manchester M4 1HW.
Coffee Rituals at Mala, Northern Quarter
Image: Mala
Image: Mala
Over in the Northern Quarter inside Mala’s secret garden bar is a new boozy coffee bar called Coffee Rituals.
They’re serving up eight different styles of boozy coffee – from a smores-style, marshmallow-topped ‘Campfire Mochas’ to Irish coffees and, everyone’s favourite, the espresso martini.
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Elsewhere on the menu, you’ll find a ‘Mala Mud Slide’ (chilled with an ice cream cone and cream) and an iced doughnut-topped espresso martini they’re calling ‘Fancy Clancy’. Open from 12-8pm daily, walk-ins are welcome.
8 Dale St, Manchester M1 1JA.
Carnival street food and bar
Image: Google
A new Caribbean and Latino-inspired pop-up will take over the all-pink £1m Boujee restaurant terrace at Bridge Street, turning its eye-popping frontage from pink to yellow as it moves in for a five-month stint.
Landing on April 14th, it will serve up a range of sunny cocktails like rum-soaked pornstar martinis, sweet caipirinhas, glasses of punch and Red Stripe, alongside dishes like spicy Jerk chicken and loaded nachos.
It will be open every weekend from Thursday to Sunday, from 4pm on weekdays and 12pm on the weekends.
After four years in the making, this project to transform Levenshulme’s disused South train station into a cafe, bar and garden is finally complete.
Located on the Fallowfield Loop, its been restored by a community group who’ve spent years fundraising to bring their vision to life. Head down to find tea, coffees, craft beers and popular foodie classics as well as a bike repair workshop and full-on events calendar packed with live music and DJs.
975-977 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 3NP.
Featured Image – Ornella’s Kitchen / Mala / The Manc Eats
News
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
A guide to the brand-new Co-op Live Arena: drinks prices, how to get there, capacity and more
Danny Jones
The brand spanking new Co-op Live Arena finally opens this week and while it might be a touch later than expected, it’s still a huge deal for Manchester and the region as a whole.
While the inaugural pair of shows by British comedy legend Peter Kay might have been postponed due to unexpected power supply problems, that’s exactly what test events are for and Co-Op Live is still due to open its doors to the public later this Saturday as they welcome The Black Keys.
Boasting a jam-packed and ambitious programme already, with shows lined up well into 2025, there’s a lot to take in and as always with new venues, it can be helpful to know all the important details before your first visit – and we’re all in that boat in this case.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you sorted with a whirlwind guide to the Co-op Live.
Everything you need to know about Co-op Live Manchester
Let’s start with why everyone’s getting so excited. Well not only is it going to become the UK’s biggest indoor entertainment venue and one of the biggest in Europe full stop, boasting a maximum capacity of 23,500 people but, like the newly opened Aviva Studios, it’s also set to bring huge revenue into the city.
All told, the total cost of the venue has clocked at approximately £365 million, making it one of the most expensive buildings to ever be erected in the region.
Attracting not only huge artists, comedians and other live acts but now even the likes of the UFC later this year, it really is poised to be an all-purpose entertainment space.
It's official, the @ufc is finally coming back to Manchester! 👊
So who exactly is behind this huge new addition to the city? Well, there are a few big names involved, first and foremost the City Football Group (yes that one – they are neighbours after all).
Man City owner and UAE royal Sheikh Mansour has put forward the lion’s share along with the Oakview Music Group, co-founded by American music mogul and ex-Ticketmaster CEO, Irving Azoff.
Thirdly, another key investor who has played a big role in the marketing for Co-op Live, in case you haven’t already seen him in the promos, is Harry Styles.
Putting in an undisclosed amount into the building as a minority equity shareholder along with Emma Spring, co-director of his record label Erskine Records, Emma Spring, his brand alone is set to help rake in big sums for the venue.
We know that you've been waiting to hear from him…
The former One Direction star speaks ahead of Co-op Live opening to the public.
Those drink prices…
Yep, a lot of you will have surely heard about them already and if you haven’t about Co-op Live’s drinks prices yet, you might want to sit down for this one.
As confirmed by many accounts on social media, the cheapest pints available at the flashy new arena are £8.35 for a Grolsch, with Guinness, Asahi and Salfordian brewers Seven Brothers‘ IPA all setting you back £8.95. Double pints are priced at £16.35 and £17.45.
If you’re looking to save money with bottles or cans, you’ll still be paying around seven quid and wine will cost you £8.95 or £9.25 for 187ml or 200ml servings, respectively. A bottle of vino clocks in at £35 and sprits range anywhere between £9.50 and a whopping £17.40 for a tequila. Yikes.
You’re better off sticking to a soft drink at £4.80 for a pint and that way you can still save money in case you need a bite to eat, as pies are £8.25 and you’ll have to cough up £11.50 if you want a burger. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions on this front, though we’re sure we could make an educated guess.
Seating chart and venue map
Seated for Peter KayStanding and seated for Olivia RodrigoCredit: Ticketmaster
You’ll find the typical arrangement for seated events and standing gigs above but, like most modern event spaces like this, the ‘top-in-class’ venue will likely be able to shuffle into different configurations where needed.
As you can see, there a three main tiers – the ground floor standing area in the lower bowl, level one seating and the upper tier – and there are a total of 32 bars, restaurants and various lounges wrapped into the entire complex.
When it comes to how you get into the arena itself, guests are encouraged to consult their gate (A-G) allocation through their tickets on the dedicated Co-op Live app, which also includes all info regarding shows and the latest announcements from the venue.
Here’s a wider look at the lay of the land:
A rough guide to getting around Co-op Live (Credit: Supplied)
How to get to Co-op Live, parking and more
Tram
Now, as for how you’ll get to shows at Co-op Live, luckily it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad Campus stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
If you want to take another new and improved arm of the Bee Network public transport system, not only is there a whole host of routes that drop you off close to the venue but there’ll also be a free shuttle bus from the city centre to and from events between 20 April-30 June 2024.
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
Better still, as part of Manchester City Council and TfGM embracing the new addition to the skyline, they’re also helping cover the costs of people’s journeys when using public transport.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue but this must be pre-booked ahead of time. Parking will be released up to 4 weeks before the event and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the Etihad Campus is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide come event day – though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, it’s also just a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes through the Beryl, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the boke all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
It's official, the @ufc is finally coming back to Manchester! 👊
While times will obviously change depending on the show, you can expect doors to open around the standard window between 6-7pm.
That being said, the venue is urging visitors to arrive at evening events in the main bowl no later than 9pm. As for curfew, Co-op Live gigs are due to finish by 11pm unless otherwise stated.
Accessibility info
One thing they’re taking very seriously at the Co-op Live is accessibility and after teaming up with disability charity Attitude Is Everything, you can find a full guide to access the arena HERE.
Having installed lowered service counters, step-free access to all floors, a designated respite room, support for assistance dogs, hearing loops for those with aids/implants, ambulant seating and plenty more, they’ve got it covered so all you have to do is come along and enjoy the show.
And that just about wraps up everything we can think when it comes to what you need to know ahead of Co-op Live’s grand opening at the end of this month.
It’s set to be a world-leading venue and we can’t wait to see it lit up in its full glory when the first acts roll through the doors of big shiny black box this weekend.
Speaking of, once the action is underway, there’ll be a lot of acts coming thick and fast. It’s a new era for Manchester’s live music and entertainment scene.
Georgina Pellant -
1st April 2022 
