A burger restaurant in Manchester is planning to host a ‘pay what you feel’ day at its Bridge Street kitchen next week.
Honest Burgers will let Manchester customers pay what they choose for any meals ordered on Monday 21 February between the hours of 1130am and 630pm, in what is being dubbed ‘Honesty Box Day’.
The burger kitchen, known for its freshly-made burger patties and rosemary-salted house fries, will then donate all the proceeds from the day to local charity Two Brews.
Image: Honest Burgers
Based in Salford, Two Brews provides hot meals and drinks seven nights a week to vulnerable people living below the poverty line in Greater Manchester.
Founded by an eleven-strong team, the charity’s volunteers regularly gather in some of central Manchester’s best-known locations to offer help to people who are homeless or otherwise in need – providing warm clothes, sleeping bags, toothbrushes and other essentials.
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Image: Two Brews ManchesterImage: Honest Burgers
According to the restaurant, which conducted a survey of 1500 people across the UK, Manchester came out on top as the most honest city in the country by a mile – beating both Reading and Greenwich to top the honesty list.
Speaking on their honesty box plans, Honest Burgers Manchester boss Faye Saunders told the Manchester Evening News:
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“We might have guessed that our Manchester customers would bring this title home. We love our city for its straight-talking residents who are never shy to tell us what they think.
Image: Honest Burgers
“Our Honesty Box Day will be going towards a great cause too, raising funds for Two Brews – a homegrown local outreach charity helping the homeless communities of Manchester and Salford seven days a week. 100% of our Honesty Box Day takings will go to the charity.”
If you want to take part in the honesty box day there’s no need to book, in fact, you can’t – the restaurant isn’t taking reservations. Instead, just turn up between the stated hours, order what you like and then pay what you can. Simple.
Feature image – Honest Burgers
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
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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 -
17th February 2022 
