A restaurant in Manchester has said it feels ‘truly honoured’ after winning a prestigious award crowning it as one of the best for veggies and vegans in the North.
The Allotment Vegan Eatery in Manchester City Centre has taken home the gong for Best Vegetarian Restaurant North at the Food Awards England 2022.
Known for creating inventive plant-based takes on popular large plates like ‘fish and chips’ and Tom Yum soup, it has taken home the award for the second year in a row.
The famous ‘fish and chips’ at Allotment features battered banana blossom served with chunky chips, peas and homade tartare. / Image: Allotment Vegan Eatery
First opened in 2016, Allotment is owned by Anthony Sheridan and initially began life in Stockport before moving into a new home on Deansgate in the heart of Manchester.
During that time, it has shifted from offering 7 and 10-course tasting menus to a mixture of large and small plates created using locally sourced produce.
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It has since moved again and can now be found at Cathedral Gardens, where it overlooks Manchester’s magnificent Cathedral.
Speaking of their delight at scooping up the award for the second year running, The Allotment team shared its news on social media on Wednesday.
The team said: “We are truly honoured and humbled to have won the prestigious Food Awards England award for Best Vegetarian Restaurant North for the second consecutive year
The Sunday Roast at The Allotment. / Image: The Allotment Vegan Eatery
“The whole team at The Allotment Vegan Eatery work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring you the fresh, seasonal, flavoursome menus you know and love combined with an unrivalled setting and the relaxed friendly service we pride ourselves on.
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“A huge heart felt thank you to all our incredible customers who made this possible, your continued support, kind words and loyalty really do make it all worth while.
“Here’s to another incredible year in our new location at Cathedral Gardens bringing you everything you love and more.
The Food Awards England 2022 recognises the success of local professionals and establishments that continue delivering great flavours and experiences to their customers.
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The winners are a true reflection of high standard and customer service and are chosen by members of the general public.
Several of the awards are split into local regions to ensure that local establishments are recognised for their exceptional performance.
A Spokesperson for The Food Awards England, said: “These awards aim to thank those that work hard within the city’s food industry and contribute to making England a great gastronomic place to visit.
Image: The Allotment Vegan Eatery
“It is true that England combines tastes and flavours from all over the world and the visitors can find different restaurants, gastro pubs and bistros to meet their needs.
“These people enhance the country’s reputation nationally and internationally, and we would like to make sure that the hard work of England’s food professionals doesn’t go unnoticed.
“It was lovely to be part of this celebration and we would like to congratulate all finalists and winners for their achievements!”
Further winners in the Manchester area include:
Cookery School of the Year: Food Sorcery Cookery & Barista School (Manchester)
Best Vegetarian Establishment North: The Allotment Vegan Eatery (Manchester)
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Takeaway of the Year North: Zafrani Indian Takeaway (Manchester)
Caterer of the Year North: Herb & Spice (Manchester)
Café/Bistro of the Year North West: The Ginger Bistro (Preston)
Café/Bistro of the Year Overall Winner: The Ginger Bistro (Preston)
Restaurant of the Year North West: Encore (Chorley)
Feature image – The Allotment Vegan Eatery
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Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
9th June 2022 
