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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Police appeal for information regarding ‘serious assault’ around Old Trafford before United game in October
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for fresh information on a “serious assault” committed around the Old Trafford area earlier this year.
GMP issued a press release on Friday, 9 December, asking for members of the public to come forward and share any details they might have on the attack carried along Seymour Grove in Trafford around 1:30pm on 16 October 2022.
They go on to explain that “a man in his 20s was assaulted by a group of unknown males” on the way to the game at Old Trafford, adding that “it is believed that the suspects were also attending the Manchester United vs Newcastle United match.”
It remains unclear whether or not the assailants were travelling fans in town to support the away side but GMP are looking to speak to the men pictured as they may be able to help with enquiries.
Credit: GMP
As detailed in the statement, “the victim suffered a severely broken jaw, a broken nose, numerous cuts to the face, and damage to the nerves of four teeth which he is likely to need further medical treatment for.” Terrible stuff.
The authorities are continuing to investigate the Seymour Grove assault after having followed up on a number of lines of enquiry since the incident took place and are now asking for the public’s help.
Anyone with information, or anyone who may have footage/images, or can identify the men in the photos, can contact Greater Manchester Police on 101, quoting log number 1589 on 16/10/22; or, alternatively use the Live Chat service HERE.
Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image — Greater Manchester Police/David Dixon (via Geograph)
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Football fans call out ‘tone-deaf’ FA TikTok for mocking ‘life-threatening’ head injury
Danny Jones
Football fans are calling out the official FA Cup TikTok account for mocking a serious head injury suffered by a Stockport County player earlier this week.
The Hatters beat Charlton Athletic in fine fashion with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday, 7 December, with Will Collar’s hattrick (the club’s first since 2019) sending them through to the next round of the cup.
However, another notable moment from the night was right back Macauley Southam-Hales’ collision with advertising hoarders after a shove from Charlton captain George Dobson.
As the likes of County fan Joel Ward wrote on Twitter, many online were quick to slam the clip for joking about an injury that hospitalised the player, the consensus being that it isn’t a “great look” for the FA.
Don’t think it’s a great look that the official @EmiratesFACup account is making joke tik toks about a head injury that sent our player to the hospital just a few weeks after a player nearly lost his life to a similar incident pic.twitter.com/7r9Stm8Vnr
While many reacting in the comments recognised that Dobson didn’t intend to hurt Southam-Hales by shepherding the ball out of play, the Stockport defender does hit the predominantly metal structure with some force and was left in clear discomfort following the smash.
The video itself has since been removed from the official account following the backlash but people are still reacting as the clip continues to be reshared on social media.
The clip was branded as everything from “disgusting” and “disgraceful” to “simply unbelievable”.
Considering it’s the FA cup and I’m assuming it’s an FA ran account, it should be someone pretty senior and stuff is checked thoroughly first before posting so this one’s gone under the radar I reckon.
What’s most concerning is that despite the recent push to promote awareness surrounding concussions, brain trauma and even heading the ball – which, historically, haven’t been properly monitored in football – whoever posted the video on behalf of the FA didn’t consider the very serious nature of the incident.
As alluded to above, perhaps what makes the post even more shocking and tone-deaf is that it comes just weeks after Bath City player forward Alex Fletcher was placed in intensive care following an almost identical accident.
The 23-year-old underwent life-saving brain surgery and although he has since been discharged from the hospital, he is said to have a “long road to recovery ahead of him”.
County confirmed that despite being the all-clear pitchside, Southam-Hales was taken to the hospital as a precaution after he suffered significant swelling around the neck area. Nevertheless, as we know all too well, it could have been much worse.
As for the FA, they have now apologised for the inappropriate attempt at humour, confirming that they have removed the video from all official accounts, admitting that “it should never have been published and assuring that they will “review [their] processes to ensure this never happens again.”
You can watch the full highlights from Stockport County vs Charlton Athletic HERE but we’d recommend you watch Alan Shearer reminding everyone who plays football to be more vigilant when it comes to head injuries.
Georgina Pellant -
9th June 2022 
