Three diners at a pub in Salford have won over £1,000 worth of prizes in the space of two days.
The Black Friar, a historic pub that reopened in 2021 following a stunning £1.4m refurbishment, is currently giving away £72,000 worth of prizes to celebrate its second birthday.
Two regulars, John and Steve, at the Black Friar won £200 off their bill yesterday alongside a table of 7 winning £500 off their bill last night, whilst another table also won their meal for free the night before.
The boozer and restaurant – hailed by Guardian critic Jay Rayner as a ‘riot of Victoriana lite’ with cooking that is ‘big, bullish and beautiful’ – is currently running a special £22 menu and giving away over £72,000 worth of scratch card prizes.
Throughout August every customer receives an free, instant win scratch card with their bill, giving them the chance to win prizes including free meals on the spot, free cocktails, or vouchers giving the winner between £10-£200 off their next visit.
Whether you’re dining or drinking, it doesn’t matter – all guests get a scratch card regardless, with the pub saying visitors are ‘guaranteed’ to win one of the prizes on offer.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
With its kitchen headed up by award-winning chef Ben Chaplin, formerly of 20 Stories, The Black Friar has a well deserved reputation for serving excellent food.
Throughout August, it is running a special birthday menu with two courses for £22 featuring a mixture of summery à la carte dishes and pub grub favourites, such as pig’s head croquette with curried apple, katsu chicken schnitzel, grandma’s pork sausage with mash and onion gravy, and its famous Black Friar pies.
Elsewhere on the £22 menu, you can also dig into the likes of beer battered fish and chips, the Black Friar’s burger, potato and cauliflower curry, and salt and pepper squid.
As for puddings, think Eton mess loaded with Chantilly, macerated strawberries and a cucumber and mint sorbet, a lime chocolate tart, or affogato with vegan vanilla ice cream.
The birthday menu is available every day Monday and from 12-6pm Tuesday to Friday.
Image: The Black Friar
Image: The Black Friar
Neil Burke, owner and operator of The Black Friar, said: “We are so excited to celebrate The Black Friar’s second birthday. We can’t wait to see all of our friends, neighbours and loyal guests this August – come to visit us and you’re guaranteed a prize!”
“At the Black Friar, our main focus (other than top-quality drinks and grub) is to give back to our local community. We hope that by offering some amazing prizes that our guests will feel the love.”
The grade II listed pub dates back over 200 years and was originally known as the School Inn, but burned down.
It was renamed the Black Friar when it was rebuilt in 1886. It was open continuously from then until 2001, when it burned down a second time.
The building has since been refurbed to include a huge award-winning beer garden and outdoor tavern, cosy pub, and grand glass dining room.
Featured image – supplied
News
You can stay in an aircraft, old school bus, or even a helicopter at this glamping pod near Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a glamping retreat near Manchester offering extraordinary stays in an aircraft, helicopter, old school bus and more.
Over in Blackpool at Manor House Glamping, there is a range of static vehicles that you can have an overnight stay or two in, and according to the pictures on its website, there’s even a resident emu.
You can stay in various modes of transport, such as an aircraft, an iconic yellow school bus, a campervan or a military green truck.
Each has its own perks ranging from a hot tub, outdoor bath, fire pit, sandpit and more. Whatever type of getaway or retreat you’re looking for, you’ll find everything you need right here.
The most eye-catching of the company’s stays is certainly the aircraft, which has kept its original cockpit features, although it’s safe to say the interior has definitely had a makeover.
There’s no such thing as a bad in-flight experience with this guest house, as you can get cocktails delivered to the cockpit after taking a dip in your own personal hot tub – not too shabby, eh?
With the bright and unmissable yellow school bus, there are plenty of decorations that help continue this theme in the form of various American road signs, one of which acts as your headboard for the night.
If you’re after a more toned-down chance to unwind, you can step into a pale-white camper van with cosy cushions and a snug haystack-turned-sofa adorned with some gorgeous blankets.
And if you’re looking at going all out, then your Manor House Glamping accommodation of choice has to be the chopper, which was once used by the Royal Navy.
Worried this option might be a tad nippy? Fear not, because this helicopter is fully kitted out to suit your glamping needs with two fluffy-lined cushions on each seat of this vintage heli.
Anyone who experiences cabin fever, fear not, because all the aircraft and vehicles are static and aren’t planning on making a long-haul journey anytime soon, you’ll still be able to keep your feet firmly on the ground.
Manor House Glamping has a variety of vehicle-themed guest houses, both old and new, for you to stay in overnight and if you’re interested or after any further information.
If you fancy staying within the boundaries of Greater Manchester but still fancy getting the feel for a cockpit, though, there’s a very fun day out over at Barton’s City Airport.
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2023 
