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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
Snoop Dogg says he wants to replace Gregg Wallace on MasterChef – and so do we
Danny Jones
With Gregg Wallace having been axed from MasterChef, one man has put himself forward to replace the long-standing presenter: Snoop Dogg.
Make that Snoop ‘Doggy’ Dogg, esquire and all-round foodie fancy pants, to you.
No, as we often feel we have to clarify sometimes, we’re not joking – the rapper and hip-hop legend apparently is very keen on the idea of becoming the next co-host of UK MasterChef.
It also goes without saying that we will never EVER get bored of writing headlines like these.
Credit: The Martha Stewart Show/BBC
Speaking to The Mirror, the 53-year-old music icon said, “You’ll best believe You better believe Snoop could be the new MasterChef judge.”
According to Snoop, his time working on Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party with well-known American cook, food writer and TV personality Martha Stewart means he already has prior experience and he also believes he has the backing of another big culinary name.
“My boy Gordon [Ramsay] judges on the US version of the show, and I know he would back me to be able to judge on the UK version”, he told the outlet, going on to add: “He knows I am not playing when it comes to food. He knows I can cook – I have even given him some tips.
“I hosted a cooking show over here and I have always been vocal about wanting to work on a UK show. I love the place – and for real, this could be the perfect opportunity.”
His bid to join the BBC show might be less likely than many others, but we’ve already seen how well getting familiar entertainment faces on works for the Celebrity version of the show, not to mention juicing up the comedy with less serious analysis as seen on Channel 4’s rebrand of The Great British Bake Off.
You can see a selection of Snoop’s on-screen cooking highlights here.
As for the latest on Wallace, he is still officially denying being involved in any inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature on the show and various other TV projects, with a total of 13 people filing official historical complaints against the long-standing host over the course of a 17-year period.
The 60-year-old is now accused not only of sexual comments in the workplace but groping and touching multiple former contestants and colleagues.
Despite sticking to his official position he has, however, come out to apologise for a response video he made following the second raft of allegations, in which his comments were deemed offensive and misogynistic by a Downing Street official.
We’re confident we already know the answer, so we’ll ask you this instead: just how much do you want to see Snoop Dogg presenting the next series of MasterChef?
Keely Hodgkinson, Sarah Storey, Luke Littler and more shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Danny Jones
The North West and Greater Manchester specifically have notched multiple nods ahead of the year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
2023’s recipient Mary Earps had local ties as Manchester United Women’s no.1 and this year even more Manc names or those associated with the city have been named on the shortlist of nominees.
Following standout performances at Paris 2024, native Olympic and Paralympic athletes Keely Hodgkinson and Dame Sarah Storey have both earned a place among this year’s frontrunners, as well as Warrington-born dart sensation Luke Littler, whose breakthrough year sparked a phenomenon.
That’s three of the top six from our region alone. Get in.
Here are the nominees for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024!
⭐ Jude Bellingham ⭐ Keely Hodgkinson ⭐ Luke Littler ⭐ Joe Root ⭐ Sarah Storey ⭐ Alex Yee
Atherton-born Hodgkinson, still only 22, earned her first-ever Olympic gold back in the summer and her first thought wasn’t to celebrate and put her feet but go and smash the world record next time. Big murals were erected in her honour both in Manchester city centre and back over Wigan way.
Dame Sarah Storey’s career is one that has long deserved much more recognition, notching medal after medal first in swimming and now in cycling, with no sign of slowing down even at 47. An inspiration to any aspiring athlete, let alone one with an impairment, and was rightly given special recognition by MMU earlier this year.
And Luke Littler’s story needs very little explanation: the 16-year-old with ability way beyond his year that he helped draw an entirely new crowd to the world of darts, winning multiple titles in his first year as a so-called ‘senior’ player on the pro tour. If we’re talking strictly personality, he’s got plenty of that too.
Others shortlisted included England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, England’s record run-scorer Test cricketer Joe Root, as well Olympic triathlete Alex Yee. We also think this man should be on the list again but his time will come, we’re certain of it.
And he’s done it! Kevin Sinfield has completed Day 7 of his Ultra marathon challenge in memory of his friend and rugby league legend Rob Burrow & the whole #MND community. pic.twitter.com/3vnjuVKXg9
The 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year takes place on Tuesday, 17 December, with voting taking place during the show which will be broadcast on BBC One and online via BBC iPlayer.
The programme – once again presented by Gabby Logan, Alex Scott and Clare Balding from over in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays – will begin at 7pm and conclude around 9pm after the winner is announced.
Who do you think should win BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024?
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2023 
