Some of the most sought-after restaurants in Manchester are raffling off tables to help feed local people in need.
Working in partnership with local charity Eat Well MCR, top restaurants like AA rosette award-winner El Gato Negro, 5-star hotel The Lowry, Mackie Mayor, District and The Creameries are just a handful to be involved in the fundraising raffle.
Launched to mark the start of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, the Eat Well MCR raffle gives people the chance to win meals worth over £100 at some venues whilst also donating to support the charity’s important work across Greater Manchester feeding vulnerable local people in need.
Image: Eat Well MCR
With tickets priced at £10 each, every sale will provide five meals to people sidelined by poverty in Manchester as well as giving the buyer a chance to bag some mega prizes worth ten times the value of their raffle ticket.
There is a total of 31 prizes up for grabs, including concert tickets for Elbow, £150 to spend at Freight Island, £100 to spend at El Gato, £100 at Mackie Mayor, and VIP tickets to Homobloc’s WHP 2021 show at Depot Mayfield.
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Further prizes include a meal for two at Tokyo Ramen, a £100 voucher for Tampopo, family tickets to Lightopia, and a traditional afternoon tea at five-star hotel The Lowry.
The proceeds from every ticket sale will go towards supporting families and other local Manchester people who find themselves fallen on hard times.
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Many people In Manchester are using food banks, living in temporary accommodation with no cooking facilities, or sheltering from domestic abuse in a refuge – and these are the people that will be most helped by the sale of these raffle tickets.
See the full list of prizes up for grabs below and click here to purchase your raffle ticket. Act fast, the raffle closes on 27 September.
The full list of prizes available to win in the MFDF x Eat Well MCR raffle:
1.£100 to spend at any restaurant in the El Gato group
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2.Meal for 2 at Tokyo Ramen (drinks not included)
3.Table for 2 at District for My First Crush + a bottle of wine OR 2 cocktails
4.£100 voucher for Mackie Mayor, Markethouse Alrincham or Picturehouse Macclesfield
(These vouchers can be used at any of the bars or kitchens. The vouchers are valid until 16th September 2022. The vouchers can be collected from Mackie Mayor as soon as the prize has been drawn.)
5.£100 voucher for Tampopo
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6.Family Ticket for Lightopia, Heaton Park Nov 2021 – Jan 2022
(Family Ticket (2 adults and 2 children) to the award-winning Lightopia, enchanting light and lantern festival, from November 18th, 2021 – January 3rd, 2022, at Heaton Park. Prize subject to availability)
7.Homobloc VIP tickets x 2 – 6th November 2021, Mayfield Depot
8.£150 to spend at Freight Island
9.Honest Crust Bundle – pizza vouchers, a Hannah Valentine x Honest Crust limited edition T-shirt and tote bag and a bottle of olive oil
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10.Taste of Honey lunch or dinner for up to 15 people in Taste Of Honey’s secret courtyard (details TBC)
11.Traditional Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Lowry Hotel
12.The Creameries – 4 course lunch for 2 people at The Creameries (to be used within 6 months, drinks not included)
13.ELBOW Tickets x 2 – Manchester Apollo Wednesday 29th September 2021
(PLEASE NOTE: Winners must be fully compliant with all venue policies to gain entry, in particular covid compliance requirements click here to view. They should read this in plenty of time, as they may need to prepare lateral flow tests or covid passes ahead of the show. Sadly due to Covid restrictions and to reduce the risk of infection or transmission, there are no aftershow arrangements, backstage access or meet and greet opportunities on this tour. Winners are advised to keep an eye on Elbow and Apollo social media for any last minute changes.)
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14.Be Diddy Voucher
15.Medium Cheese Hamper Box from Chorlton Cheesemongers
(Winner to notify of any specific dietary requirements; Allergen information can be found under the product description on website. Prize includes delivery to main UK postcodes – additional charges for delivery to Highlands & Islands. Cheeses can occasionally be different to description due to seasonal availability.)
16.Batard – brunch for 2
(details TBC – to be redeemed post November 2021)
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17.Maison Breizh Lambig de Bretagne (Breton cider brandy) x 1 bottle
18.Beehive Foods – Chutney Selection box
19.Isca – Indulgence Box
(including a bottle of natural wine (choice of red, white or orange), maple + rosemary nuts, a jar of organic jam, a jar of organic chutney and a bar of small batch chocolate. Shipped or collection from Isca.)
20.Into The Gathering Dusk – Botanical Gin and Tonic Package
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(2 x 250ml varieties of gin infused with botanicals from our local area (37.5% abv). Makes approx 10 double gin and tonics with plenty of tonic cordial to spare. Comes with cute citrus wheel garnishes)
21.Jaunty Festival Scarf by Design Confections
22.Frederick & Tubs hand painted glass candle holder
23.Platt Fields Market Garden Hamper
(Contains a selection of seasonal and organically grown PFMG vegetables and herbs along with pickles, kimchi, hot sauce and sweet and savoury treats all produced by amazon chef at the PFMG onsite kitchen with own grown ingredients. Also included, organic eggs and apple juice from local supplier.)
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24.Adam Pester A1 print of Manchester
25.Reserve Wines – Case of 6 bottles
26.Letters of Note – collection of signed books
(Signed set of 12 mini compliations of Letters Of Note, Shaun Usher : Love, War, Art, Music, Cats, Dogs, Mothers, Fathers, Sex, Space, Grief, New York)
27.Rebecca Morris Ceramics – pair of handmade ramen bowls and Pippy Eats chilli oil set
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28.Kabusk plant pot
(The recipient of this prize may choose one large or two smaller items from their Collection One range to be specially made for them.)
29.Stan Chow Print of Anthony Bourdain
(designed especially for Eat Well MCR)
30.Stan Chow – Noodles Print
31.L347her Lightening Bolt Earrings
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Trams to be suspended as tracks are replaced on a section of one of the world’s busiest light-rail routes
Emily Sergeant
Trams are set to be suspended this month as work to replace the tracks on a section of one of the busiest light-rail routes is carried out.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is set to be be carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come, and this includes a section of track which is considered to be one of the busiest light-rail routes in the world.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that it will replace around 1.6km of track – some parts of which are more than 30 years old – at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, as well as working on a separate section on the Eccles line at the same time.
The track between Trafford Bar and St Peter’s Square, in particular, is one of the busiest sections of light-rail in the world, as one tram passes through every 30 seconds for 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
As the nature of the work required where the Eccles and Altrincham lines meet at Cornbrook is considered to be so ‘complex’, it will be the first time a type of specialist lifting equipment has been used in the UK.
Tracks are set to be replaced on a section of one of the world’s busiest light-rail routes / Credit: The Manc Group | TfGM
More than 3,000 tonnes of new rail and 800 new concrete sleepers will be fitted as part of the scheme, with a team of 70 engineers working across three sites throughout the summer to get the work done as ‘quickly and efficiently’ as possible.
Once installed, the track will be carefully adjusted and tested to ensure it meets strict safety standards and trams travel smoothly and efficiently along it.
While the work is being done, no trams will run on the Eccles, Trafford Centre, and Altrincham lines.
Services on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines will terminate at Firswood, while services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
As is to be expected, there will be some disruption on the affected lines – with replacement buses due to run between each required stop, accompanied by special event bus services running for the cricket at Old Trafford on 26 and 31 July.
“The work at Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield is taking place on one of the busiest stretches of tram track in the country,” explained Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM. “Some sections are more than 30 years old, with 40-tonne trams running every 30 seconds at peak times – that level wear and tear takes its toll, which is why this work is so important.
“It’s one of the most complex parts of the network to access, requiring a carefully planned approach to carry out the work safely and efficiently.
“We’re sorry for the disruption. We know it can be annoying, and while these essential upgrades take place we will do everything we can to keep people moving.”
Normal services are due to resume from Monday 3 August, but until then, everything you need to know is on the Bee Network website here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
News
Kings of Leon at Co-op Live Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
American rock band Kings of Leon are making their way to Manchester for a second visit to Co-op Live as part of their current EU/UK arena tour.
Formed in 1999 by brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared, plus their cousin Matthew Followill, the rock band has gone on to achieve nine top 40 singles and six UK number one albums.
The rockers have two singles in Spotify’s Billions Club, including their standout hit ‘Sex on Fire’, which has amassed over 2 billion streams and ‘Use Somebody’ with 1.2 billion – two tracks that helped skyrocket them from cult favourites here in Britain to global superstars.
This four-piece’s latest LP, Can We Please Have Fun, dropped mid-2024 and knowing how energetic crowds were at the previous Manc gig, it’s safe to say we’ve got this covered.
They even let us know the England score last time out (read our full review), too.
Gig guide – Kings of Leon at Co-op Live, Manchester
Kings of Leon UK tour dates
Fri 3 July – Glasgow, UK – Bellahouston Park
Sat 4 July – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Mon 6 July – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Are there any tickets left for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live?
If you’re wondering where you’ll ‘Find Me’ on Saturday 4 July, it is probably watching these four relatives play their two decades’ worth of hits at Co-op Live.
Don’t ‘Waste a Moment’ as there’s only a limited number of tickets left if you’re after catching a glimpse of Kings of Leon live – get yours HERE.
Kings of Leon are gearing up for their Manchester gig at Co-op Live this July (Credit: Press shot)
Kings of Leon setlist for 2026 UK tour
These American rockers have been performing all across Europe, switching up a couple of songs at each show; however, the hits below have featured at most of their appearances.
Slow Night, So Long
Waste a Moment
Find Me
On Call
Radioactive
The Bucket
Revelry
Manhattan
Use Somebody
Wait For M
Split Screen
Closer
Molly’s Chambers
Razz
MyParty
Supersoaker
Fans
Back Down South
Seen
Pyro
Black Thumbnail
To Space
Knocked Up
Sex on Fire
What are the stage times for Kings of Leon in Manchester?
Doors for Kings of Leon at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open at 6pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from a huge indie rock band.
Supporting the US rockers is a band who have received comparisons to Kings of Leon, the loud-and-proud Scottish stars The Snuts, known for their tracks like ‘Glasgow’, ‘Elephants’ and ‘Maybe California’.
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Tickets for Kings of Leon’s UK tour dates are selling out fast. (Credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons)
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2021 
