Manchester vegan and veggie junk food favourite Wholesome Junkies has found a new permanent home in the archways behind Victoria Station.
Taking over the former Umezushi space at 4 Mirabel Street, owner Chelsea Campbell shared the news with followers on Instagram on Wednesday in an ecstatic post.
She said: “After years of heartbreak searching for the perfect space, we’ve finally got our own place to call home.”
“Follow our journey as we take these next few months to make it into a Wholesome Junkies Restaurant.”
Wholesome Junkies has revealed it will be taking over the former Umezushi site. / Image: Wholesome Junkies
Revealing plans to start a KickStarter in the next few weeks, Chelsea shared her hope that their 43,000+ followers would be able to help make her long-standing dream of opening a restaurant space a reality.
She first shot to fame in 2018 after appearing on BBC2’s Million Pound Menu, when she appeared on the show, filmed in Spinningfields, to ask for 95,000 to open her own restaurant in Manchester.
Prior to that, she’d been running her Wholesome Junkies concept as a street food pop-up at sites like Grub and Ancoats General Store.
Whilst her bid to impress the BBC judges was not successful at the time, the TV appearance put her on the map and within a year she had her own Arndale market stall – moving into a newly developed section alongside the likes of Holy Crab and Blue Caribou poutine.
Founder Chelsea shot to fame after appearing on BBC’s Million Pound Menu in 2018/ / Image: Wholesome Junkies
Image: Wholesome Junkies
Image: Wholesome Junkies
The popular kitchen has been operating successfully from here since 2019, but now it’s taking an exciting new step forward in its journey.
Set to open in a number of months, most likely sometime later this summer, the space is small and will offer an intimate dining experience. When home to Umezushi, it seated just 20 diners.
As for Umezushi, widely considered one of the best sushi restaurants in the city (and now turned members-only), its Japanese Omakase experience will move into Unit 3 for the month of April – the former home of The Sparrows restaurant.
When she first began venturing into the world of vegan cooking, the culture still had a stigma of lentils, chickpeas, and ‘rabbit food’.
Image: Wholesome Junkies
Chelsea, it’s fair to say, has been a large part of reshaping that narrative here in Manchester through Wholesome Junkies.
Known for taking familiar dishes and putting her own twist on them, she has built up a loyal following with her vegan junk food concept.
Given the arrival in recent years of competitiors from out of town – Frost Burgers, V Rev, JJ’s Vish and Chips and What The Pitta, just to name a few -now seems the perfect time to expand into a new permanent home.
To keep up with Wholesome Junkies journey and restaurant build over the coming months, follow the eatery on Instagram here.
Feature image – Wholesome Junkies
News
Northern is offering Greater Manchester students half-price train tickets for the entire academic year
Emily Sergeant
School students in Greater Manchester are to be offered 50% off their train tickets for the entire upcoming academic year.
Now that schools are out for the summer, train operator Northern is encouraging parents and guardians of schoolchildren who use the train to get to and from school to take advantage an early bird discount giving them 50% off tickets for the coming academic year.
The operator hopes that the discount will convince parents of children aged under 16 to ‘trust the train’ for their school run.
The half-price child season ticket for the 2025-26 academic year is available until 11:59pm this Thursday (31 July).
Season tickets for those under 16, and Year 11 students, that are purchased after this date will only be 40% off the normal child season ticket price, and term time tickets are to also become available from this date too.
Northern is offering Greater Manchester students half-price train tickets for the entire academic year / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | TPE
Any season tickets purchased will be delivered in time for the new school term in September.
The 50% off offer comes as Northern teams up with TransPennine Express to offer school children maximum flexibility – with education season tickets now valid on both operator’s services on a number of routes across the North.
“As we continue in our mission to make our railway accessible and as easy to use as possible, annual education season tickets are there to offer the best value for journeys to school and college,” commented Alex Hornby, who is the Commercial and Customer Director for Northern.
“We’re encouraging parents and guardians to take advantage of even bigger savings now before of the end of July, where the discounts available will reduce.
“Locking-in this earlybird discount with a season ticket not only saves a lot of money; it ticks one more thing off the back to school list and it means no more faffing around with day or weekly tickets too.”
Find more information and take advantage of the Education Season Tickets offer here.
Featured Image – Jonny Walton (via Northern)
News
More than 1,300 Clean Air Zone signs to finally be taken down across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A saga is finally coming to an end… the saga of Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone, that is.
The Clean Air Zone was to initially hand motorists daily charges of up to £60 for some of the most polluting vehicles on Greater Manchester‘s roads.
The Government agreed to delay the deadline for the scheme until 2026, but local leaders wanted to scrap all charges and help to fund vehicle upgrades instead.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) then set out evidence supporting an investment-led, and, crucially for residents and motorists, a non-charging Clean Air Plan back in June 2022 – which it said was ‘the best solution’ to address the roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) problem.
More than 1,300 Clean Air Zone signs to finally be taken down across Greater Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group | Flickr
And then, back in January of this year, it was confirmed that Greater Manchester’s plan for the introduction of a non-charging clean air zone had been backed by the Government.
More than 1,300 Clean Air Zone signs were installed across Greater Manchester at the start of the controversial scheme being initially proposed, as well as a total of 407 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
But while it was initially thought that this technology may go to waste, it was revealed in March 2023 that they were actually being used for an entirely different reason all together – detecting crime.
While the cameras are intended to stay in place and in use, the more than 1,000 signs are to be taken down.
“We’ve always been focused on doing what’s right for Greater Manchester, and by accelerating investment in our public transport network, we’re showing that it’s possible to improve air quality faster than if a charging Clean Air Zone had been introduced,” commented Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, who is the Clean Air lead for Greater Manchester.
“As we deliver our Clean Air Plan alongside the Bee Network, with support from the Government, we’ll roll out the UK’s first fully integrated, zero-emission public transport system by the end of the decade and improve the air we all breathe for generations to come.”
Georgina Pellant -
21st April 2022 
