Shopping

A pop-up Christmas gift shop has opened in Manchester right next to the Christmas Markets

One of everything please.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 18th November 2022

A new pop-up has appeared in Manchester ready to solve all your Christmas shopping woes.

The Forever Manchester Gift shop has opened its doors at the Corn Exchange and it’s stuffed full of proper Manc gifts made by some proper Manc artists.

For the second year running, the shop has taken shape in a beautiful glass extension off the historic building, hoping to raise £25,000 for local community activities across the region.

Located right next to the Manchester Christmas Markets, the gift shop sells everything from music-inspired tea towels to Manchester-inspired Christmas cards to socks, coffee, mugs and more.

The main wall is covered with huge framed artwork, including colourful prints, photography and maps.

ADVERTISEMENT

Throughout, there are gifts featuring This is the Place, the Tony Walsh poem that’s become synonymous with Manchester, on coasters, postcards and limited-edition prints by Trevor Johnson.

The Christmas gift shop. Credit: The Manc Group

The Forever Manchester Christmas gift shop opened its doors for the first time last weekend and will remain open until 18 December.

ADVERTISEMENT

All profits go to Forever Manchester, the only charity that supports and funds community activity across the whole of Greater Manchester.

There are also festive Captain Manchester tombola tickets on sale at just £5 online or in store, which gives entrance the chance to win £2000 in time for Christmas.

Inside the Forever Manchester Christmas gift shop. Credit: The Manc Group

It’s the second year that Forever Manchester has located its Christmas Gift shop at the Corn Exchange, who have kindly donated the space to the charity for the five weeks’ duration.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dan Davis, general manager at the Corn Exchange said: “We are really pleased we could offer the space again to Forever Manchester this year. It is a charity that we have supported for a number of years.

“There are some fantastic gift ideas for Christmas and the store really adds to the Corn Exchange’s festive atmosphere.”

Read more

Liz Page from Forever Manchester said: “We are excited to open our doors again at the Corn Exchange this year in the lead up to Christmas. We would like to thank the team for their ongoing support. It truly is a fantastic historic location in the heart of the city.

“Last year was great and this year we envisage even more customers as restrictions are no more and we can meet up with family and friends. We are looking to raise £25k to go towards community activities across our city.

“There is literally something for everyone who loves Manchester in our store. If you can’t decide on what to go for, why not buy your friends or family members a Captain Manchester’s festive Magical Tombola ticket at just £5 – if they win £2000 – you will be popular this Christmas!”

ADVERTISEMENT

Forever Manchester’s Christmas pop-up shop at the Corn Exchange is open Monday to Saturday, 10 to 6pm, and 11am to 4pm on Sundays.

Featured image: The Manc Group

Shopping

Major retailer Monki to close store in Manchester Arndale

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Monki, a popular fashion brand that’s owned by H&M, had announced it’s closing its Manchester store – and soon.

The high street brand is famed for selling bold, playful clothing at affordable prices.

It opened its glittering disco-inspired shop in the heart of the Manchester Arndale in 2018.

Shoppers will recognise the holographic arches at the entrance and the Monki brand name spelled out in lightbulbs overhead.

But this week, H&M confirmed that all seven Monki stores across the UK will close, either shutting them completely or merging them with Weekday, another of the retail giant’s brands.

Manchester is among the first casualties of this move, with signs in the window of the store confirming that a closing down sale will be live until 12 January.

At that point, the Manchester Monki store will close for good.

Also shutting will be Newcastle, with the fate of the five remaining shops – including one in Sheffield – not yet confirmed.

The statement from H&M read: “A limited number of Monki stores are intended to be transformed into multi-brand Weekday destinations, while the others are intended to be closed.

“The newly formed Weekday multi-brand destination will cater to customers’ high aesthetic standards while embracing their multitude of unique expressions.”

In a statement shared earlier this month, they added: “Being mindful about the changes this might entail for our colleagues; we look forward to this exciting new chapter on the way to something great.”

Monki will close in Manchester Arndale on 12 January.

Read more: The best picky bits and Christmas party food in M&S this year

Featured image: The Manc Group

Shopping

The best picky bits and Christmas party food in M&S this year

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The best party food at M&S for Christmas 2024

Can some scientist please explain why us Brits have such a compulsion to roll out the picky bits and party food (ESPECIALLY if it comes from M&S) as soon as there’s a vague sense of occasion?

Birthday party? Picky bits. BBQ season? Picky bits. Had a long day at work and can’t decide what to have for tea but definitely don’t want a Pot Noodle? Picky bits.

And when Christmas or New Year’s Eve rolls around, the urge to consume random little morsels of food intensifies.

Whether it’s British classics squashed down into tiny portions and jammed on a buffet table or fancy little appetisers you hand around a party, we just can’t get enough.

Which is why we’ve raided the shelves at M&S once again to bring you all the best picky bits and party food available for Christmas 2024.

As for prices, the more premium M&S Collection party food items are generally priced at £7.50, with the more standard range coming in at £5.50 each, and all available on a four-for-three offer.

And yes, you might end up spending an obscene amount of money on miniature food items that won’t do a single thing to quell an appetite, but my gosh, won’t you feel like a prim and proper princess when you slide those teeny weeny fish and chips in front of your guests.

Let’s begin.

Brits abroad

M&S party food 2024 - chicken shawarma and Middle Eastern flatbreads
M&S party food 2024 – chicken shawarma and Middle Eastern flatbreads
M&S party food 2024 - patatas bravas stacks
M&S party food 2024 – patatas bravas stacks

M&S might be the most staunchly British institution of modern times, but us Brits also love nothing more than to lift the culinary expertise of other countries onto our own plates.

And this year is no exception – M&S has whipped up a whole host of party food inspired by international favourites.

From little potato stacks that pay homage to everyone’s favourite tapas dish, patatas bravas, to tiny chicken shawarma kebabs to Middle Eastern Flatbreads, if you want a little spice on your Christmas buffet, they’ve got it.

Well aren’t you a fancy pants?!

M&S Christmas party food 2024

‘Ooooh, someone’s doing well’ comes the chorus of praise as you hand around your mini prawn thermidor (these tiny gold trays even have a cheddar cheese crumb on top).

‘Wow, that must’ve been a good Christmas bonus’ they say as they accept a mini coquille St Jacques, complete with extra-small shell.

If upper middle class was a nibble, it would probably look like these guys.

Little Britain

Mini scampi and chips, and miniature pies at M&S
Mini scampi and chips, and miniature pies at M&S
Mini Yorkshire puddings and cheese and ham scones from M&S party food range
Mini Yorkshire puddings and cheese and ham scones from M&S party food range

Imagine all your classic British dishes, pub food, Sunday dinners, comfort meals cooked by your mum – you picturing them? Okay, now imagine them again but really, really small.

Now you’ve got a good idea of the items in our next M&S party food category.

There are mini Yorkshire puddings filled with slow-cooked beef, red wine and mushroom jus, and a garlic and herb crumb.

There are neat little cheddar and ham scones, miniature pies filled with beef and ale or chicken and leek, and even picky bit-sized scampi and chips portions, complete with newspaper wrapping. Cute!

The classics

M&S prawn selection
M&S prawn selection
M&S pigs in blankets and halloumi in blankets
M&S pigs in blankets and halloumi in blankets
M&S Smoked salmon appetisers
M&S Smoked salmon appetisers

These are not just buffet food items, these are M&S buffet food items, and that means they come with a bit of pizzazz.

Yes, there are pigs in blankets, but there are also halloumi pigs in blankets (which they weirdly haven’t made vegetarian) served with a hot honey drizzle.

ADVERTISEMENT

We love a battered prawn on a party food selection and M&S has done a selection of tiger prawn nibbles – prawn baguette toasts, prawn and coconut bites, and prawn and potato lattice balls. The word prawn is starting to look weird.

There are also smoked salmon appetisers, where smoked salmon strips are rolled around a honey roast salmon mousse. Hope ya like very small fish!

Calm down M&S it’s getting weird now

M&S festive bao buns
M&S festive bao buns
The viral M&S turkey feast dip
The viral M&S turkey feast dip
Mini steak sandwiches from the M&S party food range
Mini steak sandwiches

I’d love to be a fly on the wall when the M&S party food is discussed, because I’m pretty sure no one around that boardroom table is telling them ‘No, Arabella, that’s a silly idea’. Arabella does what she wants.

This year, she’s heard all the ‘girl dinner’ trends and gone ‘WE SHOULD MAKE A CHRISTMAS DIP’ – the result is a turkey feast dip topped with shredded turkey and bacon, cranberry sauce, cranberries and a stuffing crumb. WHY, ARABELLA?!

They’ve also brought back the novelty-shaped bao, this year in two festive shapes – penguins and polar bears.

ADVERTISEMENT

And of course you can still get miniature steak sandwiches and I don’t know why that makes me so uncomfortable, but it does.

A very yeehaw Christmas

M&S Mini beef burgers
M&S Mini beef burgers
Buffalo chicken croquettes and New York deli spring rolls at M&S
Buffalo chicken croquettes and New York deli spring rolls at M&S

Giddy up, cowboy, it’s time for the rootin’-tootin’ M&S party food show!

Everyone’s favourite fancy supermarket has gone stateside this year, drawing inspiration from the healthiest of nations… America.

There are Buffalo chicken croquettes, served with an extra Buffalo sauce dip, mini beef burgers (always the hardest thing to eat), and, weirdly, spring rolls inspired by a New York deli?

They’ve shoved salt beef and sauerkraut into a spring roll and then served it with a mustard and gherkin dip. You do you, M&S.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now you’re just showing off

M&S party food 2024 - the charcutertree
M&S party food 2024 – the charcuter-tree. Credit: The Manc Group

You’re presenting your charcuterie on a flat board? Peasant.

Real fancy people present their cured meat and cheese selection in the shape of a Christmas tree (obviously) and M&S have got a build-you-own kit available for £25.

An extra shout-out to the security-locked Serrano ham joint, which came with its own block and knife, for another statuesque meat buffet option.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

More Shopping

Christmas

You can get FREE carrots for Santa’s reindeers from Morrisons this weekend

Business

Full list of Christmas opening hours at all UK supermarkets 2024

Inside the Jellycat General Store in Manchester

Kids & Family

An adorable new Jellycat store has just opened in Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches