1,000 tiny toy cars are being hidden around 10 major UK cities over the next two weeks – and if you find one of the 100 hidden in Manchester, you could win an actual car.
The Auto Trader Car Hunt will see 100 miniature cars hidden in different cities every day for 10 days, with the hunt kicking off in Manchester on 24 February.
Hints and clues will be posted daily to Auto Trader’s Instagram to tip locals off as to the toy cars’ whereabouts.
If you’re in Manchester, you’ll want to be peeping down alleyways, creeping down the cobbles and rummaging through the bushes looking for these little treasures.
Because if you track one down, you’re in with a chance of winning a brand new Hyundai IONIQ 5 N worth more than £65,000.
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All you need to do is snap a photo of the toy car and post it to your Instagram story, tagging in @autotraderuk.
Once the Auto Trader Car Hunt is over, one lucky winner will be chosen from a prize draw to drive away in a Hyundai IONIQ 5 N.
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This high-performance electric car has been honed on the racetrack, featuring simulated gear shifts and engine sounds to recreate the thrill of a petrol car. And with 650 horsepower under the bonnet, it’s seriously quick.
But as well as being nippy and incredibly fun to drive, it’s a comfortable and efficient family hatchback too.
Look out for a hidden toy car in ManchesterThe Auto Trader Car Hunt begins next week
This nationwide car hunt will span 10 cities across the UK and is giving Brits a chance to win a top-of-the-range brand new electric vehicle.
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The toy cars themselves will be 3D printed and will have a QR code on them, which will take you to a landing page with all the information you need and the steps to enter.
You’ll need to find a toy car and enter by 9 March, with the car hunt kicking off from 24 February.
Happy hunting everyone! Find out more about the Auto Trader Car Hunt HERE.
‘Rooted in India, made in Manchester’ – Punjabee Deli has big designs on the local food scene
Danny Jones
Launching a few months ago, this recently opened Indian deli, cafe, eatery and hangout concept is still in its infancy, but the brains behind this are not the new kids on the block here in Manchester: welcome to Punjabee.
Founded by Sapna Kumar, a familiar face on market stalls across Greater Manchester and across the North West, not to mention the owner of the well-known dessert brandVanilli’s, she’s one of the biggest characters you’ll ever meet.
And, you know what? Sometimes you have to be. This second-generation Indian-Mancunian is a would-be mother to many, as she considers lots of her loyal customers part of her extended family.
And now it’s time to put herself first for once. As she puts it, she’s no longer content just serving up everything for everyone else on a platter for free. Now she’s “ready to spice things up.”
No stranger to a soundbyte or a pithy tagline of her own – after all, she’s been working in this business for well over a decade now – the food speaks for itself, and as well for the vision of this place as she does.
Quite literally putting the bee in Punjabi (you’ve got to admire pun-game like that), this local-born mum of three and extremely dedicated indie trader is as much tied to her Manc soul as she is to herIndian heritage, and she’s all about bringing a ‘home to the plate’ approach.
Remember that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic eats that simple dish, and it takes him right back to his childhood and that feeling of being back in your kitchen/living room? That’s precisely the feeling she’s going for. In fact, we’d argue she’s already achieving it.
Many of her relatively small but equally hard-working crew are not only young people looking to get experience, but also existing hospitality staff who were left out of a job due to the ongoing cost of living crisis and obstacles facing the entirefood and drink sector.
But in the matter of just a few weeks, they’ve been trained up to help make authentic butter chicken, daals and pasandas that people take home for a truly hearty tea, samosas, pakoras, bhajis, Punjabi pasties, all of which are gradually drawing in more and more regulars each week, and so much more.
The mixed Indian snack selection alone is great value for money, and their stuffed lunch wrap for just a fiver is one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere in town on your dinner hour.
In fact, all the well-packed portions aren’t just well-presented in pristine air-tight packaging; they’re also super filling and satisfying, from the wide variety of homemade curries to the fruity lassis canned in-house. Everything is made in the prep kitchen around the corner, before being fridged next door.
You can tell how much experience this outfit has when it comes to catering and scaling up operations, as Sapna is also the baker behind Vanilli’s spin-off,Cake Bar Co., which she started during the pandemic on top of her other projects simply out of boredom.
The girl seemingly doesn’t sit still for even a second, at least not when she’s running these entrepreneurial arms, anyway.
Credit: The Manc Group
Her plans for thedeli and currently daytime-only eatery serve as yet more proof; the team are looking to deck out the space even further, with a bigger cabinet of wooden shelves to turn their already charming deli corner into an even fuller shop.
And then there’s a larger room downstairs of what used to be an old hairdresser’s: she’s keeping coy on that front for now, but let’s just say there’s a great bit of space to work with.
One thing we really appreciate is her acknowledging that going out for a meal, a drink, or even just a coffee is more expensive than ever.
With that in mind, she’s taken her mum’s sage advice and is keeping prices as low as possible, with the likes of the cheap bites at noon, chai for just £1 or totally FREE from 11:30am-2:30pm – an offer that is already starting to draw in steady crowds of meeting up even for a chinwag.
The stylish and colourful nook with bench-seating, cushions, coffee tables, decorated shelving and traditional jaali-style windows that simultaneously transports you elsewhere while making you feel like you’ve been invited into her front room for a brew and a bite to eat.
Let’s be honest, there are few better feelings than that kind of welcome.
Speaking to The Manc, she can never resist a good bit of wordplay, telling us: “We’re putting the chai [tea], back in community” – of which, like everything else, is all made completely in-house, by the way.
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Whilst trying to restore that sense of kindness and compassion that she fears might be slowly slipping away, she also says she’s not scared of mixing up the market anymore, both literally and figuratively.
Once a mainstay of the Ancoats Makers’ Market among many others, not to mention the vendor we know to boast two stalls at Stockport’s monthlyFoodie Friday event, she started with a love for baking and made it into a successful passion project.
Now she’s turned making small little pots of curry for her peers on artisan stalls and farmers’ markets into her next venture, and she no longer feels like she’s here to compete: “I am the competition”, she says, “and I’m ready to stir the pot.”
You’d be forgiven for getting slight Heisenberg vibes for a second there, but trust, if you pop intoPunjabee and meet this vibrant, funny and extremely driven woman in person, you’ll see for yourself that she’s all about positivity, moving forward and maximising good vibes.
She’s even looking into karaoke and supper clubs, as well as extending the opening hours on Friday evenings, on top of already being open seven days a week.
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Whether you’re stopping by for a cup of chai or taking out, you won’t be disappointed.
She still remembers playing ‘kerby’ out on the streets of Manchester and people gathering to eat their favourite scran, the sense of occasion people felt when paying a trip to the old Italian-style patisserie that they eventually took over.
Something that really stuck with us was this overarching idea that “through food we come together”, and she’s absolutely right.
We can’t wait to see how this place grows over the next year, and we sincerely recommend you come along to Radium Street and give it a try.
Lastly, we’ll sign off by telling you one final thing: translated into English, Sapna means ‘dream’, and this lady sure is thinking big.
Rochdale’s popular Feel Good Festival is set to return this summer
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Worried you might have missed your chance to attend a festival this year? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival is one of the longest-running and best-value festivals in Greater Manchester, and luckily for us, it’s returning again with a star-studded main stage line-up this August.
On Saturday 8 August, you’ll have the chance to see some big names bringing sing-along anthems to Rochdale, like two-time BRIT Award winner and pop/soul legend, Gabrielle, who has recently gained a whole host of younger fans during performances on ITV’s The Masked Singer eagerly awaiting this performance.
Other headliners include Northern Irish rock band, Ash, and Wigan-formed alternative rock band Starsailor, attracting fans from far and wide.
You can also expect sets from soul and funk pioneers, The Allergies, and Manchester indie artist, Alex Spencer – who first gained attention busking on the streets and has gone on to support One Direction star Louis Tomlinson across European arenas earlier this year.
This festival also proudly showcases upcoming artists too, and this year, two new Rochdale bands will play the biggest gig of their careers – K-ESTATE, who will be adding some house-pop, funk, and indie disco to the mix, alongside brand new rock band, Metro.
Rochdale’s popular Feel Good Festival is set to return later this summer / Credit: Supplied
Festival gates open at 12pm, so be sure to get down early as there’s plenty going on, including live music across indoor venues, a food and drink village with delicious street food, pop-ups, bars, and much more.
The bi-annual festival is organised by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council with sponsorship from local businesses, including Premier Kia, The Royal Toby Hotel, Hopwood Hall College, and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
This is a climate-conscious festival, so to minimise waste on the day, tickets include a reusable drink cup to be collected upon arrival at the festival site.
Rochdale Feel Good Festival 2026 takes place on Saturday 8 August, and tickets are available online for £35 each.
If you’re feeling like treating yourself, there’s a choice of two luxury VIP upgrade packages from only £90, which grants access to a private indoor bar, hot street food table service, indoor and outdoor seating, a viewing terrace, as well as toilets and rest areas.
Daisy Jackson -
17th February 2025 
