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Hunting for Manchester’s best kebab with buses and a BIG lunch

Stagecoach sent us on a shawarma crawl

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 21st September 2023

Manchester’s got tonnes of amazing affordable eats, but you really can’t beat the classic kebab, whether it’s at the end of a night out or on your lunch break. 

With the suburbs around town littered with authentic shawarmas, from the iconic Curry Mile to the takeaways on city centre street corners, you’re not going to struggle to find yourself a decent kebab.

And with a whole new generation of university students rocking up in town over the coming weeks, we figured this was vital information to share… 

So we decided to hunt out a few favourites – in one lunch break. Yep, that’s right, we decided that eating three kebabs in one lunch hour was a good idea.

The best part is that although Manchester’s kebab circle is wide, it’s all super easy to get to on public transport. 

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Stagecoach sorted us right out on the day with a plan to take on three shawarmas, all linked by its bus network. 

We started off in the city centre at Arndale Shawarma, a late-night staple on High Street. 

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Arndale Shawarma, a classic spot for a kebab in Manchester
Arndale Shawarma, a classic spot for a kebab in Manchester
The neat kebab wraps at Arndale Shawarma in Manchester
The neat kebab wraps at Arndale Shawarma in Manchester

Their kebab is a neat naan wrap, stuffed to bursting with the most tender meat, fresh salad, and fat chillies. Chef’s. Kiss. 

Then it was time for our kebab crawl to move  beyond town. With buses running every few minutes, and fares up to 55% cheaper for students, you can get from campus to kebab in a flash. 

Case in point – within just 15 minutes of hopping on a Stagecoach bus out of town, we were on the iconic Curry Mile, and at Al Zain. 

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A kebab from Al Zain in Manchester
A kebab from Al Zain in Manchester
Al Zain in Manchester serves kebabs in authentic samoon bread
Al Zain in Manchester serves kebabs in authentic samoon bread

You can’t go wrong with their mixed shawarma, served in a traditional middle Eastern bread called a samoon.

They pile it to the brim with fresh salad and it’s exactly the kebab you want for a fresh and filling meal.

Then it was back on the bus up to Levenshulme, and the local institution that is Levenshulme Bakery. 

It’s one of Manchester’s most popular kebabs for good reason. 

The legendary shawarma kebab from Levenshulme Bakery
The legendary shawarma kebab from Levenshulme Bakery. Credit: The Manc Group
A Stagecoach bus in Manchester
Stagecoach buses took us around the kebab crawl in Manchester

Their lamb-stuffed samoons are the stuff of legend and there’s always a crowd sat outside the front tucking in.

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So if you’re ready to start using your years of university education here researching the best kebabs in Manchester, you need to get on the Stagecoach Bus App. 

Student bus tickets bought on the app give you unlimited bus rides for a term, or even an entire academic year –  and they’re 55% off normal prices.

It’s time to pay less on cabs, and more on kebabs. 

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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You can fly straight to paradise with direct flights from Manchester to Barbados

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Good news sun-seekers – Aer Lingus has relaunched its direct flights between Manchester and Barbados, so you could be swapping out commute for hammock in a heartbeat. 

Aer Lingus will be jetting off straight to the tropical paradise of Barbados from Manchester between 1 November and 31 May, with three direct flights a week.

That’s along with all their routes to bucket list destinations like New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, and LA.

And the best bit is that you could take your Caribbean trip of a lifetime from just £389 return until 31 May 2025 (T&Cs apply). 

These super-affordable direct flights head straight to Bridgetown, the colourful capital of Barbados. 

From there, you have the trip of a lifetime at your fingertips – whether you want to feast on Bajan cuisine, explore the colonial towns, or just relax on white-sand, world-class beaches. 

You can explore sugarcane fields and visit wonders like Harrison’s Cave, where electric tram tours whisk passengers through an amazing natural cave with waterfalls, deep emerald pools, and thousands of stalactites and stalagmites.

There’s a 1000-year-old Baobab tree you can see, green monkeys to spot at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve, and culinary tours of the island you can take.

You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur
You can fly direct from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus. Credit: Unsplash, Tom Jur

Some of the best bits of Barbados lie just off its coast, and there are loads of boat trips you can book, where you can snorkel in the island’s beautiful waters. 

And the best time to head out to Barbados is when the weather is coldest back home – the island country is beautifully balmy and dry during the UK’s autumn, winter and spring. 

Whatever your perfect winter escape looks like, Aer Lingus can get you there – plus, with the friendliest cabin crew in the skies, there’s more than one reason to book your trip with the airline. 

Aer Lingus flights guarantee properly comfortable seats, in-flight entertainment, and meals on board, so your flight will quite literally fly by (but you might not want it to end). 

Or to start your bucket list trip off in the best way possible, there are business class flights to Barbados, with fully lie-flat seats, delicious seasonal meals, free WiFi, and so much more.

You can book your flight from Manchester to Barbados with Aer Lingus HERE. 

Read more: The beautifully restored VW camper van you can rent from Oldham

Featured image: Unsplash, Tom Jur

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Everything you need to know about Manchester Art Fair 2024

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester Art Fair is returning to our city centre once again next month, and there’s so much to look forward to.

Founded back in 2008, and going on to become one of the largest and most significant art fairs in the UK, Manchester Art Fair has cemented itself among the most celebrated cultural events in Greater Manchester‘s annual social calendar.

It’s known and loved for bringing together a wide range of artists, galleries and artist studios along with a full programme of talks and art classes.  

This year’s fair will feature more new names than ever before – with over a third of all exhibitors making their inaugural appearance.

Here’s everything you need to know about Manchester Art Fair 2024.

When and where is this year’s event?

Manchester Art Fair 2024 is taking over Manchester Central in the heart of the city centre. 

Set to transform the large venue into a vibrant gallery space, the highly-anticipated event will first open on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November.

Manchester Art Fair is making a grand return to the city centre next month / Credit: Supplied

How many exhibitors will there be? And who are some of the big names set to appear?

Designed for the collector, the curator, and those who are just simply curious about art, Manchester Art Fair will be bringing together more than 500 individual artists and there’ll be 170 stalls to explore.

Lots of returning galleries and artists will be there too, and the majority of them will be displaying new works to the public.

Francis Iles Gallery and Linton 59 Gallery are among the newbies making their first appearance at the event in November, each showcasing works by an eclectic mix of UK and international artists, while Benjamin Thomas Taylor and Bob & Eve,  are just a couple of the stand-out names on the long list of individual artists who’ll be exhibiting.

There’s also an extended programme of high-profile talks and workshops to get involved with too, all included in the ticket price.

New this year are book signings with authors including Gemma Rolls Bentley championing queer art, Andy Spinoza with Manchester Unspun, DJ Dave Haslam and his book on Picasso’s nightlife and Mark Demsteader with his first book entitled Moorlands.

More than 170 exhibitors will gather together under one roof / Credit: Supplied

How can you buy art?

Manchester Art Fair is for everyone – whether you’re a seasoned collector in the market for the next big thing, or it’s your first time at an art fair and you’re just looking for the right piece to fill that empty space on your wall.

Buying art at the fair is simple.

Firstly, you’ll want to do a bit of research ahead of the event into the exhibitors and make a shortlist of stands you want to visit. Then once you’re there, it’s wise to go around the stands you’re interested in and speak to the exhibitors and artists to find out about the stories behind the works on offer to help you make your decision.

As tickets provide you access to the fair on both the Saturday and Sunday, you can come and go as you please and pop back in later to see if the same piece catches your eye a second time round.

Once you’ve made the decision to buy from the artist or gallerist, you can then get your piece wrapped free of charge to take home safely, and remember to submit your proof of purchase to get free entry to 2025’s edition of the fair.

Buying art at the fair is simple, and it’s for everyone / Credit: Supplied

What are the organisers saying?

Manchester Art Fair’s Director, Sophie Helm, said the anticipation for this year’s event is ‘building to unprecedented levels’.

“When we launched Manchester Art Fair 16 years ago, we never imagined that Manchester would take the event into their hearts as much as they have,” she said.

“It’s such fun to pull together all the art talks, workshops, demos and live events we have going on over the weekend and a real privilege to be able to see art lovers meeting artists and galleries in person and bringing home original art works with stories and meaning to hang at home.”

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Advanced tickets are now on sale / Credit: Supplied

How much are tickets? Where can I buy them? And what do they include?

Advance tickets for Saturday and Sunday, from 10am-6pm, are available for £12 before 14 November and £15 after that date, both plus a booking fee.

Under 16s do not need tickets to the event.

Manchester Art Fair 2024 will take over Manchester Central on Friday 15 November from 5pm until Sunday 17 November, and you can get yourself tickets online here.

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Featured Image – Supplied

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