If the thought of doing multiple dashes to the supermarket for all the many trimmings you need for Christmas is bringing you out in a cold sweat, it might be time to look elsewhere.
Shopping locally, and from a marketplace, can save you time and money as well as massively cutting down on your food waste.
And markets in Greater Manchester don’t get much better than Tommyfield Market, a historic space right in the heart of Oldham.
The vast number of traders based here can sort you out with everything from your meat to fruit and veg to your smoked salmon for Christmas Day breakfast – and even kit you out with a hamper that takes all the hard work out of the day.
Right in the centre of Tommyfield Market is the aptly-named Meat in the Middle, where a steady stream of customers wait patiently for butcher Nikki Fairchild.
Nikki is on a mission to save people money this Christmas. She says: “Every year we do a capon, which is an extremely large chicken and cheaper than a turkey, saving about a tenner.
“They’re very popular with large families because they can feed seven or eight with leftovers.”
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Nikki has been part of Tommyfield Market since the stall was known as Ashworth’s Butchers – there’s been a meat trader in this spot since 1974.
“It’s just the name that’s changed,” she says. “We still sell the same good products; we always sell local, English, fresh. And we try to keep the costs down – if it comes to us cheaper, that saving goes to the customer. If we can do a deal, we will do it.”
She’s also a big believer in the market’s commitment to selling products that are not just affordable but good value too.
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Nikki says: “[Shopping here] is cheaper than going to the supermarket and you get a lot more for your money – not just meat, but for anything. It’s a friendly place and it’s reasonable. And there’s a really good atmosphere at Christmas, it’s bustling.”
Next door is Hen House, run by Kelly Bentley, who’s already busy taking orders for their cooked Christmas hampers.
Each hamper, priced between £40 and £100 (and feeding between two-four or 10-12 people) features kilos upon kilos of meat, as well as sauces and pigs in blankets.
Kelly says: “We cook them so people don’t have to cook themselves – it takes the pressure off Christmas Day cause all you end up doing is staying in the kitchen.
“It gives back family time because some only get Christmas Day off, so you can spend it with your kids and playing with toys, you don’t have to worry about the food burning or cooking all night.”
The Hen House started selling its hampers about five years ago and demand has previously caused such ‘bedlam’ that this year the range has been narrowed down so staff can cope.
Kelly started as a Saturday girl at 14 and worked her way up to manager before buying the business.
She thinks demand will be greater than ever because of the high costs of energy bills.
She says: “[We’re] thinking it’s going to be busier this year because of the cost of gas and electricity – the thinking being that people not only don’t have to make it, they don’t have to pay the bill for cooking it too.”
So onto the trimmings, and you want to head to Shaz Dar at Taylor Produce.
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This institution of Tommyfield Market has been selling fruit and veg for 30 years, including all the usual Christmas trimmings – potatoes, parsnips, carrots etc – as well as catering to an array of cultures and celebrations year-round.
Shaz says: “We’ve got the whole [range] here but Oldham is very multicultural, so we cater to Polish, Pakistani, African [diets] with things like cassava, mooli, yams and chillies.”
He thinks people budgeting more tightly this year might benefit from buying their vegetables loose so as not to overspend or waste food.
“At supermarkets everything is pre-packaged and sold in bags. We do loose stuff so you use what you need that day and that really helps customers.
“We have handpicked fresh produce every day and at a reasonable price, we’re very competitive and keep our prices as low as possible.”
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Outside the main hall, Mark Crossley has been selling fish from his unit for 35 years and has seen people experiment with their main courses on 25 December. But he thinks this year might be different, with customers spending more cautiously.
“Over the years customers have looked for an alternative Christmas dinner and fish has become an alternative. We’re a diverse town with a widespread customer [base] so families want something else, it’s not just about traditional turkey or a sit-down dinner, it might be salmon, or a buffet,” he explains.
“But it might be different this year with the cost of living. People are [already] diversifying and having cheaper fish: maybe not salmon, maybe red fish [instead]. Products are dearer than they have been and it’s a different time for all of us.
“But in the run-up to Christmas we’ll be here for them and we’ll have plenty of fish products.”
Featured image: Supplied
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You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us
Thomas Melia
We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office– including to those of us here in Manchester.
In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.
Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.
The gorgeous set up provided by RuubyLook at that lovely branding on the towels.They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)
In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.
The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.
If you’re feeling scepticalstill, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.
There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.
Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.
After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!Credit: The Manc Group
My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!
The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.
It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?
As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.
An award-winning Manchester cocktail bar is serving a Tiny ‘Tini martini cocktail flight
Daisy Jackson
Martini cocktails are one of the world’s most iconic and stylish cocktails, and come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, despite classically being made with only a few ingredients.
If you’re still dipping your toes into the world of the vodka martini cocktail, or if you’re a super fan always eager to try a new take on this beloved drink, can we introduce you to the ‘Tiny ‘Tini’ flight?
This clever creation is as photo-worthy as it is delicious – three miniature martini cocktails, served perfectly chilled in ‘flight’ form on a tray in one of Manchester’s very best bars, Blinker.
The Tiny ‘Tini has been launched by legendary vodka brand GREY GOOSE to celebrate the resurgence of vodka martini cocktails (vodka is one of the core ingredients, the other is typically vermouth).
Blinker, which was earlier this year named the 22nd best cocktail bar in the UK, is already famed for its menu of vodka martini cocktails , so was a perfect choice for the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini collaboration.
Here, they’ve created three different miniature takes on the classic cocktail- the house martini cocktail, made with GREY GOOSE vodka, house vermouth, orange bitters and an olive; the Spanish Gibson, with sherry and onion brine (if you’re a fan of savoury cocktails, this is the one for you); and the champagne martini cocktail, with GREY GOOSE vodka, champagne cordial, Lillet Blanc and orange bitters (a gateway martini cocktail for the uninitiated).
Each of the three perfectly sized drinks is served in a special frosted miniature martini cocktail glass and is the perfect size for flavour exploration – while also staying perfectly chilled down to the last sip.
The Grey Goose Tiny Tini martini cocktail flight is available at Blinker in Manchester
Best of all, the Tiny ‘Tini flight also makes vodka martini cocktails that little bit less intimidating.
Lexa Ulijaszek, UK Ambassador for GREY GOOSE commented: “When it comes to the vodka martini cocktail, size does matter for some.
“Sometimes a full-sized martini cocktail can be a little bit too intimidating. Or over the course of great conversation between friends, the final sip of your drink may not be as superbly chilled or balanced in taste as the beginning.
“As a result, the offer of a ‘sip sized cocktail’ is gaining traction across many of the UK’s most influential bars.
“A sip size GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini is the perfect solution – beautifully crafted, expertly chilled, elegantly served with rich taste. A flight of three petite drinks allows you to responsibly enjoy the perfection of the ‘first sip’ of a martini cocktail while also experiencing a range of unique flavours.
“The trend is very much a UK-wide affair, with some of the best bars across Manchester, Edinburgh and London all serving the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini – ushering in a brand new and bold ‘sip sized’ era for the vodka martini cocktail.”
The GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini flight at Blinker in Manchester costs £12 and is available until 30 April.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd November 2022 
