A curry house in Manchester is going all out to celebrate the Class of 2023 with free glasses of prosecco, special desserts, and an all-out Indian feast.
Tucked just behind Oxford Road close to the Manchester Metropolitan University campus, Zouk Tea Bar & Grill is getting ready to welcome new graduates for a celebration as caps and gowns flood the city this month.
The popular eatery – known for its delicious curries, whole stuffed lamb legs, freshly baked naans, cocktails, and epic sharing roast platters with spicy gravy – will be pulling out all the stops for new graduates and their families this July.
Kicking things off from the first of the month, Zouk will be handing out complimentary glasses of prosecco to diners sampling its special Graduation set menu.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Starting things off with a glass of fizz to toast your success, the restaurant has also created a special chocolate Graduation cap dessert comprised of a creamy chocolate fondant adorned with rich dark chocolate, decorated with a rainbow belt sweet and a Smartie button.
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Elsewhere, those celebrating can dig into special Graduation sharing platters loaded with Chicken Tikka, Lamb Chops, Tandoori King Prawns, Seekh Kebab, Mango Salad and Katchumber Salad. Served as part of a set menu priced at £28 per person, for this diners can also enjoy a complimentary welcome drink alongside bhajis, popadoms and pickles.
For those really wanting to push the boat out, there is also a £40 lobster Graduation sharing platter piled high with fruits of the sea. Zouk’s Lobster Thermador takes center stage here, surrounded by Spicy Salmon Pakoras, Dynamite Shrimp, Crispy Calamari, Mango Salad and Katchumber Salad.
Accompanied by Basmati Rice, Pilau Rice and assorted fresh naans made in Zouk’s open kitchen, both options offer a stylish way for graduates to toast a new chapter.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Speaking on the special Graduation offer the restaurant has put together this month, owner Tayub Amjad said: “We love graduation time at Zouk! All that hard work, all those evenings of study, the missed nights out and the blood, sweat and tears have finally paid off.
“I remember myself that feeling when the results are in, and you are finally free to venture out and celebrate with family and friends. We love being a part of that celebration.”
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
The Manc -
3rd July 2023 
