Northern Quarter’s red-hot chicken spot continues to go from strength to strength and now Yard & Coop has dropped a new menu and just in time for that final week of half-term.
We don’t think we’ve ever come across a bad dish on Yard & Coop‘s menu — who doesn’t love Massive Cock? (the burger, you cheeky sods) — but after trying these latest offerings we can’t wait to go back.
Transitioning out of the Christmas and winter specials, the NQ favourite has bolstered its core menu with some seriously tasty new additions, each inspired by different cultures and parts of the world. We know how well they do fusion here.
Offering up everything from burritos and burgers to a new take on their famous ‘Nugz’, fries and even a savoury bonbon, this new menu is like a mini trip around the world.
Yard & Coop new dishes
Starting off with a perfect starter or picky side depending on your fancy, the Y&C chefs have rustled up some ‘Schweet n’ Sour Sticky Nugz‘ and believe us when we say we were smacking our lips long after we scranned them. The perfect mix of tang and crunch, they were gone before we’d ever blinked.
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Just like the nugz, the fries are also undefeated and always perfectly seasoned. However, we were not prepared for their Dirty Schweet n’ Sour twist on these, especially given that they weren’t just chips with fried chicken and sauce chucked on: they were waffle fries with pickled ginger sprinkles. Oh my days. Game-changer.
Credit: The Manc Group
It’s a good job there was plenty of us to spread the carbs out because we came next was so good that we were fighting over who got the last bite. We give you the Messi Burger: “the Argentinian legend in a burger”. Leo would be honoured. Buttermilk fried chicken thigh with fresh zesty Chimichurri, best-pulled beef, creamy Southwest sauce, cheese, lettuce and tomato in a buttery brioche bun. Nom.
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It didn’t stop there either. We were pretty blown away by the flavours on the Amara Burger, created using their own blend of Ethiopian spices and ‘Mitmita’ sauce, as well as Plantain crisps, yoghurt dressing and apricot chutney, all sandwiched between the same delicious bun.
It was unreal and just the right level of heat.
One word: mint.
At this point, some of us were nearly tapping out but we still had a jam-packed Cali Burrito to tend with and were so glad we powered through. Buttermilk fried chicken tenders, zesty pico de gallo, fries and lettuce all folded into one massive soft tortilla and drizzled in that same Southwest sauce.
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Damn.
Last but by no means least, we crawled out of our food coma and across the finish line with Yard & Coop’s new savoury ‘Buff Bon Bons‘ which were, essentially, little balls of pulled chicken joy tossed in their homemade buffalo sauce, smooshed together and fried in crispy Panko. Again, with more Ranch.
Again, Yard & Coop never disappoints and this new menu was absolutely quality, though you might like you need to be rolled out of the door if you eat as much as we did.
You can try all of these dishes as well as the rest of their tries and true fried chicken recipes from Monday, 20 February onwards.
We hope you and your food baby enjoy the nap that will inevitably follow.
A huge festival dedicated to tequila and mezcal is coming to Manchester this month
Daisy Jackson
Manchester’s first-ever Mezcal and Tequila Festival is taking place this month, filling Manchester Cathedral with tastings, masterclasses, cocktails and street food.
The massive event will see the Grade I-listed building transformed into an agave spirits tasting floor, featuring more than 100 varieties of premium tequilas and mezcals from some of Mexico’s best producers including El Jimador, Ojo de Tigre, El Sueno, Los Arcos, Del Maguey, Cazcabel, Komos, Nixta, Tapatio, El Tequileno, Tiempo and many more.
Festival-goers will be able to gain exclusive insights into the craftsmanship behind these spirits, sampling (responsibly, of course) from dozens of stands.
All samples, plus a limited-edition clay tasting copita, will be included in the ticket price – there’s no token system here and no extra charges for samples.
The new Mexican-inspired drinks festival only debuted in Glasgow back in Spring 2023 but it unsurprisingly went down an absolute storm – after all, what’s not to like a big festival full of booze?
Bartenders will stir up cocktails at the bespoke cocktail bar while the crowds are kept fed by delicious street food, including Mexican-inspired Taco Or Don’t, previously featured at the British Streetfood Awards.
And it’d be remiss of you to leave the festival empty-handed when you can take a taste of Mexico home from the exclusive bottle shop provided by Drinkmonger on site (with discount tokens included in the ticket price).
A tequila and mezcal festival is heading on Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Colin Campbell, one of Copita’s co-founders said: “We’re really excited to be bringing Copita to Manchester. It’s gone down brilliantly in Glasgow the last two years so we felt now was the right time to take it on the road and we couldn’t think of a better place than Manchester to head to next!
“It’s a really easy-going event with a great atmosphere, lots of local street food, shopping and music, so whether you’re an aficionado or a casual sipper we’re confident you’ll have a great time.”
The Copita Mezcal and Tequila Festival will be at Manchester Cathedral on Saturday 14 September.
Spinningfields to celebrate launch of new app with competition to win hundreds of FREE prizes
Emily Sergeant
You can be in with a chance of winning one of hundreds of free prizes just by heading down to Spinningfields next week.
In case you hadn’t heard, Spinningfields has just launched a brand-new app that’s now available to download, and in a bid to mark the occasion and properly celebrate this exciting launch, the city centre leisure and business district will be hosting an epic ‘Spin to Win’ event where there are hundreds of prizes to be won.
The new Spinningfields app is your ultimate guide to everything happening in the area, and it gives you access to special offers, fun monthly competitions, invitations to exciting events, community news, volunteering opportunities, and so much more.
Oh, and the best part about it? It’s free to download and sign up.
To celebrate the launch of our Spinningfields app, join us at Spinningfields Square between 8am and 5.30am on Tuesday 10 September. Download our FREE app, grab a FREE coffee from 92 Degrees (just for showing up), and spin to win some amazing prizes!
To start making the most of all of these exciting perks, you just need to download the Spinningfields app from the App Store or Google Play on your phone and verify your account, and then once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to head on down to Spinningfields Square next Tuesday (10 September) to spin the wheel for your chance to win some amazing prizes.
Some of the prizes on the jam-packed lineup include tickets to Chaos Karts and The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, £100 vouchers for Australasia, £50 vouchers for Fazenda and The Ivy Spinningfields, plus free coffees, waffles, and doughnuts from Black Sheep Coffee.
You could also win yourself some complimentary cosmetic treatments at The Medika Clinic, as well as loads more, all by just spinning the wheel.
Spinningfields is celebrating the launch of its new app with a competition to win hundreds of free prizes / Credit: Supplied
And if the prizes somehow weren’t good enough to tempt you down to Spinningfields on their own, then luckily, there’ll also be a free freshly-brewed filter coffee for everyone who downloads the app and shows up on the day, while stocks last.
Basically, you’re guaranteed to walk away a winner no matter what.
The Spinningfields ‘Spin to Win’ official app launch is happening at Spinningfields Square on Tuesday 10 September from 8am to 5:30pm, and as organisers are anticipating the event will be busy one, it’s recommended that you download the app and verify your account before attending to ensure a smooth experience.