Travel & Tourism

Nicky Butt surprises Salfordians by handing out free holidays in Media City

God, we could do with a holiday right now.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 17th August 2023

Former Manchester United midfielder and Salford City FC’s CEO, Nicky Butt, surprised nearby locals with free ice creams and free holidays this week. Now kicking ourselves that we don’t work in Salford Quays.

Popping up in a little blue ice cream van over in Media City, the Class of ’92 legend and Ammies boss teamed up with the Salford City‘s new sponsor loveholidays to hand out not only free scoops to Mancs in the area but a few free getaways to five lucky sods.

The club have recently signed a new partnership with the UK’s largest online travel agent for the 2023/24 season, with the affordable holiday provider sponsoring matchday highlights and offering exclusive holiday-themed competitions for fans throughout the year. Mint.

All that being said, the company didn’t just wanna be yet another football sponsor and so they roped in Butt and Salford defender Liam Shephard to help hand out the free ice creams and make five fortunate Salfordians‘ day, maybe even year, by surprising them with a free holiday.

Nicky Butt free holidays ice cream Salford Quays
He was always known for doing whatever job was asked of him.
liam shepherd salford city
And you always do what the gaffer says…
Nicky Butt gives you an ice cream and a free holiday. Totally normal. (Credit: Ben Stevens)

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Parking the loveholidays ice cream truck up in the MediaCityUK precinct to serve up a taste of summer on one of the few sunny days we’ve actually had over the past couple of months, the pair put in a different shift from their every day by doing their best impressions of the Great British ice cream man.

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Speaking on the new sponsorship deal and the fun event, Salford’s Marketing Director Katy Leeson said, “We’re pleased to welcome loveholidays on board for the 2023-24 season, and we are really looking forward to working closely with them.

“As a club, we want to work with the right partners, and as a growing brand looking to offer the lowest-priced holidays for our supporters and the Salford community, this is a great opportunity.”

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As for the brand itself, Chief Marketing Officer Al Murray added: “We’re delighted to be joining
Salford City Football Club as its official holiday partner and to celebrate our partnership, we wanted to bring some sunshine to Salford with the help of Nicky and Liam.”

media city uk salford quays
Look at that queue.
salford city loveholidays
Nice one, Nicky – hope you saved us one (a holiday we mean).

What a great little campaign, well done, guys. Next time though, instead of the Quays can you do it more central — maybe just outside The Manc office? Nice one, cheers.

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Featured Image — Ben Stevens

Travel & Tourism

Forget pub crawls – you can now go on a guided cheese crawl around Manchester

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Manchester is a foodie’s paradise and with so many options at hand why not break it down into individual food groups – starting with the dairy crowd pleaser, cheese.

Long gone are the draining pub crawls of the past, it’s time to make way for the new pioneer in the world of adventurous crawling, ‘The Manchester Cheese Crawl’.

There’s always lots of food and drink options flowing throughout our bubbly city spanning all cuisines and cultures so it comes as no surprise that the latest way to experience Manchester is via cheese, a staple of many citizens’ diets.

On the tour, there will be insider knowledge on-hand as you wander the streets and sample the creamy delights, assisting you with any dying queso queries and pecorino ponders that you need to get off your chest.

There’ll be plenty of familiar independents on the Manchester Cheese Crawl, including Northern Soul’s impressive grilled cheese sandwiches as well as more traditional cheese samples.

How could this experience get any better I hear you ask, how about a free glass of fizz to accompany those already impressive cheese selections? Yes please! 

Guests can expect to sample some of Manchester’s dairy delights while being directed by some of Manchester’s top cheese connoisseurs that are the real big cheese.

Groups who take the tour aren’t just treated to food and drink, they also receive free entertainment from their food guides who are prepared to make you chuckle with their incredible humour.

Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese, a cheeseboard staple, has been recalled
The Manchester Cheese Crawl will feature plenty of bites for curd nerds
A selection of dairy heaven displayed on a wonderful variety cheese board.
A selection of dairy heaven displayed on a wonderful variety cheese board.
Credit: Unsplash

Previous visitors have commented on their experience while taking the tour sharing the names their groups received with highlights such as ‘Shaken not curd’ and ‘Three blind mice’.

They really are serious about their cheeses, another previous visitor who went on the tour revealed their guide even had a name that perfectly fit the occasion, ‘Mel the babybel’. 

It’s sure to be a fantastic day with games and activities planned for all as you walk between the shops landmarked on the cheese-filled route.

Everyone on the tour also gets a small taste of the high life as they are treated to a Lancashire cheese handmade by a local star and celebrity.

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Starting at the Richard Cobden Statue and finishing on the always vibrant Tib Street, a quick google search reveals this walk isn’t too strenuous taking only 12 minutes but with many cheeses to get your whiskers on it will probably take around an estimated two hours to tackle.

Running this Saturday 16 November and planned to continue until November 2025 and beyond, you’d be emmental to miss out on this cheesy adventure.

If all this cheese talk has left you dreaming about your next foodie fix, tickets for ‘The Manchester Cheese Crawl’ are on sale and available here.

Featured Image: Unsplash

Travel & Tourism

Manchester has been named one of Europe’s top destinations to visit this winter

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Manchester has been named one of the top winter destinations in Europe. Credit: The Manc Group

Manchester has been named one of the best places to visit in Europe this winter – apparently our city is ‘brilliant when the cold snap hits’.

The list of 14 winter destinations includes snowy paradises like Grindelwald in Switzerland and Lapland in Finland, as well as vibrant cities famed for their Christmas vibes, like Riga in Latvia and even Amsterdam.

But coming in at a respectable 6th place – and the only UK city on the list – is our very own home city.

Time Out’s list of the best winter destinations in Europe, picked by travel writers, shouted out the Manchester Christmas Markets, as well as the quieter places you can hide from the elements (and the crowds).

Picked for being the best place to find indoorsy things to do, Time Out listed Mackie Mayor and Skof, as well as John Rylands Library, as reasons people should visit Manchester this winter.

They wrote: “Even though it’s pretty much guaranteed the North of England will be battered by wind and rain throughout the winter, Manchester is a brilliant place to be when the cold snap hits.

“Spend your days dipping into vintage shops and record stores, and fuel up with street food at Mackie Mayor (or for an occasion, book a table at new-ish fine dining spot Skof). 

“What’s more, Manchester’s home to a surprisingly brilliant selection of Christmas markets, from classics to goth-themed, all selling great food and gifts from independent shops. 

“If the weather really goes wild, hide out in John Rylands Library, one of the most hauntingly beautiful spots in the city.”

High praise indeed!

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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