The world as we once knew it was flipped on its head back in March when the country was placed into lockdown amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It’s undoubtedly true that these past few months have thrown us all some unexpected challenges and left us having to adapt to ever-changing situations, which is maybe why we’ve been craving and clinging onto the only shreds of ‘normality’ that we have left.
Maybe it’s also why it’s been revealed that Brits have ordered a whopping 150 million pizzas between March and August.
It comes as leading takeaway delivery service Just Eat has announced that orders to homes have sky-rocketed by almost 50% since March, and that around 100 million meals more than normal have been delivered. Food delivery service Deliveroo has also reported that were up by 66%, while Domino’s sold a margherita pizza every second.
Professor Joshua Bamfield – Director of the Centre for Retail Research – said: “Those extra 100 million delivery meals will be worth in the region of £1 billion.
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“That money is a lifeline for troubled restaurants.”
Pixabay
While it seems that us Mancunians have opted for grabbing a fair few extra slices, the classic Italian dish wasn’t the only meal excessively ordered by Brits during lockdown, as it was also revealed that 41,000 tonnes of chips and 42 million curries ordered over the past six months too.
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Fish and chips, Thai, Japanese, pasties and even vegan dishes all made the cut too.
There was also a huge increase in the number of convenience and grocery orders – up 166% – as well as coffee orders being made, which increased by a whopping 149%.
And in what is likely to be received differently depending on who you ask, data trends have also provided an insight into the amount of food each UK region has consumed, with Mancunians coming out as the “greediest” by ordering takeaways twice as much overall as Brummies.
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Speaking on the release of the latest statistics, Andrew Kenny – Managing Director and Just Eat UK – said: “COVID restrictions have made a difference to takeaway habits.
“Customers are enjoying more of the food they love.”
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
20th October 2020 
