Experts say social media can be detrimental for us.
And in this case, they’re probably right, because you deserve a massive pat on the back if you managed to stop yourself from scrolling on Twitter yesterday and inevitably avoid your eyes being burned with the image of the latest food collaboration that everyone’s talking about.
We mean it when we say everyone’s talking about it too.
Not only has this cursed tweet been retweeted over 70K times, it’s also racked up tens of thousands of comments from people, companies, countries, and more, all wading in on the debate.
Even Greater Manchester Police has got involved with it too, and have confirmed that the matter has been “passed over to our major incident team who deals with cereal killers”, so you know it must be something pretty serious.
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There’s no denying it’s a violation, but if you’re still not sure what we’re referring to yet, we’ll just say it’s probably not as bad as you’re thinking – or is it?
So, what are we talking about then?
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Well, yesterday morning just after 9:30am, as we were all minding our own business and cracking on with our day, two iconic British food brands decided it was the perfect time to collaborate, so Weetabix took to Twitter to share a snap of a bowl of its hearty cereal topped with, none other than, Heinz Baked Beans.
And it absolutely broke the internet, with a level of outrage not seen in a long time.
The public, quite rightly, just couldn’t seem to wrap their heads around what they were seeing, with the main question on everyone’s lips – this can’t be serious, right?
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They’ve got to be having us on here? This is a joke?
Both foods are beloved in Britain, but no one in their right minds is topping their morning Weetabix with baked beans, are they?
It’s a question that remains unanswered at this point, and despite Weetabix’s Assistant Brand Manager revealing to LinkedIn that this whole debacle is one of the reasons why “I love my job”, we’re still none the wiser to concluding whether or not it’s a genuine match-up, or something devised solely for marketing purposes with the intent of getting everyone as wound up as they have.
For everyone’s sanity, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the latter is true.
But it sounds like sanity might already be out the window anyway, because the official Twitter account of just about every other company you can think of has chipped in with their opinions.
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Let’s set aside our differences to prosecute this under the Geneva Convention.
National supermarket chain Sainsbury’s response managed to tie it in with last week’s meme of the moment, the Handforth Parish Council Zoom meeting madness, and the Jackie Weaver fan club that followed soon after it.
The north’s even united in agreement that it needs seeing to as well, with Yorkshire Tea willing to report the issue to the police, and Bolton-born bread brand Warburtons being prepared to back them up.
If you need a witness statement, please let us know
And whether you believe it or not, it’s even been deemed a serious enough issue for government authorities, national embassies, the actual country of Israel, the NHS, and the city centre department of our very own Greater Manchester Police, to get involved with too.
The latter informing the public that: “We’ve bean looking into this after a number of complaints today [and] due to its serious nature, we’ve passed it over to our major incident team who deals with cereal killers”.
We've bean looking into this after a number of complaints today. Due to its serious nature, we've passed it over to our major incident team who deals with cereal killers!
— Manchester City Centre Police (GMP) (@GMPCityCentre) February 9, 2021
Strong opinion from the nation that makes tea in a microwave.
We didn’t even scratch the surface with replies to this tweet, as you’d probably be here all day if we had, so head on over to the full thread on Twitter if you want more.
Even though the concept has got all the elements of instant viral fame, you’d never have predicted it would’ve angered the globe quite as much as it has, so we can only imagine what it’s like at the Weetabix and Heinz HQs right now.
All we can say is, it’s massively kicked off and we hope they’re proud of themselves.
Now, that’s enough internet for one day.
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A beloved Manc gig venue is hosting a special afterparty following Manichester tribute festival
Danny Jones
A much-loved live music institution in Manchester is set to host a dedicated afterparty for the inaugural ‘Manichester’: the live tribute festival in memory of Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield.
Seeing the grassroots music scene gathering together in moments like this is the kind of stuff that would make the man himself SO proud.
With Manichester 2026 announced this past March and set to take place later this month in honour of the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist, tickets for the main event sold out very quickly.
This came as no surprise, of course, but now other Manc venues are joining in toasting the life and career of Mani for one very special evening.
Shared by Madchester.com, who are helping organise the Manichester ’26 along with surviving members of the Mounfield family, as well as Mani’s friends and peers such as his brother Greg and Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene, gig space Gorilla are hosting it.
The small-cap live music room, bar and restaurant has hosted many a special night over the past decade or so – hosting multiple War Child charity shows in the past few years, for instance – and even when they’re not hosting a set themselves, they’re always more than happy to join in the celebrations.
With that in mind, there always likely to pay their respects to the late, great and iconic local musician in some way, but now they’re teaming up with Madchester directly.
Positioned as the official ‘aftershow’ following the mini tribute festival, as you can see, there will be just 600 tickets available, with general admission for the main event already gone as mentioned.
At one point, it looked like the kind-spirited and well-meaning idea might be scrapped altogether after some confusion between the organising partners.
Thankfully, that all looks to have been put to bed, and all those involved can focus on what’s important: honouring Mani in the best way possible – with a load of live tunes and a good time.
In terms of those who will be playing on the night ahead of the aftershow, the likes of the equally legendary Peter Hook, Rowetta, The Kowloons, Jon McClure from Reverend and the Makers, plus many more, have been announced as part of the lineup.
There is also still a ‘AAA’ headliner still yet to be confirmed, so watch this space.
As for the Manichester afterparty at Gorilla, keep an eye out on socials for the ticket link to drop and, hopefully, we’ll see you there for a night to remember.
The Manchester-born clothing brand being worn by some brilliant Northern sporting talents
Danny Jones
Back in 2020, HEX MCR burst onto the casualwear and sporting apparel scene and quickly became a cult favourite not just around Greater Manchester, but within the boxing and combat sports world as a whole.
They may have been away for a little while, but now under new ownership and hoping to venture even further out into the fashion industry than ever, they’re definitely ones to watch.
We wouldn’t quite call it a comeback fight, but they’re definitely starting to make a splash on their return to the scene.
Having been acquired by Craig Chiocci, a Wigan-based entrepreneur who owns a telecommunication company of the same name, 2026 looks set to be the year you’ll see more of their label out and about than ever – in fact, they’re already teaming up with some more British boxing talents once again.
Calvin Moyo wearing HEXThe worker bee insignia is never far away*Adds to basket*HEX hoodies have always been popularCredit: HEX MCR (supplied)
Continuing their trend of backing Northern fighters, in particular, they’ll be backing Doncaster-born boxer, Dave ‘The White Rhino’ Allen, for his hometown bout against top heavyweight, Filip Hrgović.
Allen, 34, will face off against the Croatian pugilist at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday, 16 May – donning the latest HEX MCR gear ahead of the fight, of course.
It’s far from the first time their casualwear will have been worn by a well-known face, either; the Manc brand has also been represented by the likes of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Luke Brassfield – who’ll be fighting at BKFC Birmingham on Saturday, 30 May – as well as plenty of boxers.
Joe Howarth, Kian Hamilton, Liam Carrigan, and many others have all pulled on their hats, hoodies, graphic t-shirts and more.
Crediting the original founders, Luke Powell and Andy Gibson – who started the company as a pandemic project in 2020 – Chiocci said: “They did a fantastic job getting HEX to where it is. It grabbed my attention as I was a consumer first, who simply appreciated the exceptional designs and premium quality.
“Manchester and the North West are a hive of activity at the moment, producing the best creative people who are developing fantastic brands and designs in the fashion industry. HEX is one of those brands that has the potential to truly make an impact.”
Craig has made it abundantly clear that he’s got big plans for the future of the already popular independent business moving forward.
For instance, as part of this revival, they’ve just released a new line of headwear to their clothing range, made more premium than ever and with each piece showcasing the ‘HEX Worker Bee’ logo design on the side panel as a nod to the Northern Quarter and the city’s industrial origins.
Speaking to The Manc, he went on to add: “This is just the start, Dave has been very helpful to us in supporting our growth and seeing our vision for HEX within the Boxing scene, we can’t wait to repay the favour in supporting him in his upcoming fight.
“We think he will surprise a lot of people and get the result. He’s in fantastic shape. We are a brand formed from the back streets of Manchester, and we feel that the brand is suited to fighters who have to show true grit and resilience.”
If you fancy adding their latest stuff to your fits, you can help support a rising local indie by checking out the full HEX MCR collection right HERE.
Their new Hybrid Sports HatActor Adam Thomas wearing HEX(L-R) Dave Allen, Craig Chiocci, Liam CarriganWill ‘Brasshammer’ Brassfield win in HEX this month?Credit: Supplied