Coronation Street star Colson Smith has been on quite the weight loss journey this year and he puts a big part of his transformation down to the “proper food” Manchester-based meal delivery service Fit Chef provides him.
Smith – a regular on Manchester’s most famous cobbles since 2011 playing Craig Tinker – has been regularly sharing updates from his fitness journey on social media since the start of 2020 and most notably received an outpouring of support from stunned fans after taking to Instagram to share a post-run picture back in May.
The soap star made his return to screens for the first time since filming suspended during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown on Friday’s episode, and for his brief scene, Smith was seen looking much slimmer as his character with some even said that he looked “unrecognisable”.
This is all thanks to Fit Chef, a popular, healthy subscription meal service for busy people who love to eat but don’t have the time to cook. The meal prep business helped Colson drop the pounds for both his on-screen, and off-screen transformations, by providing him with restaurant quality food straight to his door every week.
Colson recently revealed his weight loss at the start of the UK coronavirus lockdown.
Speaking on his podcast Sofa Cinema Club – which he co-hosts with fellow Corrie actors Jack P Shepherd and Ben Price – about his weight loss journey particularly in conjunction with returning to film for Coronation Street, Colson said: “We are in direct continuity, but I’ve almost lost about ten stone since we left work,”
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“I might be wearing a wig and a fat suit when we go back,” he joked.
As well as attributing running, rowing and weight lifting to being fundamental parts of his transformation, and also calling No 1 Bootcamp – a fitness, weight loss and wellness retreat in Norfolk – his “second home” back in February, Colson has put a large part of his weight loss down to the “proper food” he’s been tucking into from Fit Chef.
The Manchester-based company is run by chefs Will Lee and Matt Williams – two professional cooks who knew meal prep was “top of the list” for Colson at the start of his fitness journey.
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Speaking to The Manc, Colson said: “At the start of the year, I sat down to plan out how I was going to make everything as easy as possible for myself [and] top of the list was meal prep.”
“I knew I wanted to keep normality in my food rather than your standard ‘Chicken, Rice & Peas’, so as soon as I saw FitChef’s menu, it just made sense.”
“Sweet Potato Hash for breakfast and Lamb Hot Pot for lunch? Yes please.”
He continued: “The first time I ever met Will & Matt, the brains behind Fitchef, we [just] clicked. They knew exactly what I was after.”
“It’s like eating from a restaurant every day, just with that hint of home love too”.
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Fit Chef UK
“Whenever people have spoken to me and asked what I’ve been eating, their normal reaction is a state of shock, but I guess that’s what Fit Chef stands for – it’s lifestyle thing,” he continued.
“Proper food, proper results.”
Colson regularly shares updates on his fitness journey via his Instagram.
The COVID-19 pandemic may have taken its toll on industries of all shapes and sizes over these past few months, but supporting local/independent business has never been more important than it is right now.
The Manc is #BuzzingToBeBack – find out more about eats in Manchester here.
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Data reveals Manchester hotel prices have ALREADY surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates
Emily Sergeant
Manchester hotel prices have apparently already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates, some new data has revealed.
Of course, absolutely nothing is set in stone yet and we are still yet to receive any form of announcement.
But with rumours having been swirling for months now that Oasis will be touring again in 2027, and several videos shared on the band’s social media platforms this week also hinting at that, it’s been revealed that searches for ‘when are Oasis tickets going on sale?’ have soared by 5,000% in the last seven days alone.
After recent data has pointed towards soaring searches for tickets, the experts at SeatPick decided to analyse the average cost of accommodation in Manchester on the suspected concert nights in June 2027 to uncover if prices have surged along with the searches.
Data reveals that Manchester hotel prices have already surged by 462% on rumoured Oasis tour dates / Credit: The Manc Group | Simon Emmett (Press Picture)
And lo and behold, it appears that they have.
The ticketing platform has revealed that hotel prices have surged by up to 462% during Oasis’ rumoured concert nights in Manchester.
The rumoured weekend date of 19 and 20 June has experienced the most noticeable price surge – with a two-star hotel costing an average of £216 for just one overnight stay.
The data also reveals that the rumoured finale on the 27 June has just a £95 difference between two-star hotels (£200) and five-star hotels (£295).
“Our analysis uncovered an enormous markup for local accommodation on nights that Oasis is rumoured to perform in Manchester,” explained Gilad Zilberman, who is the CEO at ticket platform SeatPick.
“Being aware of these accommodation costs and additional expenses can help fans plan and avoid being caught off guard by inflated prices on concert nights.
“To find the best deals on hotels, concertgoers should scan budget chains in the city or look slightly outside of the centre in hotspots served by local bus routes or regional trains, such as Salford and Trafford.
“Booking early might also be beneficial for fans dedicated to seeing the band perform.
“You can opt for free cancellation options, in case rumoured dates change, or you’re no longer able to attend.”
Featured Image – Point3D (via Unsplash)
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
10th August 2020 
