Keen cook? Know your way around the kitchen? Rate yourself as a bit of chef?
Well it’s time to put your money where your mouth is, as everyone’s favourite Channel 4 cooking competition Come Dine With Me is heading back to our TV screens for another new series, and people from Greater Manchester and the surrounding areas being encouraged to stick an application in.
Gearing up for its 18th and 19th series on air, producers ITV Studios and Come Dine With Me’s casting directors are currently on the look out for new contestants who enjoy cooking with a competitive streak.
First airing all the way back in 2005 and now having more series’ than we care to count, Come Dine With Me is a real pillar of British 00s television, with a voice-over presenter armed with a never-ending list of witty comments and comebacks, and a theme song that builds tension like no other.
Come Dine With Me is a real pillar of British 00s television / Credit: Channel 4
It’s also known for having some of the quirkiest ‘characters’ to grace our television screens.
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But while we all have our favourite contestants from over the years, there’s always room for more to make an impact – so if you consider yourself a decent home cook and reckon you can handle entertaining four strangers over the course of a week, what are you waiting for?
That £1,000 cash prize could be yours before you know it.
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If you want to be a part of the new series, you just have to be over 18 years and a legal UK resident to apply, and get your application in before the closing date of 10 September 2021.
11 Greater Manchester spots have been named among the UK’s Top 100 Curry Restaurants
Danny Jones
In another feather for Greater Manchester’s culinary cap, a total of 11 different Greater Manchester businesses have been named in this year’s list of the Top 100 Curry Restaurants in the UK.
Everyone knows how good the Asian food scene is here, so this comes as little surprise, really.
Nevertheless, we will absolutely be toasting these wins on behalf of all those by booking into at least one of the excellent foodie venues before the month is out – if they have any reservations left, that is.
Some of these names may not shock you, but we’re glad to see some really good up-and-coming independents or long-overlooked veterans finally getting their recognition. Here’s who made the cut across our ten boroughs, in no particular order (at least not ours, anyway).
The best places for a curry in Britain – Greater Manchester
1. Tyga – Manchester city centre
Formerly the site of Asha’s, which was already a much-loved Manc spot, the new chapter for the modern Indian restaurant on Peter St is a nice balance of authentic Rajasthani cuisine and more contemporary, elevated takes on Indo-Chinese dishes.
Another central spot located near the lively university area in and around Oxford Road Corridor, Peace Garden opened up back in 2022 and has gone on to become a hit with much more than just the students living nearby. Give it a try sometime soon.
The very grand spin-off of the original location in Levenshulme – now renamed as MyNawaab – the Royal Nawaab that has now been open for over a year inside the old Co-op pyramid next to the M60. They have also received a notable review from a highly renowned food journalist…
The third and final spot shouted out from within the city might make you double-take, aside from the seafood also do an incredible Japanese curry beef dish. Find out more about what they offer HERE.
Heading out into the borough of Bolton now, and arguably historic Lancashire depending on who you ask, Ayaan’s on Old Road has thousands of fantastic reviews ranging from four to five stars, and remains a renowned regional curry house. Here they are winning the best of the bunch last year:
A beautiful banquet hall and restaurant just on the outskirts of Cheetham and the Green Quarter, Al Maidah is a regular spot for big weddings or pretty much any special occasion, and it goes without saying that they do some incredible curries. They’ve come a long way over the past decade.
Finally heading over towards the direction of Curry Mile, we were expecting more places from the famous district to be named, to be honest, but we’ll definitely take Bardez, which also has a Didsbury restaurant. They do all-you-can-eat buffets, but from memory, chicken chettinad is the one…
Jadugar over in Alty hasn’t even been open for a year yet, but it’s already become the place to go out for a curry in the Trafford market town, with footballers and various other famous faces now making it one of their regular haunts. You can check out their menu online.
9. Purple Olive Ashton – Ashton-under-Lyne
Tameside natives will know this one well, but for those who may not be aware, the Purple Olive branch in Ashton is much more than part of a larger charger chain: this is the best of the bunch, quite literally – that’s why it made its way onto the list. So if you’re over Ashton way any time soon, why not pop in?
10. Spice Mafia – Urmston
Winging our way back to Trafford once again, this next bunch are no strangers to winning awards or picking up this accolade in particular, as cult favourite Spice Mafia has also been named once again. In fact, they earn their place on the list pretty much every year at this point:
Last but not least, ‘The Plaza‘; we confess we’ve only been there for one very messy night, but before it all went a bit fuzzy, we do remember we had some incredible scran, and you can see why so many people swear by it as increasingly not-so-quietly one of the best curry houses in Greater Manchester.
Before we wrap this up to takeaway, special shout-outs go to Ruchi Restaurant in the neighbouring Derbyshire town of Glossop, as well as another relatively nearby village venue, Sigiriya Grill in Knutsford.
Once again, these places have been hailed as not just some of the best curry houses in the region or even the North West, but in the ENTIRE country, according to the Asian Catering Federation (ACF) – a big honour, indeed.
Spotlighting venues that not only deliver top-notch food and drink with great service, but also serve as important community hubs, support the wider hospitality industry and maintain high standards, it’s no mean feat making your way into this round-up.
Manchester City reveal new state-of-the-art women’s football facility
Danny Jones
Manchester City Football Club has finally unveiled its brand-new women’s football facility as their home base moves across to another section of the ever-growing Etihad Campus.
Costing more than £10m in total redevelopment costs, the new training ground and all-round squad hub aims to set a new industry standard.
First announced back in January 2024, the state-of-the-art complex was revealed in full this Wednesday, 13 May, being met with a strong reception from the senior women’s squad and Man City supporters in general.
To help celebrate the opening, City Football Group (CFG) Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak travelled into the city to be one of the first through the doors.
Spanning well over 170,000 feet, the multi-million-pound facility marks one of the most significant investments in female football history.
With sector-leading technology installed in virtually every corner of the space, club captain and Euros-winning Lioness Alex Greenwood told Sky Sports, “It’s incredible […[ We’re very lucky that we get to call this home. The building is absolutely brilliant and has everything that we need.”
Going on to express her excitement over this being her new place of work, she mentioned that all City Women stars had input over things to include in the plans and how they wanted it to look, as did members of the wider staff.
Not just now an ‘elite level performance centre’, but where these talented young sportswomen will be spending so much of their time, she and her teammates believe they got it spot on, declaring that “this is taking it to a whole new level.”
She also noted that at least one of the rooms is the one where the squad watched the Arsenal vs Brighton draw, which sealed their first league title in a decade, so there’s already been some great memories made there.
Here’s a quick fly-through of the impressive achievement…
— Manchester City Women (@ManCityWomen) May 13, 2026
The new digs are also much more than just a training ground; according to the club, besides player preparation and recovery and minimising injuries, with a world-class gym as well as other strength and conditioning facilities, it includes dedicated medical, rehab and physio spaces.
Hydrotherapy and advanced recovery areas have also been built, with MCWFC’s circular dressing room at the heart of the whole building.
Writing on the club website, Man City Women Managing Director, Charlotte O’Neill, said: “After years of planning, designing and constructing, we are proud to open our new world-class space that we believe offers some of the very best facilities in women’s sport in the UK.
“This building is about so much more than bricks and mortar; it is about creating an environment where our players can thrive, where standards are set at the very highest level, and where the current squad has everything it needs to continue to compete for and win silverware.
She went on to say, “It is also a clear statement of our ambition to continue to develop and attract the very best talent in world football.” It’s also worth noting that this will further free up other EDS (elite development squad) and youth academy outfits to make use of existing buildings.
Khaldoon echoed a similar sentiment, adding that this new addition to the wider Etihad Campus “reflects the scale of our ambition for Manchester City Women and our long-term belief in the future of the women’s game.”
It looks to be a pretty staggering upgrade; there’s no doubt about that.
As for the rest of the campus, along with the soon-to-open on-site hotel, we also now have more details regarding the accompanying Medlock Square that is also set to launch in tandem.
Emily Sergeant -
6th August 2021 
