It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed in a televised press conference live to the nation last Saturday evening that a new four-week lockdown for England – which will be voted on in Parliament on Wednesday and is expected to come into force at 00:01 GMT on Thursday 5th November – would be introduced in an attempt to try to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Under lockdown restrictions, all hospitality venues are required to close, with the exemption of takeaway services.
“Many pubs, restaurants, cafes and food outlets are not allowed to trade during lockdown, and they have lots of food and drink in stock that may well end up in landfill if they aren’t sold before Wednesday night”, explains Charlotte Green from Manchester waste company TradeWaste.co.uk.
Some of the larger chain pubs have been selling pints of beer for discounted prices in an effort to clear out stocks and avoid huge waste.
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Manchester’s “Bavarian pleasure palace” Albert’s Schloss is among the venues selling pints for just £1.
Pub chain Wetherspoons had also commented on Monday that “any ales not sold between now and lockdown will have to be thrown away, so it’s better that customers can enjoy it at a great price while the pubs remain open”, and Mitchells & Butlers – one of the largest operators – reported that the first lockdown cost it £11 million in waste caused by extra beer in pubs ready for St Patrick’s Day celebrations, which of course did not happen.
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Charlotte Green continues: “The amount of potential waste caused by a sudden lockdown is staggering and could be as high as 307,500 pints in Manchester alone, however it’s thought that because of the length of notice, and the deals on offer, the wastage could be much less, which would be great news”
The big problem facing Manchester pubs and restaurants now though is that a third of their revenue is generated during the Halloween to New Year rush.
This is an important time for cashflow before heading into the quieter months of January and February.
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And the potential for significant food and drink waste is set to become even worse than it may have originally been due to the government’s national lockdown rules which do not allow pubs, bars and restaurants to sell takeaway alcohol.
“Everything needs to go before Thursday” concludes Green.
“So get down to your local Manchester pub and buy a pint, or order some food from your local restaurant, everything you buy this week helps them, and helps save it going down the drain or to landfill”.
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Hello Oriental opens new ‘seriously affordable’ Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre
Emily Sergeant
Manchester gem Hello Oriental is finally opening its new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre this weekend.
The renowned East Asian street food hub has already taken Manchester city centre by storm since opening its original venue at Circle Square, just off Oxford Road, back in February 2022, and been has receiving rave reviews ever since – with critics notably calling the experience “a lot of fun” and “seriously affordable”.
But now, the Manchester-founded brand has chosen the Trafford Centre as the first UK shopping centre location to bring its trademark street food dining concept to.
There’ll be more than 100 delicious dishes for customers to choose from when the new site opens in the Upper Orient this Saturday.
Hello Oriental has opened a new Asian food hall at the Trafford Centre / Credit: The Manc Group
Hello Oriental owners and childhood best friends, Ricky Yip and Azim Kourah, say they have selected some of the most popular dishes from the Manchester city centre site’s extensive menu for the new Trafford Centre restaurant.
This means diners at the Trafford Centre can enjoy traditional dishes from across East Asia – including a wide range of Dim Sum, hearty main dishes like Taiwanese pork belly with rice, traditional favourites like beef Ho fun, and loads of different Cantonese roast meats.
There’ll also be a wide selection of street food available, like Korean fried chicken, loaded katsu chicken fries, and three varieties of sticky chicken wings.
There’s also plenty for the little Mancs to tuck into too, as there’ll be a full kid’s menu available at the new Trafford Centre site, with options for both those with “adventurous” junior palates, to those who prefer “more familiar” tastes.
“We’re so excited to open in the Trafford Centre and give shoppers the chance to try our dishes from across East Asia,” commented co-owner, Ricky Yip, ahead of the new opening.
“Many of the dishes on the menu were enjoyed by Azim and I growing up, cooked by my family, or served in family restaurants, and it’s wonderful to see other families come to Hello Oriental to enjoy these flavours.”
Hello Oriental will be opening at the Trafford Centre this Saturday (1 February), with thousands of prizes to give away to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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A coffee shop in Manchester is giving away hundreds of FREE croissants today
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of croissants are being handed out for free today from a coffee shop in Manchester for a special reason.
In case you didn’t know, today (Thursday 30 January) is National Croissant Day, and apparently, Manchester is a city of serious pastry lovers, as the Cross Street branch of national coffee shop chain, Pret A Manger, is actually the top-selling Pret pastry shop in the whole of the UK – with the Chocolate Croissant, in particular, reigning supreme as the customer favourite.
Pret customers are said to devour around 17 million pastries a year, with the humble croissant being the most popular pick.
So, to celebrate Manchester’s love of sweet flaky pastries, and to mark National Croissant Day itself, Pret will be handing out a whopping 300 croissants for completely free of charge from its store on Cross Street, in the heart of the city centre.
A coffee shop in Manchester is giving away hundreds of free croissants today / Credit: PICRYL
You can claim one of the 300 free croissants with any coffee purchase today, but it’s only while stocks last, so you’ll need to be quick.
There’s three different croissants to choose from – the All Butter, Chocolate, or Almond Croissant.
“At Pret, we pride ourselves on serving our customers pastries freshly baked that same day,” commented Anna Tebbs, who is the UK Head of Food at Pret, ahead of the big giveaway.
“With around 17 million pastries sold each year, it’s clear our customers can’t get enough of these flaky favourites, so we’re thrilled to celebrate National Croissant Day by giving back to croissant fans with a special treat.
They’re only available for one day from Pret on Cross Street / Credit: Supplied
“Whether it’s a classic All Butter or a rich Croissant Almond, there’s a pastry for every taste, and a day like this is all about enjoying them to the fullest.”
To get your hands on a buttery flaky croissant to start your day, all you’ll need to do is visit the Cross Street Pret shop today, the earlier the better to be sure there’s still some left, and order any barista-made coffee drink, then you’ll get to pick which type of croissant you’d like to take away with you.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd November 2020 
