Champagne drinkers are being advised to think carefully before pouring themselves a glass of fizz this week, as a man has died after drinking from a spiked bottle.
Moët & Chandon Imperial Ice bottles are being recalled over fears they may have been contaminated with potentially lethal doses of the class-A substance MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
A food safety watchdog has reported that there have been a series of reports of ecstasy poisoning amongst people who have drunk bottles of Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial last month.
The first (and, according to its makers, the only) champagne designed to be drunk over ice has caused problems for a number of drinkers, with eleven people falling seriously ill last month as a result of the contamination.
One man in Germany has tragically died as a result of consuming the laced champagne.
Several incidents have occurred involving the three-litre double-magnum bottles, causing the drinkers to become very unwell in both Germany and the Netherlands.
The Times reports that Herald Georg Z, 52, died after drinking a glass of the tainted champagne whilst dining in a restaurant in the Upper Palatinate region of Germany.
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According to authorities, the bottle from which the man had drunk contained as much as 100g of MDMA.
On average an ecstasy pill contains 75 to 100mg, meaning that the spiked bottle held roughly a thousand times more than what might be deemed ‘safe’ by some recreational users.
Eight other guests were also poisoned at the dinner event, which had been organised to celebrate a friends’ appearance on a TV dating show.
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Drug smugglers are suspected of lacing the bottles with drugs, according to reports in The Times of Malta, which adds that the champagne was likely emptied out and replaced with pure liquid ecstasy.
German police have said they think the bottle was delivered to the restaurant by mistake.
In the Netherlands, four more people found themselves taken seriously ill after drinking from bottles that had been ordered online.
“Touching and/or drinking the contents of the bottles is life-threatening,” said the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority in a statement.
They added: “Even dipping a fingertip in the liquid and tasting it can lead to serious health problems, even without swallowing. Taking a small sip can be fatal.”
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.
Georgina Pellant -
7th March 2022 
