Gary Usher – one of the most celebrated chefs on the North West food scene – is set to star in a new Channel 4 show hitting screens soon.
Presented by Anna Richardson, How to Save a Grand in 24 Hours sees a team of experts help cash-strapped families to cut costs and reduce outgoings “amidst one of the most unpredictable financial periods of our times”, and is set to feature a different family each week.
The families will be given a financial makeover from the “crack team” of specialists.
According to Channel 4, the team will perform a money-saving pincer-movement on every area of the families’ lives, from DIY and home-improvement, to cookery, beauty and lifestyle, and “genius financial tips” will be combined with the practical skills that we all need to keep our bills to a minimum.
The Elite Bistros boss – home to KALA in Manchester city centre, HISPI in Didsbury, and a number of other restaurants across the North West region – will handle the food side of things, sharing tips for cooking affordable, tasty, healthy meals.
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He is well-known for his crowdfunding success, which has helped to finance his restaurant group.
Channel 4
Joining Usher for the task, is Eve Humphreys, who will show the families a series of budget DIY and decorating tips, and Peachy Clean, who will provide organisation hacks, and as the team reveal how to reduce everyday spending and the savings mount up, the clock counts down as they show us “how possible it is to save £1,000 in 24 hours”.
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While often shying away from television and other media appearances, this will be the second Channel 4 show Usher has starred in, following the documentary The Rebel Chef: My Restaurant Revolution in 2019.
Although no official air date has been confirmed for the show as of yet, if Gary’s recent tweets are anything to go by, it should be on screens in the coming weeks.
Speaking ahead of the show’s air, Clemency Green – Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 – said: “I’m so excited to be bringing this brilliant gang together. They’re a crack team who will really help people wrangle their finances and learn some amazing new skills [and] I can’t wait to see them in action.”
Keep your eyes peeled.
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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.
Emily Sergeant -
8th January 2021 
