If you know what makes a special spud or a how to build a ‘roast worth a boast’, The Botanist have got the perfect weekend job for you.
Famed for its Hanging Kebab, The Botanist is looking to hire a ‘pro-tato tester’ to ensure its brand-new Sunday sharing roast menu is as much-loved – and well-known – as its iconic dish.
The role has been created to celebrate The Botanist’s new ‘family-style’ sharing roasts – where guests choose from one of five perfectly-roasted meats or a vegan wellington all served with a Yorkshire pudding, alongside sharing boards of maple glazed carrots, signature roast potatoes, minted greens, and jugs of gravy.
Guests can select from Roast Sirloin of Beef with horseradish sauce, Roast Chicken, Pot Roast Lamb Shoulder with mint sauce, Slow Roast Honey Glazed Pork Belly with apple sauce or Celeriac, Mushroom and Pearl Barley Wellington in a creamy porcini sauce, encased in puff pastry (vegan).
Photo by Jack Kirwin -JK Photography-
The pro-tato testers will also have a ‘side-hustle’ to ensure The Botanist’s Sunday side boards – perfect to share between two or three people – is as good as the main event. The side boards contain all four of The Botanist’s favourite sides: Shorrocks Lancashire Cauliflower Cheese with parmesan crumb, Creamed Cabbage with smoked bacon, Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls with sour cherries and Pigs in Blankets in cranberry glaze.
James Scott, Executive Chef, “One thing we’ve definitely missed over the last year is sitting down and sharing a roast with our nearest and dearest. Our latest Botanist roast menu is designed with those moments in mind. I’m hoping the Pro-tato Tester can help us ensure our roast is always worth sharing.
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We actively collect reviews from every plate served through our short end-of-meal survey via our Yumpingotablets, so this position is a natural extension of how important feedback is for us in making sure every Roast is worth sharing”
The Botanist, which has 22 locations from Newcastle down to Exeter, have a track record of food roles with over 1000 applicants for their previous foodie job in 2018 of Yorkshire Pudding Taste Tester.
If you prefer to enjoy your weekends off, then The Botanist sharing roasts can be booked here.
What's On
Victoria Baths is ‘resurrecting’ its popular spooky silent disco this Halloween
Emily Sergeant
Halloween is on its way, and Silence of the Baths is being ‘resurrected’ for another year.
Returning for a ‘fright night of thrills’ after a sell-out debut in 2023, and then for a smash-hit revival of three of Manchester’s most iconic fallen nightclubs in 2024, Victoria Baths has announced that Silence of the Baths will be returning for its third year, transforming the stunning Grade II-listed building into one of the spookiest settings this Halloween.
For the popular one-off event, Victoria Baths is set to ‘show its darker side’, as the pool halls, Turkish Baths, and labyrinth of spaces undergo an epic Halloween makeover.
Victoria Baths is teaming up with Girls on Film for one of the best nights in the city this Halloween, as the historic space becomes a ‘haunted haven’ of glamour and ghosts.
Partygoers are encouraged to dress the part and wander through the empty pools and haunted corridors as each space is transformed into spooky playground filled with ghouls, spiders, bats, and coffins – but most importantly, good times.
From the balcony above the former pool, the Girls on Film crew will take over the silent disco with a trio of DJs on three different channels.
Hattie Pearson will be on Channel 1, Meme Gold on Channel 2, and the Channel 3 will have DJ MXw0rld.
Victoria Baths is ‘resurrecting’ its popular spooky silent disco this Halloween / Credit: Chris Payne (via Supplied)
As mentioned, ticketholders are being encouraged to ‘dress to distress’ on the night, not only because it’s Halloween, but also because the person with the most haunting look has the chance to win a Halloween Swag Bag.
There’ll be plenty of elixirs and spirits to sip on all night long, and don’t forget to strike a pose against the Baths’ iconic backdrop.
The Silence of the Baths III: The Return will take over Victoria Baths on Saturday 25 October, with doors creaking open from 7:30pm, and tickets are now on sale here and setting you back £20 each (plus a booking fee).
The event sold out last year, so early ticket purchase is recommended
All ticket purchases support the work of The Victoria Baths Trust to preserve Victoria Baths, so that communities can continue to enjoy this inspiring building.
Featured Image – Chris Payne (via Supplied)
What's On
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year
Emily Sergeant
Legendary musical CATS will be taking to the stage here in Manchester next year.
A brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation, CATS, will embark on a major UK tour from summer 2026 following an open-air residency at Regent Park in London – including dates at Manchester’s prestigious Palace Theatre in November.
Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history.
The show originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.
Since its world premiere, the musical has been presented in more than 54 countries, translated into 23 languages, and has been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide – collecting a number of awards along the way.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year / Credit: Feast Creative
This new production of CATS is produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, as part of Drew McOnie’s second season as Artistic Director, and it marks the third Andrew Lloyd Webber title produced by the venue in the last decade.
Unfamiliar with the show? CATS tells the story of the Jellicle cats.
From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one.
With a legendary score featuring well-known songs like Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, TheJellicle Ball, and, of course, the chart-topping hit Memory, this brand-new production of CATS is gearing up to be one of the best theatrical events of 2026.
“I am very excited to see a totally new production of CATS back on the stage where it belongs,” creator Andrew Lloyd Webber said on the show’s return. “I can think of no-one better than Drew McOnie to bring a new vision to the world of the Jellicles.”
Casting and the full creative team is set to be announced in due course, as is the on-sale date and link for tickets, so keep your eyes peeled.
The Manc -
3rd September 2021 
