Food & Drink
Drinking hot chocolate can make you smarter, study finds
Best stock up then.
A new study has found that drinking hot chocolate can temporarily increase a person’s intelligence.
The University of Birmingham has found that when given cocoa to drink participants in the research performed cognitive tasks better than those who hadn’t been given cocoa.
It’s worth noting though, only 18 people participated in the study and they were all men.
But – cocoa did improve the cognitive thinking of the men! And it’s all down to the ‘flavanol’.
‘Flavanols’ naturally occur in fruit and vegetables as well as cocoa beans and are already known for their benefits to the cardiovascular system.
The cocoa beans in the experiment contained high levels of flavanols. The study suggests that drinking this flavanol enriched cocoa temporarily increased the blood oxygen saturation levels. And more oxygen enables a person to think more clearly!
The research was done to help empower people to make better choices when it comes to food and drink.
Researcher, Dr Rendeiro, said: “Our results showed a clear benefit for the participants taking the flavanol-enriched drink – but only when the task became sufficiently complicated.
“We can link this with our results on improved blood oxygenation – if you’re being challenged more, your brain needs improved blood oxygen levels to manage that challenge.
“It also further suggests that flavanols might be particularly beneficial during cognitively demanding tasks.”
So while it doesn’t necessarily mean we should start chugging hot chocolate 24 hours a day, it does point out how vital vitamins and minerals are in our health and well being.
If you do want to go all out and make the ultimate festive hot chocolate inspired charcuterie board, check out these here.
Food & Drink
Lazy Sundae opens this weekend with bao ice cream sandwiches and other goodies
Serving up ice cream, pancakes, bubble tea and much more
Lazy Sundae’s grand opening is happening this weekend, on Saturday May 8th, and if you have a sweet tooth you’re not going to want to miss it.
The first 50 customers through the door can get their hands on some exclusive goodie bags, filled with things like Lazy Sundae tropical-themed cutlery, a Lazy bottle (premium bubble tea with a panna cotta pudding/aloe vera base) and a Tote Bag.
Lazy Sundae’s menu consists of three core elements: Premium Bubble Tea, Souffle Pancakes and Artisan Ice Creams.
All drinks are handmade and fresh to order with specials including their Strawberry Matcha Oat Latte and ‘Lazy Bottles’ that include a panna cotta pudding base.
Manchester’s Finest
Manchester’s Finest
The ice cream offering features a range of popular cultural flavours, including Milo, Cereal Milk, Taro and Vietnamese Ice Coffee, and they even do a pineapple bao ice cream sandwich.
Lazy Sundae was meant to open a year ago but was postponed due to the Covid pandemic, but this gave the team time to hone and perfect their delicious treats.
Founder Jacqueline Dang is an entrepreneur with a background in setting up Manchester’s first bubble tea store, Bobo Tea situated in Manchester Arndale.
She says Lazy Sundae is a ‘space where people can enjoy our products and be culturally educated on Asian inspired desserts, we want to be able to share our love for travel inspired flavours and desserts from the Far East with a modern twist’.
Manchester’s Finest
Manchester’s Finest
Co-founder Kwoklun Dang added: “Customers can expect to be transported somewhere warm, our flavours are inspired by some of our favourite destinations around the world.”
He lists Bali, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong as sources of inspiration for the range of products on offer.
Both founders are dog lovers and as a result Lazy Sundae will be a pooch friendly establishment – there’ll also be a dog friendly lactose free ice cream available.
Lazy Sundae will be open every day from 12pm to 8pm, and is located in the Northern Quarter, at 108 Tib Street, M4 1LR.
Give them a follow on Instagram here to stay up to date.
Food & Drink
There’s a pub with a huge beer garden next to Manchester Airport’s runway
Perfect for watching the world go by
One of the best parts of waiting to jet off for a holiday is having a pint or two or three in the airport before take off.
Sadly we can’t experience this joy at the moment, as international travel is currently off the cards due to lockdown restrictions.
What we can do, however, is head down to the airport for the next best thing – a drink in a huge beer garden directly beside one of Manchester Airport’s runways.
The Airport
The Airport pub is situated next to one of the airport’s fully functioning runways, meaning you can watch the world come and go while you enjoy a drink.
The pub is the ideal spot to dream of your next holiday while we all wait for on update on when we can go abroad again, or just for enjoying a few drinks with mates while watching the planes.
When the pub reopens inside on May 17th you’ll be able to head indoors and take a seat in one of the booths, which are designed to look like circular turbine engines.
The Airport
The dining area also features floor-to-ceiling glass windows meaning you can also watch the planes come and go from inside the venue.
The menu includes classics like burgers, pizzas, ribs, and fish and chips, as well as plenty of breakfast options – there’s also going to be a brand new menu introduced on May 17th.
The Airport
The bar is fully stocked with beers, wines, gins, cocktails and whatever else you fancy, and they’re even doing 20% off fizz from 5pm-10pm on Fridays.
The Airport pub is open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm for walk-ins only, and is located at Ringway Rd, Manchester, M22 5WH.
You can find more information on the website here.
Food & Drink
Printworks is reopening on May 17th with some big food and drink offers
‘We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back and helping visitors make up for lost time’
Manchester’s very own Printworks is reopening on Monday May 17th and it’s got some very special offers to welcome back guests with.
The iconic venue plans to ‘help Mancunians make up for lost time’ when it throws open its doors later this month.
Featuring a big screen cinema, pub lunches and everything in between, Manchester’s number one entertainment venue is looking forward to welcoming everyone back for indoor drinks, dining and entertainment.
Smabs Sputzer (1956-2017) / Flickr
Places like Vue Cinema, Treetop Adventure Golf, Frankie and Benny’s, Escape Reality have confirmed that they will be welcoming visitors from May 17th, alongside many other venues.
Jason Shay, Centre Director at Printworks, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back and helping visitors make up for lost time and creating memories to last a lifetime!
“Sit back and relax with family and friends, and leave the cooking and days out to Printworks with delicious indoor dining and entertainment.
“We’ll be making sure the reopening of Printworks goes smoothly and safely with plenty of safety measures in place to protect visitors and staff.”
Brian Barnett / Flickr
And to celebrate the reopening of indoor dining and entertainment, Printworks has some exclusive offers for everyone:
Bierkeller
You can get exclusive student offers when you sign up for a student card, including 50% off food Monday to Friday, £5 on selected cocktails, £2.50 pints and more.
Escape Reality
Save money with 50% off any weekday before June 18th. Claim the offer by booking ahead and using the code WEAREBACK50.
Frankie and Benny’s
Register with Frankie and Benny’s Rewards online for a free main meal or one bottle of Prosecco (worth £10) to celebrate on your birthday. Make sure you sign up in advance as vouchers are sent via email 10 days before your birthday. Vouchers are valid for 50 days from the date of the email. T&Cs apply.
Tenpin
Tenpin has plenty of offers and discounts available throughout the week including 50% off bowling and drinking on Tenpin Tuesdays, 25% off on Fridays, one game for a family of four from £23.20 and more.
Vue Cinema
You can catch a kids’ film from £2.49 for both children and adults at Vue Cinema’s mini mornings.
Walkabout
Grab some discounted drinks every Friday and Saturday from 3pm onwards, including 2 for £12 cocktails.
Wasabi
As a thank you to hardworking NHS staff, Wasabi is offering a 30% discount off food and drinks for all NHS workers – just bring your NHS ID card.
Printworks will be following the current government guidelines for health and safety measures, like the Rule of 6 or two households only for all indoor venues, and it’s asking people to book in advance where possible.
For more information head over to the Printworks website here.
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Printworks is giving away more prizes at another huge interactive quiz next week
New public toilets opened in Piccadilly Gardens by Manchester council
Line of Duty’s Martin Compston is coming to Stockport to film a new crime drama
Lazy Sundae opens this weekend with bao ice cream sandwiches and other goodies
