Food & Drink
Salt & Pepper announces its Arndale Market stall is permanently closing
The council say it will cost £100k for a new extraction system
Beloved Chinese street food restaurant Salt & Pepper has announced the shock closure of its stall in the Arndale Market.
A lunch time staple for hundreds of city centre dwellers, Salt & Pepper has experienced overwhelming success in its current location, where it has been serving a menu of Eastern and Western cuisines – including its famous sticky chicken, salt and pepper prawns and salt and pepper fries – since 2019.
However, the owners of the restaurant took to social media over the weekend to announce that they have been left with no choice but to pack up from their spot in the market.
Their social media post reads: “Due to the limited facilities in the Arndale Market, we’re no longer able to keep trading in this space.
“If you’ve been to the market, you’d know there isn’t much of an extraction system on our side (to expel smoke and smells), and the council (who run the market) have said it’s our responsibility to fix this because of the popularity of our stall.”
Their post went on to explain that the council has said it is unwilling to extend the restaurant’s lease unless they invest upwards of £100,000 to put in their own extraction system.
The owners went on to say they are ‘absolutely gutted’, and have been ‘trying to figure out how to keep our amazing staff employed and our business dreams alive’.
However, this doesn’t signal the end to Salt & Pepper.
@saltpeppermcr / Instagram
The post went on to reveal that there will ‘hopefully be some exciting news in the near future’, before adding that they will be continuing their residency at Black Dog Ballroom, where they’ll now be opening from 12pm so you can still get your dinnertime fix.
They wrote: “They’ve [Black Dog Ballroom] kindly let us open from 12pm and will make sure the food and service matches our standards in the Arndale. Deliveroo will also be available all day.”
Their post concluded: “It’s a sad end of an era but we’re committed to keeping going and keeping serving you guys some good scran – wherever the location.”
A Manchester City Council spokesperson addressed the situation, saying: “Salt and Pepper have become so successful that our current extraction system is not capable of handling the level of smoke that originates from their stall, which posed a health and safety risk for other traders in the market.
“We have been working with the company since late 2020 to try and supply an improved extraction system. Manchester City Council deny the claims that Salt and Pepper have been asked to pay £100k for this.
“We considered several options, including offering alternative trading locations. Nevertheless, it was decided that we could not offer Salt and Pepper a new lease on Health and Safety grounds.
“We have supported Salt and Pepper by allowing them to trade for a period of time on a licence whilst they found alternative arrangements and wish them luck in their future endeavours.”
Salt and Pepper will be open in Black Dog Ballroom from 12pm every day. You can also order for delivery from their menu on Deliveroo.
Food & Drink
Gordon Ramsay’s 1930s Tokyo-inspired restaurant is opening next month
This looks phenomenal!
Bookings are now open for Gordon Ramsay’s highly anticipated 1930s Tokyo-inspired restaurant in Manchester.
Michelin-starred celebrity chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay is thrilled to announce the grand opening of Lucky Cat, in Manchester, on Thursday June 1st.
This marks the first major opening for Ramsay in the city and the second Lucky Cat worldwide, further cementing the region’s reputation as a leading destination for food, drink, and entertainment.
Reservations are now open ready for the Japanese-inspired restaurant’s June debut — which will offer an unrivalled dining experience at the top of King Street.
The Manchester location promises to be a dining experience like no other, capturing the essence of the original Mayfair eatery in the very heart of the city in a truly iconic building —the old HSBC Bank and former home of fellow celebrity chef venture Jamie’s Italian.
Situated at the top of King Street with its upmarket retailers and designer stores, the venue resides within a breath-taking and fitting Art Deco building, standing majestically alongside Manchester’s iconic Gotham Hotel.
The restaurant spans three floors — meaning the building’s famous Bank Vault will be in use once again — and features opulent dining vaults, paying homage to the building’s heritage while offering a dining experience like no other to the city of Manchester.
In addition to the main restaurant, there are also extensive private dining spaces and private bars to elevate every event.
Lucky Cat masterfully fuses the vibrant atmosphere of 1930s Tokyo kissas and drinking dens. Diners can expect the ultimate dining experience, complete with world class wines and cocktails, and live DJ sets.
Embark on a gastronomic journey of culinary icons, such as succulent black cod, sumptuous sirloin weeping tiger and the legendary Lucky Cat Duck Bao. Journey onward to the ocean’s depths with sublime sushi and raw dishes, from tuna tartar to mouth-watering dragon rolls.
An innovative cocktail list includes the one-of-a-kind Lucky Negroni, where the gin in your drink is determined by a captivating game of chance.
With three dice hidden inside a mysterious box, the numbers rolled will unlock the perfect combination of gins, vermouths, and bitters destined for your drink. With a staggering 216 possible combinations, each Lucky Negroni will be a personalised, exhilarating experience, crafted by fate itself.
Gordon Ramsay shares his unbridled enthusiasm for the project, with a nod to Manchester’s vibrant dining scene, saying: “I’ve toured and worked in much of Asia over the years, and the culture, the flavours, and the incredible cooking truly inspire me.
“Manchester is renowned for its thriving culinary landscape, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
“We’re fired up to build on the phenomenal success of our Mayfair restaurant and bring something truly exceptional to the people of Manchester this Summer. I can’t wait for Lucky Cat to make its mark in this fantastic city!”
Book now to be among the first to experience this world-class dining destination — tables are expected to fill up fast.
Bookings can be made on the website or call 0161 424 9150 for restaurant and group reservations, or 0207 5921373 for private dining and event enquiries.
Food & Drink
McDonald’s launches new dipping sauces for nugs including garlic mayo and mega hot
Big news for Maccies lovers!
McDonald’s has launched a new menu range including four top tier limited edition dips.
The fast food giant has announced an impressive new menu to come as we sadly wave goodbye to the Chicken Big Mac — for now.
The chain’s brand spanking new range of mouth watering food items will feature the return of an old favourite with the option of its spicy counterpart, as well as some tasty new dips fans have long been waiting for.
The Big Tasty is coming back as well as the Big Tasty with Bacon, and a new addition set to make your taste buds tingle…the Spicy Big Tasty.
Just like the original, the Spicy Big Tasty will be made with a 100% beef patty, Emmental cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and Big Tasty sauce, with a ‘jalapeño twist’.
But the burgers aren’t the only exciting new addition to the menu.
We’ve all been banging on about sauce flavour suggestions and it seems McDonald’s has been listening.
As our beloved McNuggets turn 40 this year, to celebrate a whopping four decades, Maccies is offering four limited edition dips that will land throughout the month.
From May 10th, you’ll be able to get your hands on a fiery Mega Hot Sauce dip, as well as a long-awaited new Garlic Mayo, which promises a ‘delicious creamy garlic flavour’.
The franchise says that fans have been asking for a Garlic Mayo since forever — so, if you’ve ever needed an excuse to treat yourself to a cheeky box of nugs, now’s your chance.
Then, on May 31st, you’ll be able to grab a new smokey and spicy Chipotle Mayo as well as an American favourite, Creamy Ranch dip — which McDonald’s call ‘the best thing to come from across the pond’.
The sauces will be available for a mystery length of time, ‘until stocks last’.
McDonald’s released the iconic McNugget back in 1979. It was an instant hit that the chain couldn’t keep up with demand.
Chef René Arend, who perfected the McNugget, revealed that McDonald’s couldn’t actually supply that much chicken. By 1983, this was fixed — and the McNugget was officially born.
The chain makes our beloved nugs in four shapes: the bell, the bow-tie, the ball and the boot.
And if that’s not enough, there’s more exciting items coming our way. Everyone’s favourite sidekick, Halloumi Fries, are also making a comeback.
For those who have never had the pleasure, it’s a portion of ‘four delicious halloumi cheese sticks coated in a light batter, served with a rich tomato dip’.
That’s all the savoury items, now for something sweet. Fans of the food can also expect to find old classics, Wispa and Wispa Gold McFlurrys.
These are made up of ‘soft dairy ice cream, swirled with Wispa chocolate pieces and a chocolate sauce’, and ‘soft dairy ice cream with Wispa chocolate pieces and a Cadbury caramel sauce’.
We can’t wait to try these!
Food & Drink
There’s a drive-in cake bakery in Greater Manchester serving up incredible scran
How’s that for convenience?!
There’s now a dreamy drive-thru cakery in Greater Manchester — yes, that’s right.
Wonderlust Bistro and Bakery on Library Lane, Oldham, first opened in February and is a real family affair headed by baker, Saarah Chowdry, brother Mohammed and mum Shelley Rahman.
Their incredible decadent sweet treats and bakes are to die for and have been sending locals wild as they harp on about this little Oldham gem.
Even The Oldham Times has said it could ‘rival any Manchester bistro’. It’s hard to miss this slice of heaven with its bright pink exterior with purple hues and dreamy clouds offering a piece of paradise for hungry visitors.
This wonderland offers a mouth-watering menu too. Not only is it filled with all things sweet and cake-like, it also offers bistro dishes ranging from roast dinners, to corn dogs, fry-ups, pancake stacks and more.
The demand for their treats has rocketed to the point that the team has recently launched its own ‘car service’. This means that visitors can easily pull up, place an order and have their gooey goodies brought directly to them.
With its opening times from 5pm until midnight, this is definitely the place to go for a cheeky late-night treat.
It’s a paradise for those with a sweet tooth who can choose from anything ranging from Jammy Dodger and Kinder Hippo cupcakes, Biscoff-stuffed cheesecake, milk cake, Snickers brownies and Nutella-filled cookies, all on offer from the bakery.
Here’s how to take advantage of the bakery’s new cake-to-car service: Those driving in for the car service are asked to park in the bakery and bistro’s rear car park.
Sharing the update in an Instagram post, the Wonderlust team wrote: “Due to overwhelming demand, we are introducing our car service for Wonderlust Bistro & Wonderlust Bakery! You can place your order via 07531557354 for food, cakes & drinks.
“How to order: (Open from 5pm – 12am Wednesday- Saturday)
“- Park in our car park
“- Call 07531557354
“- Place your order and provide your reg plate
“- Someone will bring your order out and we’ll take payment via cash & card”
(Wonderlust Bistro, Library Ln, Oldham, OL9 6DZ . Open 5pm-12am Wednesday- Saturday).
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