The council are looking into turning the streets and squares of Manchester into pedestrianised outdoor dining and drinking areas to kickstart the economy.
Areas in the Northern Quarter, Gay Village and the newly pedestrianised stretch of Deansgate all could see outdoor dining and drinking options on the pavements and road to help bring hospitality businesses back on their feet.
We’re all wondering when we will be able to get a frosty pint again in reopened pubs, but the latest updates from the government suggest those with outdoor seating will be open first, with some reports saying they could potentially reopen as early as June 22nd.
In a bid to get Manchester city centre’s hospitality industry up and running, the council are looking into ways to get more businesses the outdoor spaces they will need to reopen.
The council’s City Centre Chief has said a task force has been assembled to look into ways to bring together highways, licensing and planning officials to help businesses adapt after lockdown is lifted.
Currently, establishments must have three types of permits to have seating and trade outside; planning permission to do so, a premises licence, and a tables and chairs licence.
The government is reportedly relaxing restrictions and giving local authorities more power with regards to restaurants, pubs and bars expanding their outside areas.
Communities Secretary Robert Jendrick has already said he is considering granting blanket permission for tables and chairs in pedestrianised areas.
Manchester is also working on adapting the tables and chairs license, including speeding up the process so more businesses can take advantage of the trade throughout summer.
Many factors have to align before these things can take place, the R rate needs to reduce, and pedestrian use, traffic flow and the interest of residents and general public safety all need to be addressed.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “The council is committed to doing everything within our power to support businesses and the economy of the city as we recover from the unprecedented impact of COVID-19.
“Its effects have been incredibly disruptive and we are under no illusion that recovery will be a challenging process.
“We have made it clear to the government that we need the regulatory power to help businesses get back to work in ways that are both safe but also profitable. Planning and licensing laws are there for a good reason – but it is clear that this is a time for pragmatism and flexibility.”
Quentin Dr / Unsplash
The government has yet to announce its guidelines for the reopening of the hospitality industry but like many, it is expected to look very different to what it did pre-lockdown.
What do you think, should Manchester have more al fresco dining and drinking options to help all our independent restaurant and bars reopen? Let us know what you think in the Facebook comments.
Big news in the foodie world: Mancunians can now feast upon an Indian Delhi brunch with bottomless cocktails and fizz.
The Delhi House Cafe, located in the Corn Exchange, is marking its first birthday this week and, to celebrate, has launched its brand new bottomless brunch offer.
Available every Thursday to Sunday between 12pm and 4pm, guests can choose one starter, one main and then receive ninety glorious minutes of bottomless booze for just £31.95 per person.
On the drinks front, diners will get the choice of fizz, lager or some of Delhi House Cafe’s notoriously impressive cocktails, such as their Spiced Bloody Mary, Mango Mimosa and Rose Sangria.
And their food menu boasts an equally impressive selection: For starters, there is a choice of Dahi Poori; a popular street food snack of puffed puri shells filled with a mint and tamarind yoghurt, A.A.C; a tasty fried avocado and potato dish, and Moong Dall Ladoo; sweet lentil fritters served with radish and a tamarind yoghurt.
And as for mains? Diners will be able to choose from one of five dishes from Delhi House Cafe’s menu, including their famous ‘Not My Burger’; a tandoori chicken tikka naan sandwich served with chips, salad and homemade curry mayo, Creamed Chicken or Achari Paneer Kathi Rolls; rolled in a crispy paratha and served with salad and chips, or the Masala Chicken Scrambled Eggs served with hash browns and a toasted bun.
This epic brunch menu launches TODAY, so make sure to get down to try it out for yourself.
Remember those really tasty and sugary puddings dished up during school dinners? You know, the one’s you’d get before Jamie Oliver had stuck his nose in?
Well, there’s a new recipe that will enable you to recreate the iconic vanilla sponge cake from the comfort of your own kitchen.
Rekindling those childhood memories, Instagram baker @cakeontherun recently shared her recipe for a vanilla traybake, complete with icing and sprinkles on top.
@cakeontherun / Instagram
The recipe for Laura’s vanilla cake tray bake uses no eggs, so a vegan version can easily be made using dairy-free milk. So, what are the rest of the ingredients?
All you’ll need is 400g self raising flour (or all purpose flour with 1 tsp extra baking powder, or gluten free flour), 250g caster sugar, 200g margarine, 200g vanillaor plain yoghurt, 200ml milk, 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract, 1 tbsp baking powder, a splash of lemon juice,400g powdered icing sugar, a splash of cold water and sprinkles for the icing.
The method is straight forward, too: Firstly, you’ll need to pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4 before creaming the margarine and sugar together in a large bowl. Then, you’ll need to sift in the flour and add all of the other ingredients.
Mix together until combined – though be careful not to over mix! Once this has been done, line a baking dish with parchment paper and bake for thirty minutes (or when the top is golden and the sponge is cooked in the middle.)
@cakeontherun / Instagram
Then, remove the cake from the tin and paper and leave to cool on a wire rack. You can then make the icing sugar by slowly adding water to the powder in a deep bowl. When it’s runny and the cake is cooled, pour over the top and then scatter sprinkles. Then, you can cut into chunks and serve with custard to live out your primary school dream.
Other fun twists you can try is coconut (using coconut milk and desiccated coconut instead of dairy and sprinkles), almond (with almond milk and almond slices) and lemon.
Make sure to follow Laura’s Instagram pagefor more baking inspiration.
BAB, the Northern Quarter gourmet kebab joint after all our hearts, has launched its new menu and as you’d expect, it has some incredible new kebabs up for grabs.
BAB’s August menu boasts a number of new additions to its famous mezze dishes, including a Spinach and Feta Stuffed Flatbread with a feta and mozzarella dip for £6.50, Prawn Saganaki,£7, Octopus Terrine, £8.50, and Moussaka Croquettes filled with spicy minced lamb, aubergine and feta cheese, £6.50.
But, perhaps most excitingly, the new menu has brought with it a seafood version of their massively popular Mixed Kebab.
The new Seafood Mixed Kebab, priced at £15, features deep-fried calamari, soft shell crab and octopus, alongside a staple kebab shop salad, a creamy coriander and lime dressing and BAB’s special sauce.
It joins the OG Mixed Kebab, which comes topped with lamb adana, aleppo chicken and a portion of cheesy chips, all costing £14.50.
Also new on the menu is a vegan King Oyster & Mixed Mushroom Shawarma for £10, Octopus with a butternut squash tarragon puree, priced at £13.50, and a Chickpea Shawarma with huge fried halloumi chips, costing £10.50.
You can still also get BAB’s famous Flat Iron Steak Kebab, their Greek Fries and the always popular Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings, and they’ve even added a Cookie Skillet (£6) that perfect for sharing, and a Pistachio Frangipani (£5.50) to the desserts.