Pub food is such a British establishment, but I haven’t really been to eat since my student years (Wetherspoons anyone?). Sometimes I will pop in if I’m waiting at a train station somewhere since there is usually a pub nearby. There is something very comforting about eating pub food, the fact it’s no nonsense. The English Lounge can be easy to miss as you walk by the other side of the road to the Arndale market, heading towards Shudehill. Here, I will let you know what I thought of the place.
Bangers and Bacon were the winner of The Kitchens start up street food competition last year and have thus been given permanent fixture in Spinningfields, as Beastro. James and Heather are also known for creating Bobbys Bangers, traditional butchers sausages handmade in Lancashire, whereas the third part of Beastro, Richard, is a brilliant chef.
I really like how they source all their meat and vegetables locally as this is something I strive to do myself! I was invited to the press release to see what makes this place amazing.*
Every year, Manchester hosts its Manchester Food and Drink Festival around September-October and it is a festival I continually look forward to year on year. It takes place outside Manchester Town Hall on St Albert’s Square and is a 2-week free entry festival featuring market stalls from independents and chains as well as specialised events such as themed meals or workshops. This year there is an experimental vegan banquet as well as several hidden banquets including one by MilkJam. There is also Manchester’s own Bake Off competition.
Here, I explore what’s available on the second day of the festival.
I came across Banyan Bar when I was trying to find somewhere near the Manchester Arena for food, as I was going to see something there. I knew that the Corn Exchange had been refurbished and lots of restaurants have moved in. Owing to the warm weather in Manchester at the time, I decided that somewhere that served salads would be a good option, and settled on Banyan.
With my partner in tow, we headed inside.
The Bill’s Backyard Party was a Yelp event and was supposed to take place in the outside area, but unfortunately, the sun had disappeared by the time evening approached. Fret not! Bill’s had a plan and we were shown to one side of the restaurant next to the backyard part. At least it was still bright and pleasant!*
I was first introduced to Bill’s Restaurant years ago by a friend who was looking for good places to eat breakfast in London. The breakfast impressed me at the time, so when I went back to visit London recently, this was a no-brainer, plus it was close to where we were staying! Less thinking, more eating! This review is of the Holborn branch in London.
It’s worth noting that Bill’s Restaurant has now expanded to Manchester and can be found just off Deansgate and inside the intu Trafford Centre. The menus are similar across all Bill’s chains.
