Gordon’s a big fan of the Manchester Tart…
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay paid a surprise visit to a new loaf cake cafe in Salford this week, where he sampled a twist on a local delicacy.
Staff at Loaf MCR couldn’t believe what they were seeing when the Hells Kitchen star strolled in with his team while on a break from filming.
According to Loaf MCR’s founder and owner Aiden Ryan, Gordon opted for a slice of the Manchester Tart flavoured cake, this week’s special.
The special loaf features the traditional flavours of custard, raspberry jam and coconut in honour of the iconic dessert, something that was a huge hit with the hotheaded chef.
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Sharing a selfie on Instagram, Aiden wrote: “NEWS JUST IN… We had a cheeky visit from the one and only @gordongram and his team!
“Thank you for joining us for a slice of the Manchester Tart and for the well wishes!!! Such a gent!!!
“If Gordon says it’s good, it must be good – right?!”.
Loaf MCR found life in the height of the Covid pandemic in May 2020 when Aiden started selling his homemade loaf cakes in a bid to raise money for the NHS.
Aiden’s freshly baked loafs and their unique flavours and toppings proved to be a huge hit and, before he knew it, he was supplying thirteen different cafes across Manchester and making personalised orders from a shipping container in Pollard Yard, Ancoats.
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And last month, Loaf MCR opened its first official cafe in Affinity Living Riverview, Salford, with a cafe down Oxford Street in the works.
On the menu, guests can find all the usual loaf delights that have made the brand so popular over the years, including fan favourite flavours of Jammie Dodger, Biscoff, Bourbon Biscuit, and Custard Cream.
Alongside Loaf MCR’s classic collection of nostalgic cakes, there is also selection of handmade Loaf Au Choc, Croissant Loaf and Brioche Loaf fresh on the counter each day.
Loaf MCR is open 10am-6pm Monday – Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sundays. Make sure to follow the cafe on Instagram to stay posted with news and updates.
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Manchester in talks to host Eurovision 2023 after Ukraine ruled out
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This comes as the North West braces for the biggest rail strike in thirty years
Bus staff at Arriva in Greater Manchester and Merseyside are balloting for strike action amid a dispute in pay, Unite the Union has confirmed today.
Over 1,800 members of staff are said to be involved in the dispute and, if industrial action is voted in, the strikes could begin as soon as July.
The depots involved in the dispute are Birkenhead, Bolton, Bootle, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Runcorn, Southport, Speke, St Helens, and Winsford.
Unite the Union says the dispute is a result of Arriva’s ‘pitifully low pay increases’ of 3% and 6%, which both saw reductions in sick pay and loss of Saturday enhanced pay.
According to the union, these pay increases are far below the current real inflation rate (RPI) of 11.1%.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Arriva can full afford to pay our members a fair rate of pay but it is choosing not to do so to boost its profits.”
Read More: Greater Manchester bus fares to be capped at £2 a journey from September as reform is fast-tracked
Unite regional officer Dave Roberts pointed out that while strike action would result in ‘considerable disruption for passengers throughout the North West‘, the dispute is ‘entirely of Arriva’s own making’.
He added: “Despite extensive negotiations it has failed to make an offer which is anywhere close to our members’ expectations.
“@arrivanorthwest needs to get serious and make our members a realistic pay offer. Arriva can full afford to pay our members a fair rate of pay but it is choosing not to do so to boost its profits.” @UniteSharon https://t.co/OKrUvayolq
“Even at this late stage strike action could still be avoided if Arriva returns to the negotiating table and makes a realistic pay offer.”
An Arriva spokesperson said: “We are fully committed to reaching an agreement with Unite for our North West staff and talks are ongoing.”
This comes as the North West braces itself for major travel disruption as a result of train strikes across a number of major operators, including Northern and TransPennine Express.
Network Rail has warned that half of Britain’s rail lines will be closed as strikes happen Tuesday 21st, Thursday 23rd and Saturday 25th June.
The ballot closes on Monday July 4th.
A number of major cities across the UK have bid to host the annual competition
Manchester City Council has shown an interest in hosting the next Eurovision Song Contest after Ukraine was forced to drop out.
Due to the ongoing war with Russia, organisers of the competition decided that 2022 winners Ukraine couldn’t safely host next year’s competition. It was then announced that the UK could potentially host the 2023 event, after singer Sam Ryder finished in second place.
Since Friday’s announcement, a number of cities have shown their interest in hosting the competition, Manchester included.
Leader of Manchester City Council Bev Craig wrote on Twitter: “Hello @bbceurovision this is Manchester calling.
–@bevcraig and myself spoke this morning. We have always wanted this in Manchester-@grahnort –@CarlAustinBehan https://t.co/U6ZBIQsBxL
“Not the circumstances that anyone would want given the war in Ukraine. But if it’s to be a UK city – I can’t think of anywhere better, a great music city and fittingly home to a large Ukrainian community.”
The idea to host the competition was backed by Councillor Pat Karney, who said he had been in talks with Craig over the weekend to discuss the finer details of a Manchester-held Eurovision.
Greater Manchester’s Night-time Economy Advisor Sacha Lord also supported the idea of bringing Eurovision to the region, writing on Twitter: Bringing @Eurovision @bbceurovision to Greater Manchester 2023, would be huge for our city region.
“We’re globally known for our music and I’m confident the right people would give it the full support, to make this happen.”
Bringing @Eurovision @bbceurovision to Greater Manchester 2023, would be huge for our city region. We're globally known for our music and I'm confident the right people would give it the full support, to make this happen.#Eurovision2023
Liverpool has also bid to host the event, with the Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson saying: “We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and would like the opportunity for Liverpool to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest and in doing so pay tribute to their wonderful country.
“We are an events city and no one can stage a party like us. Culture is synonymous with Liverpool and we tick all the boxes to be next year’s host – great venues, enviable experience, a world-renowned music heritage, UNESCO City of Music status and of course the warm Scouse welcome that just can’t be beaten.”
Eurovision tradition would see Ukraine host next year’s competition after Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won in Turin, Italy, this year.
However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) concluded the ‘security and operational guarantees’ required to host the event cannot be met by Ukraine’s public broadcaster because of Russia’s invasion.
The UK last hosted from Birmingham in 1998 after Katrina and the Waves’ win. Harrogate, Brighton, Edinburgh and London have also been host cities.
He also found the area to be ‘a bit boring’ with ‘too many ducks’…
A popular Lake District beauty spot has come under fire for having ‘too much water’ in a bizarre TripAdvisor review.
The town of Keswick is a popular spot for walkers and hikers thanks to its close proximity to the scenic Derwent Water Lake, and boasts a five star rating on TripAdvisor.
The reviews are glowing, with one person saying it is their ‘favourite lake in the whole national park’ and another gushing over the ‘delightful’ and ‘stunning’ local town.
However, it seems that not every visitor is so easily impressed by the town, with one man recently leaving a scathing review for a number of peculiar reasons.
The unimpressed tourist, known as Jim Jones on the site, was clearly not a fan of the lake itself, with him criticising the amount of water in the area.
His review reads: “There was too much water for my liking not enough free Wi-fi. Thought the place was a bit boring [sic] too many ducks.”
Though this isn’t the first time a nature spot has come under fire for its lack of modern facilities; earlier this year, a hiker slammed Skiddaw – one of England’s highest peaks – as a ‘weak and poorly developed visitor attraction’.
Writing on TripAdvisor – because where else? – the woman compared Skiddaw to Snowdon in Wales, saying it was ‘too high and steep’ to walk up.
@david_t_brown_photography / Instagram
@david_t_brown_photography / Instagram
She wrote: “Snowdon has a funicular railway to carry people to the summit. At Snowdon summit there is an excellent visitor centre with the full range of facilities – and the whole operation attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors per year.
“Ascending to the summit of Skiddaw is an exhausting experience on the basis that the only means to get up there is to walk.
“It is just too high and too steep for most people. How can the Lake District National Park people expect people to go up there?”
England’s tallest peak, too high and steep? Surely not…
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