A new deli in Ancoats has opened its doors, with shelves stuffed with wine, cheeses, meats, and essentials (… though all of those things are essentials in our book).
Ancoats Deli is tucked away in the heart of the neighbourhood, on a quiet street behind the Royal Mills building.
The pretty green venue is serving up grab-and-go treats like focaccia sandwiches, salads and even takeout cheese and meat boxes to come soon.
The bread used in these impressive butties comes from much-loved bakery Companio, with fillings including the classic Jambon Beurre with or without mustard, Reuben with pastrami, and an Egg Sandwich of soft boiled eggs, jammy yolks, Dijonnaise and watercress.
It’s a bit of a hidden sun trap too, and there are bistro tables outside where you can sit and nurse a spritz, a glass of wine or a coffee.
They’ll be crafting cheese and charcuterie boards too, with produce sourced from The Crafty Cheeseman and Yapp Bros. Boards will start from £16 and glasses of wine from just £5.20.
Ancoats Deli will also have a stocked pantry of essentials, where you can pick up milk, eggs, dinner ingredients and a bottle of wine to takeaway.
The best bit though? The venue’s meal deal, where you can get a sandwich, coffee or a soft drink, plus crisps or a serving of olives for £10.
Inside Ancoats Deli. Credit: The Manc GroupSpritzes at Ancoats Deli. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Ancoats Deli meal deal. Credit: The Manc GroupAncoats Deli is also serving cheese and charcuterie boards. Credit: The Manc GroupSandwiches are made with bread from Companio. Credit: The Manc GroupAncoats Deli from the outside. Credit: The Manc Group
Co-founder India Morris said: “Lunch time in Ancoats can often be a little tricky, it’s a foodie destination packed full of amazing restaurants and bars, but we felt there was a gap for somewhere to pick up a really good, affordable sandwich or salad.
“We don’t want it to be fancy, we want Ancoats Deli to provide a place where residents and those working locally, can pick up a tasty sarnie deal, without breaking the bank.
“Our evening offering reflects the same idea. We have spent countless hours listening to our friends talk about wanting charcuterie or snacks with their post work or Saturday afternoon drinks, so we decided to do it.
“Our wines are great, but affordable and our cocktail menus are simple and accessible. We wanted to create a space where everyone can come, feel comfortable and just have a lovely time with a pint. Fingers crossed the sunshine stays long enough.”
You’ll find Ancoats Deli just off Murray Street, in between Redhill Street and Jersey Street.
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd July 2024 
