One of Manchester’s most popular pizza shops and live music bars are teaming up for a kitchen takeover next month.
Legendary independent gig venue and bar Jimmy’s – which has locations in Manchester, Liverpool, and York – has revealed that beloved Detroit-style pizza company, Corner Slice, will be taking over the kitchen at both its North West sites from the start of next month and staying throughout the summer.
The brainchild of owners Frank Brashaw and Danny Broadbent, Corner Slice has made a well-deserved name for itself in Manchester thanks to serving up deep pan pizza with traditional Italian toppings and a curly cheese crust.
The popular Failsworth-originated pizzeria was the first to bring its Motor city-inspired rectangular pizza pies to Manchester after what it said was a “light bulb” moment during lockdown.
And now, this new Jimmy’s kitchen takeover means Corner Slice is set to serve from a third Manchester site, as well as its first venture into the neighbouring Liverpool.
Announcing the new collaboration, and revealing that they can’t wait to see “beautiful faces stuffed with pizza and pints”, Jimmy’s said in an Instagram post today: “We are extremely excited to announce that Corner Slice will be taking over the kitchens in both of our Manchester and Liverpool locations from this summer.
Read more: Beloved Detroit pizza spot Corner Slice is opening a second site in Manchester city centre
“Launching in Manchester on Friday 3rd June, with Liverpool not too far behind, Detroit-style pizza peddlers Frank & Danny will be slinging their incredible full pies ans slices from 12-10pm Wednesdays – Sundays to make the good times at Jimmy’s even better.”
“We very much look forward to this exciting new chapter,” they added.
Some of Corner Slice’s best-loved dishes include square pies loaded with the likes of Korean Cauli, Portocini (a mix of portobello and porcini), a simple ‘Red Top’ with just cheese and red sauce, and a number of regularly-changing specials and vegan specials.
Corner Slice has made a well-deserved name for itself peddling Detroit-style pizza / Credit: Corner Slice MCR (via Instagram)The Failsworth-originated pizzeria was the first to bring its Motor city-inspired rectangular pizza pies to Manchester / Credit: Corner Slice MCR (via Instagram)
Jimmy’s moved into to a “beautiful red-brick building” on the corner of Cutting Room Square in the historic heart of Ancoats in August 2021 after it was forced to move out of its old Northern Quarter site back in December 2019 to make way for an office development.
Corner Slice will take over Jimmy’s kitchen in Manchester from Friday 3 June, and you can tuck into fresh Detroit-style deep dish pizza from 12-10pm on Wednesdays – Sundays.
Dates for Liverpool are yet to be announced, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Jimmy’s | Corner Slice
Eats
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.
Emily Sergeant -
6th May 2022 
