Almost Famous is dishing out free burgers in Manchester next week… but it’s only to the people with the rarest birthday of them all.
Leap Day babies, here’s another one for you.
It’s estimated that only around 4.1 million people worldwide were born on 29 February – which, of course, is also known as a Leap Day birthday – and if you just so happen to be one of those unfortunate, or in this case fortunate, people here in Manchester, then you’ll probably want to get yourself down to Almost Famous next week to celebrate.
That’s because the legendary burger joint is commemorating the special day that only comes around every four years by giving away free burger next Thursday.
The catch, however, is that you have to have been born on 29 February to claim the freebie.
Merely days after Manchester’s popular street food hall and social hub, Society, announced that it would be pouring free pints for Leap Day babies on their birthday, now Almost Famous is getting in on the action too by doing what it does best – serving up some of the heartiest burgers in the whole of the city centre.
Rallying up all Leap Day babies on its official social media platforms this morning, Almost Famous wrote: “Calling all Leap Year babies – get a free burger on 29 February with a valid ID proving it’s your birthday. Sometimes the best things only come round every four years.”
Almost Famous’ burgers are known and loved all across the UK, especially here in Manchester, and now, Leap Day babies who’ve missed out on years of celebrating get to reap the birthday benefits.
Almost Famous is giving out free burgers to Mancs with a very rare birthday next week / Credit: Almost Famous | The Manc Group
So-called ‘leapers’ wanting to bag their bargain burger next Thursday will just need to head on down to one of Almost Famous’ two Manchester city centre restaurants – either the Northern Quarter, or the one inside Great Northern Warehouse – and show the staff a valid form of ID that proves they were, in fact, born on that day.
The deal is expected to run all day, from the moment both Almost Famous sites open right until they close, and, as far as we can tell, the free burger offer is redeemable across the whole menu, so there’s a wide choice to pick from.
But don’t forget, like we’ve already mentioned, it’s just for one day only.
So if you want to make the most of it and be sure you don’t miss out, then get yourself down to Almost Famous next Thursday and get scranning.
Featured Image – Almost Famous
Food & Drink
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 -
23rd February 2024 
