Greater Manchester’s iconic heritage railway is back with one of the most festive fine-dining experiences in the region this Christmas.
It’s no secret that East Lancashire Railway (ELR) is known and loved for its immersive events, giving rail enthusiasts and curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on board one of the historic Pullman-style carriages through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside, but it gets even more magical at Christmas.
Every time the festive season rolls around, it always tends to be ELR’s beloved Santa steam trains that grab headlines more, as the event has gone on to become an absolute Christmas classic for families in the North West over the years.
But especially for the grown-ups, how does getting the chance to tuck into a luxury Christmas dinner onboard the retro locomotive sound instead?
East Lancashire Railway’s festive ‘Dining with Distinction’ experiences are back this Christmas / Credit: ELR
ELR’s unique ‘Dining with Distinction’ package is known to be a fan-favourite all year round, but this December, the festive edition of this experience is back once again by popular demand for another year, and passengers can enjoy their Christmas dinner whilst taking in the seasonal sights of the stunning Irwell Valley.
You’ll be onboard one of ELR’s restored Pullman-style steam train carriages, boasting the most luxurious furnishing and polished panels to provide the perfect atmosphere for a sumptuous festive feasting dining experience.
Upon boarding, you’ll be presented with sparkling welcome drink to kick-off the festivities, all before you’re served up four courses of festive delicacies.
Traditional roasted turkey served with kilted chipolata and stuffing, a festive wellington, tender sirloin of beef with horseradish, a homemade Christmas pudding with rum sauce, and a warm sticky toffee pudding with custard, are just some of the dishes being served by personal dedicated waters on selected dates throughout the month.
A wide range of dietary requirements can be catered for, including vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, halal, and diabetic.
The Christmas Dinner services are running on selected dates from Friday 29 November – Monday 23 December, with tickets now on sale and setting you back £69 per person.
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 -
1st October 2024 
