Many of us have returned to our ordinary work routines now, meaning we’re having to adapt to some unfamiliarly early starts.
We rely on coffee to carry us through the morning commute at the crack of dawn, but now life is slowly returning to “normal”, there’s no time to create those Instagram-worthy iced coffees that kept you ticking over during long days in lockdown.
Thankfully, there are several coffee companies that provide delicious ice-cold coffee to sip on-the-go – offering you the perfect way to kickstart your morning in the hot weather.
Here’s a few that come highly recommended…
Jimmy’s
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9oJHuxFAYP/
A classic iced coffee company is Jimmy’s: An independent, family-owned brand with an awesome range of ready-to-drink iced coffees who are proud to use only ethically sourced ingredients, Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica coffee and 100% recyclable packaging.
Jimmy’s boast a huge range of drinks, from canned double shot flat whites to their classic original blend cartoned ice coffee. For the dairy free and vegans amongst us, there’s also a new oat flat white which has an aromatic vanilla flavour whilst still packing in a caffeine boost!
There’s even sparkling soda in a glass bottle, Jimmy’s Coffee Cola, which can substitute as a different kind of an early morning pick-up.
Jimmy’s iced coffees are extremely accessible and affordable, stocked in most large supermarkets and available online.
Bottleshot Brew
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9jvk1PH28P/
Fresh, female-led and feisty, Bottleshot Brew is the brand to support if you want to taste authentic, New Orleans-inspired cold brew coffee in a can.
A premium, ethically-minded company committed to producing high-quality alternative to hot coffee, Bottleshot put each can through an 18-hour extraction process to ensure it contains intense flavour.
Currently, they have two cans of coffee available: the Black 100% Arabica beans and the Oat Milk – both of which are packed with two shots of espresso.
All their drinks are 100% plant based with no added sugar and are served in some of the best coffee shops around the world – as well as on the high-street in major retailers.
Minor Figures have four types of Nitro Cold Brew vegan coffees:
Black — Cascading coffee. Mocha — Cascading coffee, Oat Milk and cocoa. Latte — Cascading coffee and Oat Milk. Chai Latte — Cascading Chai Latte, spiced tea + Oat Milk.
Their packaging is extremely on-brand, too – giving commuters a cracking option for an eco-friendly can of coffee.
Union Coffee
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAr93brng1K/
Now here’s something a little different for those still WFH but have had a surge in their workload: Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate from Union Coffee.
Arriving in packaging reminiscent of boxed wine; this hand roasted cold coffee is poured via a tap!
It can be served over ice, blended with milk, or even shaken into an espresso martini.
The three-litre box has 40 servings of pure, strong coffee so this is definitely going to keep your eyes open for the days scheduled Zoom calls…
You can purchase a box on their website. Once opened, it ca be kept in the fridge for up to four weeks.
Trending
Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.