Eating&Drinking In Manchester.

As you lot already know, I've been living in Manchester for some time now. There's many alluring charms to this city, however in my opinion, one of Manchester's finest features, is its boundless array of dining possibilities! I'm often asked for recommendations for bars and restaurants to visit whilst in the city, so I thought I'd put together a post all about my favourite places to visit in town! It may help those of you who may be planning a trip into the city sometime soon...

I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface of how much this city has to offer in terms of cafes and bars - but that's one of the great things about Manchester, there's always something new opening. I've never once been stuck for somewhere to go for coffee, there's probably too much choice here! Of course you have your habitual Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Pret planted on practically every street, however if you yearn for something more hipster-esq; the Norther Quarter and Ancoats are certainly the areas you need to visit...

One of my favourite ways to spend my free time, is to visit new cafes / bars / restaurants and sample Manchester's food scene - or should I say specifically - its brunch scene. I have certainly built up a wealth of brunchin' experience during my time living here. I spend most of my weekend eating out. My favourite part of any day has to be breakfast, and my favourite dish to order has to be french toast. As you scroll down, it will become evident that I am obsessed with french toast - I'd even go as far as to say I have turned into a french-toast connoisseur.

Above: Hot chocolate at Foundation Coffee, pan seared halloumi on sourdough and french toast and berries (my favourite dishes from Ezra And Gil).

Ezra And Gil.

Okay so number one has to be Ezra And Gil. Ezra is my local cafe, and by far my favourite breakfast spot in Manchester. If you're visitng - make sure you stop off here. I love everything about this place; its atmosphere, its decor, the amazing food and of course - its coffee. I think I must visit this place at least once a week (thank god for my loyalty card). It's a great place to work - not too loud, yet not too quiet to feel as though you can't type. I love this place so much so, I even have their tote bag! It's a bold claim, but in my opinion, Ezra does the best mocha in town. It always has a vast selection of freshly baked pastries / cakes and has a delicious food menu. If you've visiting on a weekend, try and get in before 10.30am otherwise you'll have to wait a little for a table!

Above: French toast at Federal, Hot chocolate and cruffin at Albert Schloss.

Evelyn's Cafe & Bar.

Another cafe/bar I love to visit in the Northern Quarter is Evelyn's. I only visited this place for the first time this year - and I honestly don't know why it took me so long to try it out! With its fresh greenery suspended from the ceiling and exposed brick statement walls; it really is an Insta-dream! I really recommend trying their chickpea burger and fries! (Pictured below).

Foundation Coffee House.

Foundation Coffee is a great place to knuckle down and get work done. As Foundation is one of the larger cafes around town, I find I can work here for hours, as there's less pressure for tables! I always feel so guilty when setting up my workspace in a busy cafe, as I know there can be table shortages. Thankfully I never have this dilemma in Foundation, especially during weekdays. Its great NQ location and white minimal aesthetic makes it the coolest place to meet when catching up with friends.

Above: A view over Manchester from 20 Stories, 3 x buffalo mozzarella pizza at Rudy's Pizza, chickpea burger and shakshuka at Evelyn's Cafe & Bar, 2 aesthetically pleasing coffee's from Takk.

20 Stories.

20 Stories is one of the few rooftop bars in Manchester. It's located in the Spinningfields area, which is known to be the more swankier end of town. I love calling into 20 Stories on an evening to catch the sunset. You get the most amazing views over the city! There's always a great mix of people up at the bar - both young and old. It's well worth a visit.

Rudy's Pizza.

Rudy's does the best pizza in town. It's a bold statement, but oh my goodness, the pizza is so good! The only down side about this place, is that its walk in only. Meaning if you visit on a weekend, or midweek evening - you're probably going to have to wait for a table. Can you believe I once waited for an hour and a half?! No reservations is slightly annoying, however the great part of this is that you're able to leave a contact number, grab drinks in another bar, and they'll text you once your table is ready! They have two restaurants in Manchester, one on Peter Street and the other is situated in Ancoats. The warm ambient candle lit atmosphere, makes it the perfect place for date night!

Other places to check out:

- PLY

- Rozafa

- San Carlo

- Yard&Coop

- Mackie Mayor

- Bøck Bière Café

- Seven Bro7hers Brewery

Let me know your favourite breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner venues in Manchester - I'd love to discover some new favourites! Keep up with my latest food&drink discoveries over on my Instagram page under the 'Manchester' highlight reel here.

S x

Re-thinking Our Fashion Choices.

As I’ve mentioned previously in earlier posts, I have recently embarked on a quest to become more sustainable within all aspects of my life. I thought I would share my discoveries and my thoughts on the highly topical, and important subject of fast fashion. Don’t worry though, this blog post isn’t going to be one big guilt trip. I want this post to inspire you, my reader, to become more mindful of the environment and to strive to make a number of small changes, to become more sustainable in your everyday life.

You may be thinking “she doesn’t even practice what she preaches.” Yes I agree with you. I’m not a die-hard environmentalist and I’m not claiming to be. I’m a hypocrite, I still buy into fast fashion trends and I still buy new clothes from time to time, but I’m aware of these facts, and I am working to reduce my environmental impact significantly. I’m not suggesting you boycott your entire existence and make the dramatic decision to lead a fully sustainable life, but I am encouraging you to make a number of environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices which are less harmful to the environment. I’m preaching sustainability because I understand the crucial importance of making a change right now. I would rather be a hypocrite and write this post, than not write it at all and miss out on the opportunity to inspire you to make even the smallest of changes.

It was announced recently the UK would run out of water within twenty-five years. It's plain to see that climate change has played a huge part in this terrifying statistic. Inflating global temperatures and rising sea levels have only been made worse, by our insatiable obsession of owning the latest fashions. The fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water, whilst also generating more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined...

I firmly believe that education on this subject is key. After speaking with friends and colleagues, I know that many of us still do not realise the monumental impact our fast fashion buying habits has upon the world around us. The terms ‘fast fashion’ and ‘environmentally conscious’ have become common jargon within the fashion and blogger world, but do people outside the realms of the industry understand exactly what these terms actually mean? I think it’s naive of us to presume this, however I do believe we all need to be more proactive in educating ourselves on the impact of our throw-away culture.

Fast Fashion - “Inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends”

Eco-Conscious - "Showing concern for the environment"

Collectively, if we stop demanding fast fashion on such a global scale, retailers will stop supplying. Limiting our buying habits is not only an amazing way to save money, it is also hugely beneficial for the environment. Did you know it takes 2,700 litres of water to make one single T-shirt? Instead of buying something new, try styling up an item you already have in your wardrobe. I absolutely love transforming a piece simply by accessorising. For inspiration on how to style, take a look at my Instagram TV to see how I’ve styled a simple slip skirt three ways!

In terms of influencing, I have begun to turn down collaborations with brands, if I know I won't wear a garment again. Sometimes I feel as though I am declining opportunities, however the question I ask myself each time I am given an opportunity to collaborate is; “will I wear this piece more than once?” If the answer is no, I will always politely refuse the collaboration. I understand many rely on influencing as a primary source of income, however I strongly believe that influencers must take responsibility for promoting sustainability in one way or another. I cannot quite believe that over 235 million items are sent to landfills in the UK alone. To tackle this issue, we need to become more creative in the way we shop, we can all positively contribute to this by taking a step away from buying brand new fashion.

As you can see from the images of this shoot, I've kept it super simple. I'm wearing a vintage crochet jumper, which was passed down to me from my Mam! I often rifle through her wardrobe and 'borrow' pieces which I know she'll never wear! Crochet is the perfect transitional piece to wear throughout Spring and Summer. I absolutely love this jumper, I often see very similar pieces in high street stores, but nothing ever lives up to a good piece of vintage! My flared jeans give my outfit a 70's vibe, this vintage blue pair are from Mango. They're made from organic cotton, whilst I understand the production of cotton and organic cotton, has huge environmental impacts, organic cotton is produced in a manner which maintains soil fertility and promotes diverse agriculture. If you must buy new, look at the label! Small changes such as buying a garment which has been reworked, or one which is made from more environmentally-kind materials such as linen or organic cotton, can change the environmental landscape of our high street. If we stop demanding such cheap clothing, retailers will stop supplying.

I was in the Northern Quarter whilst shooting this post and stumbled across the independent store, Beaumont Organic. What a fitting location for this shoot! Beaumont Organic's store is beautiful, it's light and airy and is filled with timeless fashion and unusual sustainable homewares. Their eco-conscious, contemporary designs are refreshing, making their flagship store well worth a visit if you're ever around the NQ.

I've devised a small list of ideas for you to follow to fulfil your fashion fix; but in a more sustainable manner:

- Swap clothing with your family and friends.

- Sell and buy via auction apps such as Depop, Gumtree and Ebay.

- Get thrifty and visit charity shops and vintage shops.

- Upcycling your old clothes and turn them into something new!

- Only buy new when you really love something and you're certain you’re going wear it time and time again.

Whatever you do, do not throw away old clothes, instead donate them - someone, somewhere will be thankful.

Documentaries to watch:

The True Cost

Rana Plaza Collapse Documentary: The Deadly Cost of Fashion

Stacey Dooley: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets

I really hope this post has inspired you to think twice before you buy that new outfit for the weekend, each individuals' small change, can make a huge difference.

S x