Bundobust Brewery

February collab: Nell’s and Bundobust fancy each other. Pass it on. Two of Manchester’s most beloved food-slingers are getting it on for the month of Valentine’s Day. Born out of a genuine love for one another, Nell’s and Bundo have been eyeing up this collaboration for a very long time. Less talk, more action. 

Over at Nell’s, we have the Vada Pav’za. A love-child of Bundo’s potato fritter and a Nell’s pizza, on a bed of vodka sauce and green chutney. Best served with their chilli honey dip – and a guindilla chilli if you’re feeling spicy.

At the Bundobust sites, get the Gobi Paneer Pizza Pocket. A calzone tunnel of love,  spice, and cheese. Too hot to handle? It’s all finished with the Pistachio and  Cardamom ice cream sandwiches – the perfect end to any date. The only thing left to do is choose your spot. (Or perhaps there’s nothing wrong with a little two-timing).

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Venue coverage: Few restaurants are adored as much as Bundobust. You’ll find locations across the UK, including two in Manchester – one just off Piccadilly, and this flagship restaurant-slash-brewery on Oxford Road, a short walk from St Peter’s Square. 

It’s an enormous space that somehow feels homely and welcoming – all neat benches and huge metal brewing tanks that pump out many thousands of pints of high-quality beer each and every week. Here you’ll find an endless list of ales and lagers, alongside the best modern beer from domestic and international breweries. 

Then there’s the food. It’s mostly vegan Indian street food, that pairs marvellously with a cold, sharp pint, and if you haven’t tried it yet, why on earth not? 

The word ‘iconic’ is done to death, but let’s face facts – the vada pav really is “the iconic Indian veggie burger”. It’s nothing fancy – a deep-fried mashed potato ball, slapped onto a bun with some red and green chutneys – but my word it’s delicious. Each bite is a crunch-then-soft tangy delight, plus it’s arguably the finest way to line your stomach before a night on the sauce.

The okra fries come fried in chickpea batter, then dusted with some sort of magical seasoning (actually black salt and mango powder). Everyone loves them, simple as that. 

The chole saag is the most wholesome and hearty of the three dishes I sampled on this visit: chickpeas and spinach, cooked with onion, ginger and Bundobust’s own garam massala mix, layered onto a bed of perfectly cooked, perfectly white basmati rice. It’s guilt-free and supremely satisfying. 

Bundobust do two things very well: Indian street food and craft beer. But more than that, this venue and its siblings across the UK, are relaxed, friendly spaces where everyone – yes, even your most dyed-in-the-wool carnivore chums – can be guaranteed a good time.