Here are three places in Manchester that I recommend from where you should be ordering your Bubble Tea! They might charge you a delivery fee but if you have Uber Eats or using another delivery service, there might be some discount available depending on your order size.
Gong Cha Wilmslow Road
Address: Unit 5, Mayfair Court, 10 Wilmslow Rd, Rusholme, Manchester M14 5TP Business website: https://www.gong-cha.co.uk/
Dir Tea from Gong Cha
This is currently my favorite Bubble Tea store to order from! I loved the bubble tea experience from Gong Cha so much that I was ordering Bubble Tea almost daily from them during my time in Manchester.
Their most popular item appears to be Dir Tea which is absolutely delicious and comes with brown sugar pearls and creamy milk! My recommendation is to go with 100% ice and 70% sugar.
I did try Gong Cha Bubble Tea in Canada as well but for some reason it appears that the quality can vary a lot between stores in different countries.
Located in Manchester’s China Town, Ohayo Tea is a Shiba themed bubble tea store. Whenever I have ordered from Ohayo Tea, I have gone with their Premium Brown Sugar Tapioca Milk! It comes with Brown sugar and fresh milk. Their tapioca pearls are coated with brown sugar. Absolutely delicious served cold!
If you are looking to order food with your Bubble Tea then I think Bonsai would be a great option! Their Brown Sugar Bubble Tea is the cheapest I found for delivery. Also they have a great option of food menu. Last time I ended up ordering Malaysian Chilli Chicken with Rice, Thai Green Curry with Rice, Korean Beef and Prawn with Udon Noodles along with my Bubble Tea and my order came out to less than £20!
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
If you are not a citizen of the UK and are looking to work there then usually you would need to have a visa that allows you to work in the United Kingdom.
Here are some companies that are willing to sponsor foreigners –
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank plc is the largest retail bank in the UK. While the company is headquartered in London, they have offices throughout the country. The company offers a hybrid working model where you are allowed to work from office as well as home. If you need the right to work in the UK, then Lloyds Bank will offer you Tier 2 visa sponsorship.
CVS is a provider of veterinary services in the UK and has more than 500+ surgeries throughout the United Kingdom. The company has a number of high paying opportunities and even offers relocation assistance to successful candidates.
CVS Group plc
The following roles are eligible for sponsorship/relocation assistance –
Transport for London (TfL) is a government owned company that handles multiple rail networks, buses, road routes, trams and other transport services in London. TFL sponsors applicants through UK Skilled Worker visa (Tier 2) and you need to be 18 years and above to be eligible. For certain roles at TFL, you might need to be residing in the UK for 3+ Years.
Transport for London
TfL is hiring for the following roles where sponsorship is available –
Kwalee is a UK-based video game development company that primarily focuses on casual games for Android as well iOS devices. The company has a wide variety of opportunities available if you want to get in the gaming industry.
Dovetails Games is a simulation game developer popular for the games Train Simulator and Train Sim World. The company is willing to offer visa sponsorship on qualifying roles.
Dovetail games
Dovetail Games is hiring for the following roles –
Dott is an Amsterdam-based micro mobility company that offers shared e-scooters and e-bikes throughout Europe. The company is looking to hire for technical roles in London.
Dott
Dott is willing to sponsor candidates for the following roles –
WordBank is a marketing company that focuses towards helping brands with managing their localized marketing campaigns. The company does have vacancies primarily in marketing roles so if you have experience with social media, content creation, and have fluency in languages other than English.
Qush provides data loss prevention solutions and offers solutions specifically around insider risk, user behavior analytics, data loss, it security training, compliance and remote workforce security.
Qush
Qush is willing to sponsor candidates for the following roles –
Product Security Engineer
Systems Software Engineer
Cloud Development Engineer
Machine Learning Software Engineer
Infrastructure Support Engineer
Software Engineer
Clyde Munro Dental Group
Clyde Munro Dental Group has multiple dental practices under its management and has offices in Scotland. The company welcomes candidates from overseas for their job postings.
Clyde Munro Dental Group
Clyde Munro is willing to offer visa sponsorship for –
Associate Dentist – Multiple positions
Orders of St. John Care Trust
The Orders of St. John Care Trust is a non-profit care provider. The company has a large number of care homes under its management and provides care services for residential, dementia and nursing care. Successful candidates will even have their Tier 2 visa application fees covered.
The orders of St John Care Trust
St John Care Trust is looking for candidates for the following roles –
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
During my recent visit to the United Kingdom, I felt that the stores in the UK offer a lot more variety of cat treats, so I decided to buy a bunch of them up and see which ones my cat liked.
Here are some of the cat treat products that my cat recommends –
Felix Crispies At only 1 calorie per treat, Felix Crispies have one of the lowest calories per treat that I could find among cat treats that I’ve seen so far. The treats come with Beef and Chicken flavor. Each treat contains a little bit of protein, vitamins and Omega 6 fatty acids. The treats are quite small in size, so if you plan to play with your cat a lot, these treats are the ideal size.
Felix Crispies
Catit Nibbly Unlike other processed cat treats on the market, Catit has done a bit differently with their product. Catit Nibbly contains whole fish wrapped in chicken breast. I wasn’t expecting my cat to eat these treats out but he seems to be enjoying it. I recommend that you break these treats into smaller portions with your hands before giving it to your cat.
Catit Nibbly Cat Treats
Felix Play Tubes Felix Play Tubes come in Chicken and Liver flavors. As the name ‘Play Tubes’ suggests, these treats can be rolled or tossed and you will see your cat going crazy running after it. The treats do have a bit of weight meaning they make more noise when they hit the ground and they roll as well. My cat enjoys chasing after these treats.
Felix Play Tubes
Webbox Tasty Sticks Made with Duck Meat, I think these cat treats my cat finds quite delicious. As soon as I open the pack, the fresh smell makes him ask for the tasty sticks straightaway. I have tried some other sticks before, but I think he really enjoys having these.
Webbox Tasty Sticks
Felix Naturally Delicious Purina’s Felix Naturally Delicious consists of a blend of chicken and catnip. Don’t be surprised if your cat goes crazy running after these treats due to them containing catnip!
Felix Naturally Delicious
Beaphar Calming Cat Treats Beaphar cat treats come in Chicken flavor and might be useful in case your cat is going through a stressful period. The treats contain Valerian, Hop Flowers and Melissa Herb to relieve anxiety. If your cat shows discomfort or anxious behavior then it might be worth trying these cat treats.
Calming Cat Treats
Where to get these cat treats? I was able to find all these cat treats at The Range store in the UK though you may find them at other online stores like Amazon UK as well. Pricing for each packet (around 50g) was between 1-2 GBP.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
If you have recently moved to Manchester, you might have a hard time making new friends. While there are a ton of dating apps available, the only one that I have found very useful for making friends is Meetup.com which is a website where you can find social events to meet people.
The Meetup scene in Manchester is very active and you will find groups with different interests. Whether you are into sports, drinking, dancing or languages, you will find a meetup group in Manchester that suits your interests.
How does the Meetup app work? You find events around your area and if you are interested, all you would need to do is RSVP. I have found that most events on Meetup are free however a handful might be paid.
Dance Meetup groups in Manchester
It would be hard for me to say if you would make friends the first time itself you go to a meetup, but it can take a few months so go easy on yourself if you felt that you didn’t connect with anyone the first time! Also keep trying different groups as there are just so many activities happening on Meetup.
I have been to a couple of meetups in Manchester and my overall experience has been great! Some of the events attract a large crowd that it’s hard to meetup with everyone! And I have made a bunch of contacts with time that I keep in touch with, and make plans whenever I am in Manchester.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Looks can be deceiving! Atleast that’s how my experience was with my latest order from Seoul Chikin was! I had ordered their Buffalo Seoul Chicken Burger and Sriracha Gold Wings.
Buffalo Seoul Chicken Burger and Wings
The Buffalo Seoul Chicken consisted of a fried chicken patty with buffalo sauce, lettuce and spicy mayonnaise. As soon I held onto the burger, I felt that the bun was soggy. While their patty size is much bigger than other places that I have ordered from or eaten at, their patty tasted quite salty. Most importantly, there was something wrong with the patty. It felt like it was not cooked properly since it had a rubbery texture. I am guessing that maybe the chicken was frozen when cooked but I am not sure.
Their Sriracha Gold Wings were not impressive either. The Chicken Wings had been tossed into Sriracha sauce and topped with spring onions and chilies. While there is flavor on the outside, it felt a bit raw eating them. Also it would have been good if the wings had been wrapped in a foil maybe so that they are hot when delivered.
I think Seoul Chikin might be onto something but they need some serious improvement. The extra salt in the chicken patties and the chicken quality can ruin the whole experience.
Address: 609 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 9AN
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
This is one of the first time I have felt that the food has been delivered to me real hot! Usually when I have ordered using Uber or other delivery services out there, the food usually comes out warm or sometimes cold. However I was surprised when I received my delivery from Melt! I think it has to do with the restaurant using foil instead of paper/plastic wrappers for their food items which helps keep the food hot for a long time.
Not only was I happy with how hot my food was but also the burgers that I ordered turned out to be great! One of them was called the MeltDown Burger which consisted of Beef Patties and the other one was their Grilled Chicken Burger which contained chicken filet. I think I liked the Beef Burger a bit more than the Chicken Burger.
Beef Burger and Chicken Burger From Melt
Melt is known not for their sandwiches but also their shakes. I couldn’t try their shakes out cause I am currently caffeine intolerant but I would love to go to this spot sometime and try it out again! Highly recommend ordering from this place if you are looking to get food delivered hot 🙂
Address: 704 Wilmslow Rd, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2DW, United Kingdom
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
As soon as I entered Hope Mill Theatre, it felt that time had moved a few decades back! As the name suggests, the place actually hosts theatrical performances but also has a bar and restaurant. Unfortunately, I didn’t have too much time on my hands that day so I was only able to experience their food!
The Theatre is not only known for its shows but also because of their delicious pizzas! I got the Pepperoni Hot Pizza which consisted of Tomato base, cheese, pepperoni, jalapenos and chilli flakes as well as Birra Moretti which is a draught beer that they had and the cheapest one on their menu.
Hope Mill Theatre
Their Pizza turned out to be quite good and I think worth the price! It was served hot and the chilli flakes/peppers made it even better! I also ended up trying out their fries which I think were better than what I expected. My Beer went well with the food!
Next time I am here, I would not only want to try out their food but also experience the theatre as well! If you are driving this place does have ample parking and also they have a small patio if you want to eat/drink outside!
Address: 113 Pollard St, Manchester M4 7JA, United Kingdom
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
I was craving some hot wings while walking down Burton Road in Manchester, so decided to go for a takeaway restaurant. I absolutely love hot wings and saw that this place called Continental which had them for under £3! The price seemed reasonable so I decided to try them out.
For just £2.80, I was able to get 6 hot wings! Portion size for the price seemed decent. The Hot Wings turned out to be a bit more spicy than what I expected however I did not enjoy the flavor that much for some reason. It could be that maybe their quality process is not that great or the spice ingredients are not that good or it could even be that I am just not used to the taste.
Continental Chicken Wings
I think I would have been perfectly fine if the price was a little bit higher and the flavor was more enjoyable. I just felt something was missing that could make them right! But I think if I am hanging out after a pub crawl, I might not mind munching on them!
Continental is actually more popular for their Pizzas and I found their Pizzas visually more appetizing so if I am around the area again, I would like to try out their pizzas and see how good they are.
Address: 127 Burton Rd, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 1JP, United Kingdom
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
Every week Terrace NQ offers free bachata beginner lessons in Manchester for those who have never attended their classes before! So if you are looking to try something new for the night or want to do something for free, just head to their private room upstairs.
I found the lessons suitable for beginners, and I noticed that it doesn’t get crowded for the beginner lessons meaning you are able to get attention from the dance instructor. I remember getting corrected a couple of times while dancing!
Also I noticed that the place actually had two instructors for the day, one to help people lead and one to help follow, which I think can be very beneficial. A lot of places just have a instructor for the leads but it’s always great to dance with someone who knows how to follow and that can help both lead/followers practice much better.
Bachata Dancing Lessons at Terrace NQ
The venue does charge for their intermediate/advanced bachata classes and it does get quite busy for their intermediate/advanced dance classes. I do recommend you to try this place out if you want to experience Bachata!
Address: 43 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1NA, United Kingdom
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
SMARTY offers one of the cheapest unlimited data SIM plans in the United Kingdom. I was able to get their data plan for £18 per month (Currently being offered at a discount) which includes unlimited calls and texts in the United Kingdom as well as unlimited data (on 3G/4G/5G). It took about 2 days for the SIM to arrive by mail.
In case you haven’t heard about SMARTY, it is actually a virtual provider meaning the company doesn’t really have any telecom infrastructure of its own but instead uses Three UK’s infrastructure.
I am currently based out in Manchester and when I initially tested out using the hotspot, I was getting less than 1 mbps! Turns out that the 5G service is non-existent around my area and while it was able to connect to 4G network, the performance was quite dismal. I did end up contacting the service provider and was informed that some repairs are being performed but it has been a couple of days and I haven’t noticed any difference so far.
However, I noticed that the internet speed was much better when I chose to use 3G network on my phone. Running speed tests during day time, I am getting about 18-20 mbps download speeds while upload is around 2-3 mbps. Latency also appears to be quite good for gaming.
Data Speed SMARTY UK
Google Speed Test
I also ended up running an internet speed test during the night and the speed was slightly better. So far, I have downloaded more than 25+ gigs in the last few days and haven’t noticed speeds being reduced further.
Smarty night time speed
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test out SMARTY’s 5G speeds as I am not able to get any signal indoors. Which means if you are looking to setup a 5G hotspot at your home, maybe SMARTY wouldn’t work for you as well. I also have an eSIM from O2 and while SMARTY turns out to be slightly cheaper, O2’s data performance and coverage in my area is a lot better.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
