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Day: 17 November 2012

Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP)

ASAP (Academics Stand Against Poverty) is an international organisation that aims to use the skills of academics to eradicate global poverty. The ASAP society describe themselves as an ideas forum, hoping to get students involved with the scheme in bringing together all their different skills to help combat poverty. It is new to Manchester University but has been really successful in other universities such as Birmingham. The society holds bi-weekly meetings where students can brain storm ideas how to overcome poverty and how to bring to light problems abroad to the Manchester and Student community.

I spoke to Omid Mojabi, a member of ASAP who explained a bit more about the society. ‘’We are looking for students who have volunteered abroad to give talks and share their experiences with other students. Through these talks we want to explain the benefits of volunteering alongside the potential problems. It is a great way for people to understand cultural differences which volunteers have to overcome and how people can get the most out of volunteering abroad.’’

Through ASAP Omid and other members took part in the ‘Poverty Line’ Challenge. They had to live off £1 and day for one week, and donated what they would normally spend (around £20 a week on food) to the charity of their choice. ‘’It was really tough to do and really made me realise how hard life in poverty is. As a group we managed to put our money together for food but that didn’t leave anything extra for travel. It meant I had to walk to university and going out was not an option. I had just enough money to survive and that was it.’’ ASAP also offer unique internship opportunities with the charity itself. All you have to do is visit the website http://academicsstand.org/ to find out more.

Mancunion Recommends (then): Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin III

The album starts on somewhat familiar terms; the trademark wails from Plant coupled with one of Jimmy Page’s many killer riffs. The songs real heaviness comes from Bonzo and JPJ, who are the real engine behind the lush exterior of Page and Plant. However, from then on in we’re introduced to a much more acoustic, folk-inspired side of Led Zeppelin that caused some difference in opinions amongst critics at the time.

Tracks like ‘Friends’, ‘That’s the way’ and ‘Tangerine’ blend the bands early American blues influences with British folk artists of the time like Bert Jansch, and most notably Roy Harper who even gets his own song title. These songs showcase a whole new dynamic that makes bands that do acoustic versions of already existing electric songs seem a tad lame. The stand out acoustic track for me is ‘Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp’ named after the welsh cottage in which the album was written. The intricate, country-style riff lifts Page up above so many of his axe-wielding peers at the time who survived solely on a distortion pedal and the pentatonic scale.

The true pièce de résistance comes from the spine tingling ballad ‘Since I’ve been loving you’. It’s frankly astonishing to hear the sound achieved with just three blokes, pretty much no overdubs, and John Paul Jones playing organ as well as bass, with his feet no less! Plants delivery is so on the money it more than makes up for his slightly clichéd blues lyrics.

Led Zeppelin III introduced fans to a whole new side of Led Zeppelin, unfortunately it also marked the start of Robert Plant’s fascination with Celtic folk tales which would go on to feature on other albums, as well as in the cringe worthy scenes from The song remains the same. The album was a launch pad for the band to go on experimenting with their folk influences, mixing their acoustic material in alongside more familiar rock sounds, and of course leading to the composition of one particular song that must not be named.

Tuition fees ‘biggest contributing factor to inflation’

Higher tuition fees are the largest single contributing factor to inflation, a report by the Office of National Statistics has found.

The Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation rose from 2.2 per cent to 2.7 per cent last month – its first rise since July.

0.36 percent of this 0.5 per cent rise came from education.

The £1.3 billion per year savings that were projected to be made from the fee increases will be “mostly taken up” by the extra annual spending created by this inflation, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute.

The HEPI report estimated that the inflationary aspect of higher fees would range anywhere from £420 million to £1.15 billion.

“[The government] told us that trebled tuition fees were a necessity to save money”, said Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, “but it will actually cost ordinary taxpayers billions more.”

“The government was determined to abdicate responsibility for university education and got its sums badly wrong in a way that affects not just students but all of us”, Burns continued.

“The student movement has been saying for quite some time that this hike in tuition fees is wrong for students”, said Cat Gray, Wellbeing Officer at the University of Manchester, speaking on BBC Radio Five.

“I think these figures today on inflation demonstrate that this is actually really wrong for the economy too”.

Let me tell you about Chorlton

Chorlton is the gastronomic centre of Manchester, whether you’re eating, drinking or shopping; it is no exaggeration to say this suburban village has everything. Here I will endeavour to guide you through a list of my favourite independent outlets to ensure that your festive season will be full of well-informed culinary adventures.

Heading out for breakfast? Manchester does nothing well if not casual dining, and Hickson and Black’s Deli boasts the finest bacon sandwich in all of Manchester. There is limited seating, so having your butty to go will allow you to gorge on crispy, locally-reared back bacon nestled in a homemade bloomer whilst pushing on to the next port of call.

However I understand it rains in Manchester a lot, so rarely do we have the crisp autumnal morn required for breakfast-to-go. Never fear, Gabriel’s Grocery is a beacon of regional produce prepared to very high standards. In many ways, this joint encapsulates what the Chorlton food is all about: simple, local, tasty and reasonably priced.

Full of breakfast, we go in search of morning coffee – and dare I say elevenses? This place has been a stalwart for me over the years and there is no better place to brunch in Chorlton than North Star Delicatessen. The glass windows allow light to flood the open plan space which is adorned with home-made cakes, quiche, salads, sandwiches and other light Mediterranean lunch dishes. NSD, without a shadow of a doubt, offers a quite brilliant brunching opportunity whether it’s with company or simply you and a newspaper.

We now head straight for lunch, and Chorlton’s best do not need me to big them up. The Parlour, winner of The Observer’s Food Magazine Awards 2012 for best Sunday lunch is really all I need say, except that it gets very busy so go early. Again, there is little for me to add but ‘Winner of best cheap eat in the North’ in this year’s OFM Awards, which is Bar San Juan. It really is a little piece of Spain serving pretty much the finest tapas I’ve ever had.

Tummies fortified against late afternoon hunger pangs, maybe it’s now time to do some shopping. You may want to visit WH Frost, the most traditional of butchers, to pick up meat that is stocked in both the Parlour and NSD. It has been on top of its game for over a century and indeed long may it continue. Just up Wilbraham Road is Out of the Blue. This fishmongers exudes class on every level, from its everyday fish selection to its special occasion luxury line – which is delivered to the shop on a sometimes tri-daily basis to ensure the freshest and most beautiful fruits of the sea.

However, Chorlton (and maybe famously so) is not just for carnivores. Unicorn, Manchester’s vegetarian co-operative grocery breaks down all the pretences of somewhere that might use words like ‘wholesome’, ‘organic’ and ‘ethical’. It has a deli bar, fresh bread counter and a seriously good beer, cider and wine selection. However, what knocks me out about this place is the fruit and veg, which is always so fresh, healthy, appetising and utterly sumptuous. They even have a lettuce pick ‘n’ mix section which is picked from their own plot and is an absolute treat.

Across the road from Manchester’s premier independent supermarket is Manchester’s premier delicatessen: Barbakan. Besides from supplying 15,000 loaves a week to local businesses, you can sample the delights of the in-house master baker along with a very fine cured meat and artisan cheese selection. Furthermore, the shelves are bursting with what seems like every specialist canned or dried delicacy from over the entire continent from Gdansk to Gibraltar. This emporium is the epitome of what a deli should be.

Late afternoon? Early evening? We head to Pi for pie and more importantly delicious beer. Pi is a haven for continental beer and some fantastic oddities. Nationally renowned for its quality and quantity of beer, its atmosphere and friendliness means it is in my top 5 Manchester pubs and bars. Do try a legendary Delirium Tremens or a Pauwel Kwak served in its round bottomed glass propped up by a wooden stands, or even a Sri Lankan Lion Stout. Take some time to enjoy the intricacies of beautiful beer in the serene setting of Chorlton.

These very wonderful places can only exist if people in their locality go and enjoy them. Have a foodie day in Chorlton; there is literally something for everything, my list is nowhere near exhaustive of the delights on offer, but simply a sample. Like anywhere, the best way to explore is to go yourself and have a leisurely stroll around. Mooch in the shops, peer through windows, read menus, spy upon other peoples’ plates of food. Ultimately treat yourself, indulge and enjoy, let your senses free and appetite roam through the butchers, delicatessens, restaurants, pubs, cafés, bars, supermarkets and fishmongers.

 

Get lost, Get Baked

Get Baked is a newly-conceived business selling cakes, pies, brownies and American sweets to a student market. The concept is a good one – delivery of desserts to your front door. Their Facebook footfall is large; this is probably due to their regular posts depicting their freshly baked goods and also because of the association with smoking weed. Inspired.

I ordered a selection of their offerings: Caramel Apple Pie, Chocolate Lumpy Bumpy, Banoffee Gateau, Malteser Brownie and Marshmallow Blondie, with a side of milk chocolate sauce (I was sharing). The delivery was prompt and would have felt even faster in the land of the high and drunk.

I’ll start with the Caramel Apple Pie at £2.75– the filling tasted very artificial with cubes of apple in a processed type apple sauce. The pastry was fine but the caramel was fairly flavourless. The whole pie generally had an unloved air. Had I only ordered this, I would have been very disappointed. It just didn’t seem homemade. Hopes dashed, I moved onto the Banoffee Gateau, at £2.00.

Firstly, what’s wrong with Banoffee Pie? Sounds much nicer to me; gâteau just implies pretentious cake. But never mind, what was primarily wrong with this cake was the lack of both its eponymous heroes. Banana was entirely boycotting every element of the dessert, although my housemate did say that he caught a fleeting essence of it in the filling. The toffee manifested in a few tiny (grated?!) pieces, sprinkled forlornly on top of the cream that had started to congeal a bit and do that funny off-colour thing. The cream also had a strong taste of lime – an unwelcome visitor having expected banana. The sponge, however, was beautifully light and moist – but this was too little too late.

Finally, success arrived with the £3 Chocolate Lumpy Bumpy Cheesecake. The chocolate ganache layer on top was thin and dark, shrouding a cloud of thick cheesecake filling. Underneath were the layers of chocolate mousse a chocolate sponge that was again beautifully light. This one was more expensive than the other two, maybe because they knew it was actually good – but why not just standardise the prices at £2.50 rather than having each pie or gâteau at a slightly different price.

The Malteser brownie was another disappointment, and had a strong acrid taste, like cigarette ash or burnt coffee. I think maybe it had burnt slightly on the bottom. My housemates didn’t notice this as much as I did but even if I’m exaggerating its bitter taste, the brownie still wouldn’t have passed in my book. It needed more chocolate and less sugar. It needed to be taller in height to have enough thickness to be gooey and moist. The Malteser element was undetectable; I was imagining them embedded in the top. When in doubt, use the Ben & Jerry technique – if you’re going to have chunks of something throughout, make them big and obvious. If they’re unfeasible to bake with, they should have used a different ingredient.

The Marshmallow Blondie was better, you could actually see the half-melted marshmallows sunk in the top. Good start, but the thickness of the blondie again needed to be more and again it had too much sugar. The texture was also fairly raw. I’m all for a squidgy brownie, but this one simply needed longer in the oven.

The chocolate sauce I had ordered wasn’t actually available, so they gave me a toffee sauce and a Nutella sauce instead. The toffee sauce was thin and artificial. The Nutella was Nutella, and I am sceptical as to whether or not the resale of Nutella is even legal. I thought that the amount of sauce supplied with all the cakes was not enough – the ideal Caramel Apple Pie would surely have caramel dribbled liberally and temptingly so that it spills over the sides.

Despite the initially professional-looking graphics and branding on the website, the packaging was very amateurish. The cakes came in blank burger boxes and the brownies were wrapped in foil. The sauces came in a paper bag and had been messily decanted into the containers and also were leaking into the bag. A comparison which sprang to mind were the Graze boxes, another student set-up company which really sets the example for professional packaging that mirrors the ethics of the company.

I have a few other niggles with the website. The Chocolate Fudge Cake, described “it’s gotta’ [sic] be on the menu was ironically not in stock. Many other things have also not been in stock when I have otherwise visited the website. The floating selection boxes on the website didn’t align properly with the items so I mistakenly selected certain things, even though I was sober. Many brands were misspelt, such as Nutella “Nuttella” or Malteser “Malteaser.”

Despite wanting to support small businesses and student ventures, despite wishing I had come up with the concept myself, despite loving all things to do with baking and eating, Get Baked does not win my seal of approval. Get lost – or maybe just get better.