The hearty new Mexican spot in Manchester perfect for lunch with a genius menu item

There is a new Mexican spot on Piccadilly Gardens and to celebrate their grand opening they are giving away 1,000 free burritos for one day only – plus the chance to get your hands on even more free burritos.

Zambrero, an Australian-based franchise that has just started its expansion into the UK, has opened at Piccadilly, taking over the store formerly occupied by Greggs, next to Superdrug.

They serve up burritos, tacos, quesadillas and nachos with a variety of Mexican-inspired toppings and fillings, which you can pick and choose yourself. The menu includes extras such as desserts and kids meals.

The company was founded by Australian doctor and philanthropist Dr. Sam Prince, who has been combining his passion for Mexican food with charity work under Zambrero’s Plate 4 Plate scheme, which donates meals to hunger relief charities in countries like Uganda and South Africa.

How to get free burritos

To mark their grand opening on Tuesday 10 October, Zambrero will be giving away 1,000 free burritos all day from opening at 11am to close. The offer includes burritos and bowls, any extras can be purchased for an additional charge.

You can also get another free burrito any time in October if you sign up to the Squid app and use the discount code ZAMBMCR1, after which you will be given a voucher to use.

There will be even more chances for free burritos via their loyalty scheme, where if you buy nine burritos, you can get the tenth free.

Plate 4 Plate

An important part of Zambrero’s mission is it’s Plate 4 Plate scheme. Manager of the new Manchester spot Krzysiek Gendera told Manchester World:  “It’s not just about delivering the best burrito, it’s also about helping people who are suffering around the world.

“For every sold bowl or burrito, we are donating a meal pack. This is designed for young women in Africa who have been kicked out of their homes, they don’t have any education so they are staying in a special place where they get an education, where they are not going to be abused -- because that’s the reality.”

Inside the Manchester store, there is a huge ticker on the wall showing customers how many free meals have been donated via the scheme. When we popped in, the tally stood at over 72million.

What’s the food like?

Their menu includes all the classic Mexican-inspired flavours dishes, which you can mix-and-match in a burrito, a bowl, quesadilla or taco, which come in hard or soft shells.

When it comes to the filling you can choose between chicken, barbacoa beef, pulled pork or a vegan Chilli ‘Zin’ Carne. When stopped by to sample some of the options. All the meats were juicy and perfectly spiced with just the right amount of kick. All burritos include your choice of white or black rice, as well as your pick between pinto or black beans.

All the veg and salads were fresh and crunchy and you can also select cheeses and guacamole. They have a range of sauces to suit all palettes, from the garlic to chipotle to the hotter verde and red chilli sauces.

We couldn’t leave without also sampling a burrito for ourselves. We went for the chicken, with black beans and white rice, topped with cheese, guac, salads and chipotle sauce.

The true test of a burrito is the way it is wrapped and how easy it is to eat – and there are no complaints here on that front. I was able to return to the office after work without half of it down my shirt, thankfully, which is not always the case with burritos.

The portion sizes are generous, perfect for a hearty lunch, and at £7.95 for a classic burrito or bowl, they are cheaper than the other high-street Mexican food spots.

Manager Krzysiek Gendera said: “I used to work for competitors in the Mexican food market and I can say hand on heart that our products are much better. Our portions are bigger compared to our competitors. We are charging less for more.”

There was another item on the menu that caught our eye for our next visit, the Z’mores dessert quesadilla, filled with marshmallows and chocolate – a genius twist on the campfire snack that I did not realise I needed in my life until today.