Brazilian-born, Manchester-dwelling chef Caroline Martins is set to bring a flavour of South American pub food to the city. Her new project Rio-Mex is to open at Hatch, the food court under the Mancunian Way.
It will be serving up ‘salgadinhos’, snacks often served up in Brazilian pubs to go with drinks. They’ll come in all kinds of forms, including a five-hour, authentic chilli con carne taco.
There will also be other rotating taco fillings, proper loaded nachos and sweet churros coming out of the unit. The inspiration came from Martins’ time travelling in Texas, experiencing fusion Mexican cuisine, and combining it with her Brazilian heritage.
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“I fell in love with Hatch back in 2022 when I visited for the first time - the whole vibe was awesome! It’s the home of diversity in Manchester and a place where you can get everything done in one place,” she said.
“You can pop in, get your nails done, buy a cool vintage vest, get a cocktail at Miami Ice and have some incredible street food for dinner. And now Rio-Mex is joining; we can’t wait for everyone to try our beautiful Brazilian-Mexican fusion menu.”
Martins has established herself in the Manchester food scene over the past couple of years, notably with her Sao Paulo Project pop-up at Blossom Street Social in Ancoats, and then recently at Exhibition, the food and beer hall in the former natural history museum off Peter Street, which opened last year.
She recently appeared on the North West heat of the Great British Menu, her second time on the show, competing against the likes of Sam Grainger and Danielle Heron from Osma.
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