Manchester crowned most honest city in the UK in nationwide poll

Honest Burgers has crowned Manchester as the UK’s most honest city after the burger brand conducted a nationwide poll amongst their customer base. 

Throughout November, they collected data from over 1,500 fans throughout the UK. 

There was a clear winner, and Manchester customers topped the leaderboard as the most honest audience. 

Nearly 200 Mancunians got in touch to dob themselves in for frequently being a little too honest – and occasionally dishonest, too. 

Here are some choice examples:

“I told my mother in law the pie she cooked the first time I went round was amazing. It was truly awful. She now cooks it every time!”

“My friend hosted a fancy engagement party, and I brought a cake from a local bakery and said I’d made it… Which was fine until I met her fiancé, the baker at that same bakery! Cringe!”

“A friend showed me her ultrasound scans and I accidentally blurted out, I’m sure it’ll look nice in real life!”

“After thinking I had lost the sense of taste and smell whilst I had Covid, I had a McDonald’s the next day and realised it was just because mum’s pasta was flavourless. Sorry mum…”

“That time I didn’t tell my boyfriend that the first meal he cooked for me wasn’t veggie… (lifelong vegetarian here!)”

To celebrate the city’s noble victory, the people of Manchester will be rewarded with an Honesty Box Day on Monday 21st February at Honest’s Bridge Street restaurant, from 11.30am – 4.30pm. 

Guests are invited to pay what they like for food and drink over the five hour session, with 100% of takings being donated to Two Brews – a local outreach charity helping the homeless communities of Manchester and Salford. 

Two Brews hosts city centre pop-up ‘shops’ providing essentials for the homeless, such as sleeping bags, toothbrushes, toiletries and food. 

It’s a charity close to the heart of Manchester restaurateur Faye Saunders, who with her team has been supporting the charity and its volunteers over the pandemic with free burgers, essential supplies and hours of their own time.

“We might have guessed that our Manchester customers would bring this title home,” said Faye. 

“We love our city for its straight-talking residents who are never shy to tell us what they think. 

“Our Honesty Box Day will be going towards a great cause too, raising funds for Two Brews – a homegrown local outreach charity helping the homeless communities of Manchester and Salford seven days a week. 100% of our Honesty Box Day takings will go to the charity.” 

To further mark the city’s success, Honest has brought the Wellington burger – the Manchester local special created by Kris Coulton, head chef at Honest’s Manchester restaurant – nationwide to all Honest sites as the February special. 

Comprising the classic Honest beef patty, smoked bacon, cheddar, a homemade béarnaise butter, crispy gluten-free pastry straws, bacon gravy, mushroom duxelles, baby spinach and pickles, this is the first time a local special created by an Honest chef has gone on to be a nationwide special.

Honesty Box Day will take place on Monday 21st February at Honest’s Bridge Street restaurant from 11.30am – 4.30pm, with diners invited to pay what they like and proceeds going to local outreach charity Two Brews.