Some mornings, nothing but a breakfast muffin with your favourite fillings will do. And if you don’t fancy making your own for 56p, there’s a way to cash in on multiple muffins for the same price as one from McDonald’s.
Manchester commuters, or anyone that finds themselves around Piccadilly train station, will have spotted fast food joint Leon just outside the station doors at Gateway House’s unit 17.
The restaurant chain aims to offer a healthier fast food option, writing on their website: “Why can’t fast food be good food? Our mission is to prove that it can be by serving naturally fast food that not only tastes good but does you good too.”
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Leon’s Manchester Piccadilly branch opened in 2017, and is open 7am to 9pm in the week, 8am to 9pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 9pm on Sundays, meaning shoppers can pick up to go snacks or dine in at their 50-seater restaurant every day of the week, from breakfast until evening.
The chain - which was bought by EG Group last year - is one of the many partners of the Too Good To Go free food-saving app. It joins a whole host of venues inside Piccadilly station, such as Upper Crust, The Pasty Shop, James Martin Kitchen and Starbucks.
Shoppers can reserve a ‘magic bag’ for a fraction of the retail price for food that is short of date and nearing its shelf life.
At Leon, a mystery bag costs £3 for a morning bag, which can be collected any time between 10.50am and 11.05am. The bag promises £9 worth of food, which could be a mix of morning muffins, which the restaurant say are ‘packed with freshly cooked ingredients in lightly toasted sourdough muffins’.
One thing I really liked about Leon’s profile on the app, though, was that it instructs those with allergies or dietary restrictions to let the team know so that they can be accommodated. But it also prompts those who wish to enquire about calorie counts to do so, giving people the option to know.
When I went to collect my bag at 11am, the sales assistant swiped the collection button on the app before turning to the muffins that were being kept warm after being freshly made this morning.
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She picked up three different muffins and popped them in a brown Leon branded bag for me while I admired the decor inside. If I didn’t have to rush off to an appointment, I’d have definitely taken the time to sit down and enjoy one straight away, because the atmosphere is really nice and surprisingly calm considering its proximity to the station.
Later in the day I unwrapped my three toasted muffins, and discovered a bacon and egg, sausage and egg, and vegan sausage muffin in my bag. It was a nice range of options, with other could-be choices being bacon, or smashed avocado and halloumi, and as someone who detests avocado, I felt like I’d had a pretty good deal here.
The vegan muffin features a plant-based spiced sausage patty, which looks most similar to a McDonald’s McMuffin. But it’s paired with Leon’s fruity tomato ketchup and spinach sandwiched in a toasted sourdough muffin. Meanwhile, the sausage and egg muffin is made with British Cumberland sausage and home-made tomato ketchup, served in a signature muffin with a free range egg.
This used three sausages rather than a sausage patty, and when each of these muffins effectively cost £1 each, I thought this was pretty great value.
The bacon and egg muffin was equally well filled with bacon, egg and spinach with Leon ketchup on a sourdough muffin.
When a McDonald’s sausage and egg McMuffin comes in at £2.79 - and even more as a meal, this £3 bargain bag of three Leon muffins was a real treat. They were perfectly fine to warm up the following day, making for an easy bank holiday brunch for my parents and I. And as much as I do enjoy a McMuffin from time to time, these were a lot tastier and better value.
Leon also offer evening pick ups on the Too Good To Go app for £3.75 for £11 worth of food which could be anything from rice boxes and salads to burgers, wraps and desserts.
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