By Adam Maidment

Copyright manchestereveningnews

It’s a bold claim, but SQEW is said to be home to the UK’s best kebab. it’s not even something that owner Mitch Renshaw has assigned himself to the business, it’s all down to the paying customer. The Leeds -based shawarma spot, first opened in 2022, was recently crowned Deliveroo’s Best Kebab of 2025 . It was also named the Best Lebanese Restaurant/Takeaway in the UK at the British Kebab Awards last year too. But Mitch isn’t afraid that he can’t live up to the already-high expectations that come with such accolades. He says he thrives on it – and is continuing full steam ahead as he expands the empire with a new spot in Manchester. Opening on Deansgate on Friday (September 26), SQEW is all about authenticity. Alongside its Khobez and Durum wraps, there’s hummus sharing platters, Arabi fries boxes, and rice platters. Shawarmas can be customised to include a range of salad options – like parsley and sumac onion, pickled cabbage, and pickled turnips – as well as sauces including a fruity Pomegranate Molasses and a Hot Harissa. Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here Mitch, a former plumber, says he came up with the concept out of a pure necessity. “It wasn’t just a passion for a better shawarma, it was a need for better in the north,” he explains. “I’ve had so many in London and they were honestly so much better than anything I had here. We’re talking about the authentic Arabic shawarma and we just weren’t getting the right flavours.” But the idea for the street food spot didn’t just happen overnight. It took seven years from concept to realisation – and the name is all down to one chat Mitch had whilst fitting a boiler. “I was working at a brand consultant’s and, at the time, I had the name of Middle East Feast that I was working with,” Mitch says. “I asked them if I could just take half an hour of their time and show them my ideas with and we just ended with SQEW. I didn’t like it at first but a couple of days later, I was like, oh God, that’s it. That’s the name.” And when it came to opening the Leeds restaurant , it wasn’t a runaway success by any stretch of the imagination. Mitch admits the business was very close to closing for good. “It wasn’t good enough,” he openly admits. “We failed and we failed miserably for about 16 months. We didn’t have a single profitable week and we were really struggling. We were on the verge of trading insolvent. “Then, a post from Leeds+ Social of one of our hummus bowls just took off and went viral. It literally changed everything for us. We were very grateful for that, to be incredibly honest.” In some ways, Mitch said he believed he needed that experience to show him what being close to rock bottom was like and he insists it’s spurred him on to finesse what he now has opening in Manchester. “We’ve refined the concept from Leeds and cut out the need for people to wait 20 minutes to get served and to customise what they want,” he says. “People can use self-service screens, and there’s new additions too. “Everything is made fresh each day, we use ingredients from Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt, where that provenance comes from. We’ve got a massive respect for the true authentic shawarma you’d find in Syria and Lebanon.” And with that, Mitch is ready to get controversial. He says he has created the menu in such a way that no customer is able to order their shawarma with ketchup or mayonnaise. “Shawarma shouldn’t be messed with,” he insists. “You don’t want ketchup or mayonnaise on a proper shawarma. You want Lebanese garlic sauce instead. If you’re eating lamb, it wants to be with Tahini and pomegranate, it wants to come with certain salad pairings. I’m not about this ketchup nonsense at all. “Maybe it shouldn’t be my choice how people choose to eat their food, but my argument is that we’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We’ve mastered what works for us. We’re true authentic Shawarma for authentic Shawarma fans.” In addition, Mitch says SQEW is far from a late-night kebab shop. Not just in their offerings, but in the fact they don’t stay open any later than 12am. “There’s a number of reasons for that but, really, we’re just not that kind of place,” he comments. “You don’t need to be drunk to enjoy us. With Leeds, we found that our busiest period actually ended up being lunchtime on a Tuesday. We want to be somewhere that people can enjoy during the day, at lunch or after work.” Asked for his top suggestion for anyone new to SQEW, Mitch says: “I’d recommend the authentic chicken, which is Khobez bread, which is a Lebanese flatbread, with extra Toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce, and then pickles, pomegranate, fries, and then the end of the sandwich is charred on the burners with all that rendered chicken fat. It’s the most beautiful thing on the menu.” Ultimately, Mitch says he really hopes the people of Manchester can get behind the concept. “I’m so bloody passionate about the business,” he explains. “And I’m passionate about, you know, it being the way that it’s supposed to be. I really do think we’ve achieved that.” SQEW will open from Friday (September 26) at 12pm. The first 500 people through the door will be able to get their hands on a free lamb, chicken or falafel shawarma. SQEW is on 75 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW. Join our Manc Life WhatsApp group HERE