A brand new independent corner shop will soon be opening doors at KAMPUS – the city’s newest £250 million “garden neighbourhood”.
Store Retail Group – the company behind the General Stores and Foodhall concepts, with an already large and loyal fan base of its innovative take on the neighbourhood shop at stores in Ancoats, Salford, Stretford, Sale and MediaCityUK – has chosen KAMPUS, which is currently being developed by CAPITAL&CENTRIC and HBD, as the location for its newest venture.
KAMPUS is rapidly becoming a hub for some of Manchester’s coolest indie operators, and now the new General Store site is due to join in the autumn.
The announcement of General Stores’ arrival at KAMPUS comes after it was first announced that Northern Quarter stalwarts Common & Co will be opening a local pub and pizzeria in the summer at the new neighbourhood, as well as florist x bakery collaboration Bread Flower operating a pop-up at the bungalow every weekend.
Blossom Coffee Roasters and Manchester Smokehouse are among the other independents to have joined, with more due to be announced soon.
With a “village market feel”, the KAMPUS General Store will have independent, artisan food and drink sitting alongside daily essentials and well-known brands. A regular series of local collaborators will showcase new and exciting produce with a focus on local specialists – from butchers and greengrocers, to gin makers and wine merchants – and visiting local producers will have the opportunity to use the store’s mezzanine space for tastings and workshops as part of their residency, creating an outstanding local shopping experience.
As well as bringing the best local ingredients to the table, KAMPUS General Store will also stock the most sought-after independent food brands, including Middle Eastern specialists The Ottö-Men, sustainable meat from MeatCo Manchester, and the award-winning Great North Pie Co.
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KAMPUS General Store will also bring a zero-waste, household essential refill hub to the neighbourhood, which means customers can ditch the single use plastic and fill up their own containers with cereals, washing up liquid, lentils, sugar and pasta.
It’s being billed as a genius way to save both waste and money.
KAMPUS
Speaking on the announcement of General Stores’ arrival at KAMPUS, Adam Higgins from CAPITAL&CENTRIC said: “Kampus is fast becoming a neighbourhood in its own right and true to our word we’re sticking with independents.
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“We turned down plenty of chain supermarkets as that bland identikit approach isn’t right for Kampus and definitely not what our residents want. They’re after something more unique and interesting so, like the wider Kampus community, there’ll be plenty of collabs and pop ups, giving local traders a chance to showcase their produce and residents a chance to try something new”.
“Kampus is something pretty different in the city.” said Store Retail Group’s, Mital Morar.
“It’s a neighbourhood with a strong sense of community and a very independent feel, which is exactly what we’re about. Kampus General Store will be right at the heart of the neighbourhood, where the convenience of a corner shop meets local artisan food and drink.
“We love putting down roots in new neighbourhoods and being part of the journey as they grow, which is exactly what we’re looking forward to doing at Kampus”.
Store Retail Group
The buzz surrounding KAMPUS has increased in recent weeks, with the first images of the waterside development being released back in March, and one and two bedroom apartments now available to view in North Block, which is the first of five individual buildings to complete alongside its sister South Block – two beautiful Victorian shipping warehouses and a 1960s brutalist tower.
Manchester’s beautiful King Street Townhouse hotel has turned into a festive paradise
Daisy Jackson
King Street Townhouse is far and away one of the best and most beautiful hotels in Manchester, and it gets even more magical at this time of year.
The boutique hotel in the heart of the city centre, right by Albert Square, has been decked out with twinkling lights and a huge tree ready for the festive season.
And there are loads of reasons to pop in to King Street Townhouse this winter, even if you’re not staying overnight in its stunning hotel rooms.
There’s a seasonal twist on its legendary afternoon tea, which features playful and nostalgic twists on classics like a Baileys eclair, a cranberry scone, and a spiced winter berry and white chocolate cake that’s topped with a tiny gingerbread man.
There’s also a festive high tea, which features mini turkey and cranberry burgers and sage, onion and chestnut sausage rolls.
Festive afternoon tea at King Street TownhouseFestive fizz and bar snacks at King Street Townhouse
After work, you can pop in to King Street Townhouse to unwind with their festive cocktails and bar snacks, including classic winter drinks like mulled wine and hot toddys, but also a Mrs Claus (rose liqueur, Tanqueray gin, cranberry juice and milk), Campfire Mule (whiskey, lime, maple syrup and ginger beer) and Winter Wonder (vodka, apple juice, elderflower, egg white, cinnamon syrup and nutmeg).
And the hotel’s stunning rooftop South Terrace is open for drinks throughout November and December as it transforms into a Festive Cocktail Bar.
There’ll be live music on 1, 8 and 15 December, with performances setting the soundtrack to your festive evening.
There’s a full winter lunch menu that’s perfect for work lunches or catching up with friends, featuring dishes like steak sandwiches, beef and bone marrow burgers, Caesar salads and brown crab hand-rolled cavatelli.
Food and drinks at the King Street Townhouse’s restaurant The Tavern
And for snacks while you’re enjoying the festive atmosphere, there are delights like Pollen sourdough and focaccia, savoury bread pudding with goat’s cheese, and Cobble Lane charcuterie.
For the best celebration of the season, round up your loved ones for a night in the King Street Tavern, which has its classic British fare on offer with a little seasonal flare.
Hand raised game pie, stuffed cornfed chicken, and Lyme Park venison, plus a full grill menu and delicious desserts like carrot cake and a baked apple and almond tart.
To find out more and book your visit to King Street Townhouse this winter, head HERE.
The Lowry Hotel is once again offering free men’s wellbeing services to Mancs for Movember 2024
Danny Jones
The Lowry Hotel in Salford is doing its bit for this year’s Movember initiative by offering free men’s health and wellbeing services to local blokes.
It’s not just about the ‘tache, you know.
Yes, returning for Movember 2024, The Lowry is once again hosting a number of male-targeted events and open sessions for men in the city centre and across Greater Manchester to do some much-needed checking in, get their moustaches trimmed and more.
Teaming up with their in-house spa and fitness studio RE:TREAT for another slate of Movember events, they’re hoping to welcome local lads not only for key health scans but maybe open them up to trying something new.
After a successful month this time last year, The Lowry and RE:TREAT have doubled down with their Movember schedule, including everything from free facial hair grooming to their top-of-the-line cryotherapy sessions and even ‘broga’.
Yes, that is bro-yoga because god knows we love a little title to hook us sometimes.
While all of these are really worthwhile events and options – especially when it comes to keeping the mo’ trimmed and proper for the month – but, more importantly, they’re also inviting blokes in for some vital health sessions, both physically and mentally.
As well as offering free testicular scans (which you should aim to do once every month so) but they’re also hosting a wellness circle with Mandem Meetup, a grassroots men’s mental health charity here in the UK that align perfectly with the ideals of Movember.
While issues like testicular and prostate cancer awareness are crucial to the work that the annual month-long ‘shave and raise’ tries to promote, a key cornerstone of Movember is men’s mental health and suicide prevention – which is what makes contributions like The Lowry’s so valuable.
A number of the sessions have already happened this month but their biggest week yet is still to come as we approach the final few days of Movember, with this Friday set to close out their 2024 events.
The last round of free beard and moustache trims, testicular scans and cryotherapy slots are taking place this Friday, 29 November, along with the Mandem Meetupellness x RE:TREAT wellness circle from 10am onwards. Wholesome stuff.
Once again, all of these sessions are completely free of charge and last-minute drops-in are just as well come too; this initiative is all about giving men as much access to these services as possible.
You can find out more about timings and how to book your free cryotherapy slots, specifically, HERE. And Movember or not if you’ve ever been interested in seeing what the in-house spa destination at The Lowry Hotel is like, look no further…
Emily Sergeant -
14th May 2021 
