The Manchester Christmas Markets have moved to a new location at Piccadilly Gardens this year, but what to Mancs really think about the festivities being centred in this troubled part of the city centre?
When the news was announced that the Christmas Markets’ main hub would have to relocate this year – ongoing renovation works on the Town Hall have meant that Albert Square is off-limits – the reaction was pretty predictable.
But that was before the markets were actually open, totally transforming the infamous part of the city centre into the ‘Winter Gardens’ and a hub of hive of live music, street food and market stalls.
The ‘Winter Gardens’, the new main hub of the Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
Two huge wooden platforms have been built at Piccadilly Gardens, each surrounded by huts selling food and drink.
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There’s a live music stage for the first time, furniture made from repurposed wooden pallets, and walls filled with plants.
A large part of the new site is under cover too, making it far more weather-proof than previous Christmas Markets.
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The Off-Piste Bar at Piccadilly Gardens / Credit: The Manc Group
The festive light trail has even parked up here, including a giant glowing ‘MCR’ sign and an arch of shooting stars you can walk through.
For the most part, local people seem to be pleasantly surprised, with thousands flooding to the comments of The Manc‘s live tour.
John Paul wrote: “Massive improvement on the area. It’s been Manchester City centres let down for decades. Can they stay until Easter.”
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Nancy Morris said: “That’s the best that Piccadilly Gardens has looked since the actual Gardens were concreted over. Well done”
Sue Taylor posted: “I like the idea of using all recycled materials, well done, looks good”
The Winter Gardens the night before they officially opened / Credit: The Manc Group
One person couldn’t believe their eyes, commenting: “Oh my god is that Piccadilly gardens????”
However, many were disappointed at the lack of Christmas spirit, with one person saying it’s “Just a food and drink market.”
Most of the traders at Piccadilly Gardens are serving only food or drink, though there are a few gift stalls too.
The bulk of the shopping markets have been moved to the other sites along Market Street, Exchange Square and St Ann’s Square.
One person wrote: “Weres all the gift stalls , and weres the Christmas decor just looks like a giant pallet yard p*ss up ,”
Ali Humphries posted: “Awful. Nothing like the original markets, just a food and drink market”
Featured Image: The Manc Group
City Centre
New ‘immersive’ cat cafe, pet lifestyle shop, and groomers to open in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new one-stop pet lifestyle shop, grooming parlour, and ‘immersive’ cat cafe is set to open in Manchester city centre.
Set to open this autumn down at popular co-living development Square Gardens, LollipawsClub will offer a wide range of services including professional grooming and styling, a pet bakery, and an immersive cat cafe experience, as well as offering a range of pet products including cat and dog food, freeze-dried treats, and lots of toys.
LollipawsClub’s imminent arrival is said to mark a ‘key milestone’ for Square Gardens and the wider First Street community as a whole, as it completes the ground-floor retail offering, with all six commercial units now let.
Developers want Square Gardens to be a neighbourhood hub blending independent food and drink, with everyday essentials and specialist services.
A new ‘immersive’ cat cafe, pet lifestyle shop, and groomers is opening in Manchester later this year / Credit: Supplied
LollipawsClub will join the likes of Asda Express, and East Asian supermarket and restaurant, Seol & Tokyo, an alongside Thai-Chinese restaurant, Yaowarat, and new coffee shop, Ty Blawd – both of which are due to open this summer.
CGIs of what the new pet lifestyle store an cafe will look like when it opens have been revealed.
“We are thrilled to be joining the Square Gardens community this autumn,” commented Ruby Zhou, who is the Founder of LollipawsClub.
LollipawsClub is set to open this autumn down at Square Gardens, / Credit: Supplied | Mateusz Sobczak
“We regularly host engaging, pet-focused events and would be delighted for you to join us. Through everything we do, we aim to create an enjoyable and distinctive experience, making life with pets more comfortable, easy, and joyful.”
John Clegg, who is Head of Property Management at Downing – the developers of Square Gardens – added: “LollipawsClub completes the commercial lineup at Square Gardens, and from the outset, our ambition was to create a neighbourhood with its own identity, somewhere residents and the wider community actively choose to spend time.
“It’s exciting to see the retail offer now fully established alongside a thriving residential community.”
LollipawsClub will open at Square Gardens this autumn, so keep your eyes peeled for more updates and launch details.
Featured Image – Supplied
City Centre
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Daisy Jackson -
12th November 2021 
