Black Milk Cereal is opening up a new cafe inside a former cinema
Manchester dessert heroes Black Milk have revealed plans to launch a new gelato range in signature flavours like Biscoff and hazelnut cream, and hinted at releasing a new baked goods menu in the near future...
Manchester’s favourite ‘cereal’ cafe, Black Milk, has revealed plans to open a new dessert spot next month inside Macclesfield’s Picturedrome.
Set to open in early February, its new cafe will serve up all of Black Milk’s signature sweet treats alongside some brand new baked ones as it takes on its own unit inside the former cinema.
It will join the likes of Reserve Wine x Tender Cow, Honest Crust, Savages Mussels Terroni and Rubens inside the Picturedrome, an old early 20th-century cinema re-imagined by the team behind Altrincham Market, Market House Alty and Mackie Mayor into a thriving independent food hall.
Image: Black Milk Cereal
Having previously held successful pop-ups at sister site Mackie Mayor last year, when an opportunity arose for Black Milk to permanently join the site in Cheshire it seemed like a no-brainer.
The Black Milk team announced the move on its Instagram page over the weekend, adding that they were looking for a pastry chef to join them – suggesting that the menu here may well take a turn into new territory in the coming months.
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Its full menu and the Black Milk shop will both be made available at the new site, as well as a range of delicious baked treats. These new treats are being kept close to its chest for now, but we’re promised all will be revealed soon.
In a first for Black Milk, it will also begin to offer luxury Italian gelato at Picturedrome in its signature flavours of hazelnut cream, pistachio, Biscoff and cookies & cream.
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Visitors to the new Macclesfield site can expect milkshakes, loaded freak shakes, alcoholic milkshakes in flavours like espresso martini and white Russian, plus heaped ice cream sundaes and Biscoff and red velvet cheesecakes.
Image: Black Milk Cereal
Its current Manchester cafe, which is found on Oldham street, is currently shut for a kitchen refurbishment – leaving fans without their usual Black Milk fix.
However, the team reassured Manchester locals that this will not be for much longer – promising that their city centre kitchen will be open again mid-February once an upgrade to its kitchen is completed.
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Black Milk also has another site in London.
In a post shared to Instagram, the cafe wrote: “ANNOUNCEMENT. We are delighted to let you know that we will be opening at @picturedromemacc in Macclesfield in early February.
“We will be serving up our signature treats alongside new baked ones!
“If you are based in Macclesfield, we are looking for a pastry chef to join the team. To apply please send your cv to [email protected]
“P.S. Black Milk Manchester will be back mid-February after a kitchen upgrade.”
Black Milk opened the city’s first ‘cereal cafe’ in Manchester city centre in 2015, with just five tables crammed into a small space inside Affleck’s.
In these early days, it drew inspiration from Momofuku’s Milk Bar in New York and Cereal Killer in London, serving up breakfast cereals from around the globe with a huge range of different kinds of milk – including one infused with squid ink, from which it takes its name.
Seven years on and its menu has come a long way, with popular items today focused more around indulgent desserts, freakshakes and lavish hot chocolates.
Customer favourites include Bailey’s hot chocolate and Kinderella milkshakes, but Black Milk sells all sorts from a huge varied menu.
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Image: The Manc Eats
An Instagram page bulging with pictures of loaded pancakes, cookie pies and cheesecakes, all made using the various spreads and sauces sold as part of Black Milk’s shop, is enough to make anyone drool.
Speaking on the new opening, Andy from Black Milk said: “We are delighted to be moving into such an incredible venue. It will be the first of our adventures into Cheshire where we see a great opportunity to serve our treats to a whole new audience.
“We’d like to thank the team behind Picturedrome for asking us to join an incredible group of independent food and drink brands in Macclesfield.
“We look forward to meeting everyone within the next few weeks.”
Jake from Picturedrome added: “We are delighted to welcome Black Milk to Picturedrome Macclesfield after a series of popular events at our partner venue Mackie Mayor.”
To find out more about what Black Milk has in store ahead of the new opening, make sure to follow them on Instagram here. To shop their at-home treats, visit the shop here.
Tiny Manchester restaurant with just 12 seats added to the Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Sampa, a tiny restaurant in the Northern Quarter with just a dozen seats, has been added to the Michelin Guide.
The Brazilian chef’s table concept comes from the acclaimed chef and former MasterChef star Caroline Martins, who has been refining the concept across the city for years.
She’s gone from a residency in an Ancoats wine bar to supper clubs and pop-ups across Manchester – and now has a place in the Michelin Guide.
Sampa, which is almost fully booked all the way through to August, is the first Brazilian restaurant in the UK to be included in the prestigious guide, which Caroline has described as ‘a small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community’.
Not only is the restaurant small, but it’s exclusive – Sampa is almost fully booked all the way through to August, and keeps its location under wraps until just 24 hours before your reservation.
The food showcases both traditional Brazilian techniques and ingredients, but with a modern take which has earned it rave reviews – including its signature Dormouse dessert, in the shape of a glossy red mushroom.
The Michelin Guide wrote: “In Manchester’s artsy Northern Quarter, Sampa is quite literally hidden away, with the exact address of this 12-seater chef’s counter only provided to guests 24 hours prior to dining, and a sign hung outside the door just 20 minutes before service.
“This sense of intrigue is fitting for an immersive experience where Chef Caroline Martins hosts her guests in a gregarious manner and treats them to a surprise menu of Brazilian cuisine.
“From the traditional ‘pão de queijo’ cheese bread to the showstopping ‘Dormouse’ dessert, these are fun, flavourful dishes packed with personality.”
And speaking of the honour, Caroline wrote: “SAMPA is now officially the first ever restaurant in the UK under the category “Brazilian” in the @michelinguide — and one of five across Europe! A small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community.
“This year has already gone beyond anything I could have imagined — and it just keeps getting better. We’re so proud of what we do at SAMPA every single day.
“Since January 2025, we’ve continued to grow and push forward, and it truly feels like we’re stronger than ever.
“A huge thank you to the Michelin Guide for the recognition, and to our amazing guests for being part of this journey and supporting us every step of the way. OBRIGADA!”
A sports bar dedicated to women’s sports is opening in Stockport
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new women’s-led sports bar is opening in Stockport, marking a first for the North.
Rita Ray’s will be joining the line-up at Weir Mill, the new neighbourhood from Capital & Centric on the banks of the River Mersey.
While women’s sport has grown in popularity in recent years, Rita Ray’s founder says that ‘the spaces to watch it haven’t caught up’.
And so, this new sports bar concept has been born, with all the buzz of a classic sports bar but with women’s sport on the big screens.
The venue will be family-friendly by day, before shifting into a lively social hangout with great drinks, music, and post-matchday energy by night.
It plans to become a community cornerstone too, hosting things like run clubs, classes, quiz nights, book clubs, pop-ups, and community meet-ups.
Founder of Rita Ray’s, Becky Brown, has named the bar after her grandparents Rita and Ray, who loved life, games, golf, and good company.
She says there’s ‘nothing like this in the North at the moment’.
Rita Ray’s sports bar is the second independent venture announced for Weir Mill this month alone – Italian restaurant The Social Trattoria is also heading to Stockport this year.
Becky said: “Women’s sport has grown massively, but the spaces to watch it haven’t caught up.
“There’s nothing like this in the North at the moment, and Stockport and the Weir Mill neighbourhood felt like the perfect spot – creative, independent, and full of character. Rita Ray’s is about sport, community, and inclusion.”
Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Rita Ray’s is exactly the kind of bold, indie concept we love bringing into our neighbourhoods. It’s a brilliant addition to Weir Mill and a great example of the independent operators helping shape this new part of Stockport.”
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for regeneration, skills and economy, said: “Seeing the North’s first independent bar dedicated to women’s sport choose Weir Mill is a fantastic vote of confidence in Stockport.
“This kind of bold, community‑minded business will add to the growing sense of place we’re creating here – an inclusive space where everyone can come together to enjoy sport, meet friends, and feel part of something special.
“This is exactly what regeneration should deliver: new jobs, strong independents and more reasons for people to spend time in our town centre, while keeping the character that makes Stockport what it is.
“Investment of this quality shows the direction we’re heading and the momentum we’re building, ensuring Stockport remains a vibrant, welcoming and thriving place for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”
Rita Ray’s is all set to open this summer at Weir Mill in Stockport, just in time to roar on the Three Lions.
Georgina Pellant -
24th January 2022 
