Next week, Bury-born brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield will open their first-ever restaurant inside Gary Neville’s Manchester city centre hotel The Stock Exchange.
No strangers to the world of hospitality, the duo have vast amounts of experience working in some of the world’s best bars and have spent the past few years opening a string of award-winning drinking dens of their own.
With three Manchester cocktail bars now under their belt, including the eponymous Schofield’s Bar on Quay Street and the subterranean Stirling, which sits in an old bank vault beneath The Stock Exchange Hotel, the brothers are now making the venture into the world of full scale restaurants.
Working alongside chef Joshua Reed-Cooper (previously at The French with Simon Rogan, with Sam Buckley at Where the Light Gets In and at Michelin-starred Mana) and wine expert James Brandwood, The Stock Market Grill doesn’t officially open its doors until 1 March but it’s already the talk of the town.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Sat inside the Edwardian splendour of the Grade-II listed luxury hotel, it takes over from lauded restaurant The Bull & Bear following Tom Kerridge’s exit at the end of last year.
Gone are the giant TV screens so bemoaned by The Bull & Bear diners, and when we’re looking around Joe Schofield quips that they have eight for sale before asking if we want one.
Instead, the new focus of the dining space are two huge vases filled with dried flowers that draw your eye up to the gorgeous ornate ceiling and stained glass windows.
When the Stock Market Grill officially launches next Wednesday, it will serve an elevated all-day menu showcasing ‘British Brasserie’ classics using the highest quality local ingredients.
Diners can expect to find the likes of oysters with mignonette, rabbit suet pudding with mustard cream, wild mushrooms with confit yolk and spelt, Mangalitsa pork chop with Yorkshire rhubarb ketchup and ex dairy rib eye with brown butter jus and lemon.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Speaking ahead of the new opening, Joe Schofield told The Manc: “We’re really excited to be opening our first restaurant, myself, Daniel and James are very passionate about food and visiting restaurants. We do have twenty years experience in world class restaurants, and we’ve got the opportunity to work with the hotel and put a restaurant in, we jumped at the chance.
“We already had a great chef working with us at Stirling, he was in the kitchen at Mana when they got their Michelin star. We thought it’d be a really good opportunity to showcase a restaurant and style of cuisine that we’re really passionate about.
“We’ve got a great relationship with the hotel, when we were having conversations about opening a restaurant it felt natural and it felt organic and we’ve put together a concep that we’re really excited about.
“Our hopes for the restaurant are to create an experience that guests love to come in and visit and enjoy the food. That’s what’s most important thing for us, people come and really love their experience in terms of the service, the hospitality and the food.”
Bookings are open now from 1 March and can be made now via the Stock Exchange Hotel website here.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Beloved bowling bar to close after 12 years ahead of major transformation
Daisy Jackson
Dog Bowl, a bowling bar that’s been part of Manchester’s bar scene for 12 years, will be closing for good next month ahead of a major rebrand.
The beloved bowling alley will be shutting down on 16 August to make way for Wynwood Lanes, a new downtown Miami-themed venue.
It’s promising ‘pool-side party vibes’ inspired by Miami’s vibrant Wynwood district, famed for its bold geometric murals, neon lit streets and 24/7 energy – but bowling lanes will remain as part of the venue.
The bar will offer five upgraded bowling lanes, east coast playlists, celebratory smoke machines and upgraded lighting effects that bring every strike to life.
That’s alongside new pool tables, basketball hoops and a coconut shy.
Taking over the kitchens at the Whitworth Street venue will be Kong’s NQ, who’ll be serving up fresh Cuban sandwiches, meat-filled arepas and fried chicken tacos.
Wynwood Lanes will also feature a bottomless brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday from 30 August, with Miami brunch plates and bottomless drinks for 90 minutes and bowling packages available too.
The drinks menu will star cocktails inspired by Miami – think frozen margs, fruity daiquiris, and coladas.
By day, you can expect poolside cocktails, low-fi tunes, and a laid-back atmosphere – with children welcome until 7pm, Sunday to Wednesday.
But then by night, Wynwood Lanes will be all about drinks offers, late night snacks and a late night playlist.
Dog Bowl has been part of Manchester’s nightlife scene since 2013, and was acquired by gaming bar NQ64 in 2018.
Now it’s ready for its next era as Wynwood Lanes.
Credit: The-Vain – Carl Sukonik – @thevainphotosCredit: The-Vain – Carl Sukonik – @thevainphotosDog Bowl is closing in Manchester to become Wynward Lanes
Matt Robson, Co-founder of Wynwood Lanes, said: “We went and sat in Dog Bowl recently and just realised we weren’t proud of it anymore – (especially the name, we no longer want to compete with pet shops on Google).
“Wynwood Lanes will bring something new to Whitworth Street and we’re buzzing to crack on with it!
“We have a hit list of passions from a trip to Wynwood in Miami and built a space that brings together the things we love – drinking rum and tequila, smashing avo on toast with Cuban coffee for brunch, tacos and fried chicken at night, playing and watching basketball, sharking people at pool and partying late into the night…”
Bowling prices will start at £9 with food and drink add-ons while you bowl available.
Wynwood Lanes will open at 4pm on Friday 22 August.
Featured image: The-Vain – Carl Sukonik – @thevainphotos
Eats
Inside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Hotel Chocolat has today opened the doors to its first Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester, serving up shakes, hot chocolates, sundaes, and loads more.
Part cafe, part retail space, inside you’ll find everything from molten chocolate fountains to a full range of chocolate boxes, bars and hot chocolate powders.
The popular chocolatier has stores up and down the UK selling its ethically-sourced sweet treats, hitting a new level of fame with its Velvetiser, an invention that creates velvety smooth hot drinks at the touch of a button.
They’ve been so popular, Hotel Chocolat is now opening Velvetiser Cafes across the UK – and Manchester is next.
There are exclusive-to-Manchester-sundaes in store, each one inspired by their most popular chocolates, like a Billionaire’s Shortbread and an Eton Mess.
You can also grab yourself a hot choc shake, with loads of flavours, milks and toppings to choose from.
Hotel Chocolat’s new Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterThe chocolate boxes at Hotel ChocolatInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterMix-and-match hot chocolate selection boxesInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterExclusive-to-Manchester ice cream sundaesCroissant with a molten chocolate potInside the Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe also has pastries, which you can order with a side of melted chocolate for dipping and drizzling.
As part of the experience inside, there’s a wall of hot chocolate sachets, which you can mix and match to build your own selection box.
And all along the way there’ll be samples, and loads to learn about the chocolate industry.
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe has officially opened its doors today on Cross Street in Manchester city centre, just next to the new Joe & The Juice.
Georgina Pellant -
23rd February 2023 
