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.
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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.
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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.
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“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 Manchester Italian restaurant unveils big refurb
Thomas Melia
Much-loved Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five has just unveiled a beautiful refurbishment at one of its Manchester sites, along with a new menu of fresh, handmade pasta.
Gone is the famous yellow colour palette of this Italian eatery as they swap in a sophisticated and regal turquoise blue at their Liverpool Road restaurant.
This establishment is known for its impressive shop-window pasta making stations where you can see your food prepared live in-store and while walking past outside the venue.
They’re continuing their foodie legacy serving carby creations, like a flaming cheese wheel pasta where staff blowtorch the cheese to ensure it’s as melty as possible.
One of the biggest menu highlights at Italiana Fifty-Five is the cappellacci, which comes in two equally gorgeous forms and much like its English translation, emulates tiny hats.
These cute little plates come in two delicious stuffed pairings – the burrata, combined with a tangy tomato and beef filling, and a salmon with cream sauce and fresh lemon for a match made in heaven.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five unveils big refurb. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Italiana Fifty-Five as it unveils a new look on Liverpool Road. Credit: The Manc Group
How can you think of anything more ideal than a table full of hearty and home-comforting meals than one that also features an array of beautiful sides?
Usual delights like the burrata on a bed of rocket, tomato and finished off with a balsamic vinegar glaze area great addition to your already faultless food.
Cheesy garlic pizza bread is quintessential when dining in an Italian restaurant, and Italiana 55’s lovely flavour-packed favourite is a go-to when ordering here.
The Liverpool Road restaurant also has a tonnata pizza which uses toppings that are an exact ingredient breakdown of the Mediterranean sauce, which it shares its name with.
In photos: Italiana Fifty-Five has undergone a refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
What better way to wolf down some incredible Italian feasts than with some perfectly paired alcoholic offerings like the classic Aperol spritz, trusted espresso martinis and a selection of fine wines.
Their menu is staying as tasty as ever with their delicious pizzas and pastas, with the new fresh pasta menu available at their restaurants on Liverpool Road and in Didsbury.
Bakery chain Gail’s is attempting to win over Prestwich after spelling mishap
Daisy Jackson
Gail’s has announced a plan to try and make amends with Prestwich after spelling the village’s name wrong on the new bakery’s signs.
The massive bakery chain finally confirmed that it would be moving into the suburb on the fringes of Bury and Manchester, but made a fatal flaw at the first step.
The huge posters are missing the letter ‘T’, instead saying ‘Hello Preswich’.
More than a few eyebrows were raised locally, with people saying it’s ‘not a great first impression for the locals…’.
And now Gail’s is attempting to put things right by offering free tea to Prestwich residents.
In new material released today, they wrote: “Oops… people of Prestwich, we owe you a ‘T’.
“You may have seen how we missed out a ‘t’ in our new bakery signage.
“We’re sorry for the mistake, and to make up for it we’d like to brew you a tea when we open.”
The new advertising has a QR code which people can scan to claim their free cuppa.
Gail’s has also passed its thanks on to ‘local resident Clair’, who actually came up with the suggestion on The Manc’s LinkedIn post here.
With this development, Gail’s has now confirmed it’ll be opening in Prestwich – directly opposite the new Rudy’s – in early 2025, with free tea served then to those who scan the QR code.
Gail’s will hand out free tea in Prestwich to apologise for spelling the village’s name wrongHuge bakery chain Gail’s confirms move to Prestwich – but spells village’s name wrong in signage
Georgina Pellant -
23rd February 2023 
