Cult Manchester bakery Pollen has been listed among the best in the UK, appearing on the shortlist for this year’s prestigious National Bakery Awards.
The hit bakery has made it onto the UK shortlist after winning the north west category, ranking alongside the Bear Bakery in Chester, Lovingly Artisan from Cumbria (also found at Altrincham Market), Simply Doughnuts in Blackburn, and the BonBon bakery in Liverpool.
It will now be entered in the regional heats, culminating with a prestigious awards ceremony that will see the final winners announced at an event in London on July 12.
From a fledgling opening in an archway on back Piccadilly to two city centre cafes in the space of seven years, Pollen is the Manchester bakery that needs no introduction.
Founded by bankers-turned-bakers Hannah Calvert and Chris Kelly in 2016, early fans happily queued – sometimes for hours – in the wind and rain to get their hands on its inaugural stuffed cruffins and loaves of sourdough.
It outgrew that little archway in 2018 and soon set its sights on a new location at Cotton Field Wharf near Ancoats Marina, launching a crowdfunder for the site and smashing its fundraising target in the space of just one day.
That move also saw it expand its offering, developing a new brunch menu and sandwich selection to complement its bakery and coffee counter.
Last summer, Pollen expanded once again – opening a second, significantly larger site down at the new, Gay Village-adjacent garden neighbourhood, Kampus.
Breakfast dishes include the likes of an egg bun – the egg itself a perfectly formed square, oozing with added Westcombe cheddar and flecked with a sprig of watercress – and a BLT with smoked streaky bacon, butterhead lettuce, and house-made charred tomato ketchup.
Elsewhere, you’ll find hearty slices of sourdough topped with Pollen’s own ricotta and lardo, agretti, English broad beans and peas; a glistening Hogget shoulder hashbrown with dill sauerkraut and Neil’s Yard Creme Fraiche; and white asparagus with a soft boiled egg, walnut veloute and lovage.
As for the bakery counter, expect to find some of the finest Veniosserie in the city with perfectly laminated croissants and pain au chocolat lined up alongside the likes of cinnamon knots, basque cheesecake and other treats.
It is not the first accolade for Pollen, which was also listed by the Financial Times as one of the UK’s top bakeries last month.
The paper noted ‘whether you want to try one of its signature staples, such as the 28-hour sourdough bread, or experiment with a cruffin, be there in good time – they often sell out’.
Featured image – Pollen
City Centre
Full list of road closures set to be in place as Manchester Day 2025 takes over the city
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2025 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 26 July, and as always, it’s set to be ‘the day summer officially starts’ in the city centre – with a massive celebration of ‘all things Mancunian’ on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is music, and it’s inspired by Manchester’s spectacular summer of sound, spearheaded by Oasis Live ’25 that recently concluded at Heaton Park.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Manchester Day is back with a ‘mammoth day’ of music-themed free fun / Credit: Manchester City Council
As always, activities will be taking place right across the city centre – from St Ann’s Square to Cathedral Gardens, and everywhere in between.
Organisers say there will be plenty of chances throughout the day for visitors, both young and old, to get stuck in, try their hand at making music and maybe even uncover a hidden musical talent they didn’t know they had.
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
A number of road closures and parking suspensions will be in place / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2025 – Road Closures
Saturday 26 July
From 6am to 10pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Victoria Street to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to New Market Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
Exchange Street (St Mary’s Gate to St Ann’s Square)
Cateaton Street (Deansgate to Exchange Square)
Victoria Street (Deansgate to Cathedral Approach)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street)
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square)
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 9pm on Friday 25 July to 9pm on Saturday 26 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Victoria Street to St John Street)
Peter Street (St James Street to Deansgate)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
Central Street (Southmill Street to Mount Street)
Southmill Street (Windmill Street to Jackson’s Row)
Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
George Street (Princess Street to Dickinson Street)
Victoria Street (Deansgate to Cathedral Approach)
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
Cross Street (Corporation Street to New Market Street)
Cateaton Street (Deansgate to Exchange Square)
Market Street (Cross Street to St Mary’s Gate)
St Mary’s Gate (Market Street to Deansgate)
John Dalton Street (Cross Street to Deansgate)
King Street (Cross Street to Spring Gardens)
St James’s Square (King Street to South King Street)
St Mary’s Street (Southgate to Deansgate)
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street)
Southgate (King Street West to St Mary’s Street)
On the day, full traffic diversion signage will be in place across all areas affected by road closures, and the Council says it will do its best to ‘minimise’ their duration.
Manchester Day 2025 is taking over the city centre on Saturday 26 July, and will be kicking off at midday right through to 5pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
City Centre
Manchester’s wine festival dedicated to all things rosé is back by popular demand this summer
Emily Sergeant
Nothing says Saturdays in summer quite like sipping on a chilled glass of wine in the garden.
It’s a simple pleasure but not one that’s always possible for those who live in the city centre, or aren’t lucky enough to have some outside space of their own where they live… but luckily, Manchester’s very-own wine festival dedicated to all things rosé is back by popular demand next month, and it’s set to be a sparkling summer celebration.
The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival will be returning to the gardens of the stunning canalside Kampus neighbourhood, offering an afternoon of pink-hued indulgence, live music, and good vibes under the Manchester sun.
The Rosé Festival invites wine lovers to sip their way through more than 20 rosé and sparkling wines, from crisp Provençe pours to playful pét-nats.
All wines are handpicked by The Beeswing team, alongside some of their favourite wine suppliers.
Festivalgoers can meet the experts behind the bottles on offer, enjoy exclusive event-only discounts on orders placed during the afternoon, and discover some new favourites along the way.
Some of the festival’s participating partners and pourers include Boutinot Wines, Raymond Reynolds Portuguese Wines, Graft Wine Company, and Alliance Wines – with the lineup showcasing a diverse and delicious range of styles, meaning there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Manchester’s popular Rose Festival is returning this summer / Credit: The Beeswing | Corina Rainer (via Unsplash)
There’ll also he live music from singer Lucy Hope to listen to while you’re sipping on your rosés, creating a laid-back mini festival atmosphere.
The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival takes over the leafy Kampus Gardens on Saturday 9 August, from 1pm through to 3pm.
Tickets are now on sale at £30 per person, which includes all wine tastings, so not matter whether you’re a rosé aficionado or you’re just wine-curious, this is a summer Saturday not to be missed.
Georgina Pellant -
11th May 2023 
