Five Greater Manchester street food markets have been named amongst the best in the UK, it has been revealed.
Yes, the top spot may have gone to Kommune in Sheffield but there are plenty of Greater Manchester places included in the list – including Bury Market and Northern Quarter favourite Mackie Mayor.
Other local food halls featured include Trafford’s Altrincham Market, Oxford Road’s Hatch, Piccadilly’s Freight Island, and the ever-iconic Bury Market.
Ranking at number three underneath Sheffield’s Kommune and Belfast’s St George’s Market is Mackie Mayor, which was praised for its rare breed steaks, fried chicken burgers, and flavoursome tacos, not to mention its location within a restored Grade II-listed building.
Elsewhere, Altrincham Market – run by the same team as Mackie Mayor – ranked at number 6 on the list whilst Hatch, Freight Island and Bury Market ranked at numbers 7, 8 and 9 respectively.
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The findings have come from new research commissioned by South Western Railway (SWR), which analysed each against their Google rating, number of Google reviews, Google search volume between Jan 2022 and May 2023, number of Instagram hashtags, and TikTok views.
The number one spot on the list, Kommune, is described as follows: “Kommune street food market can be found in a Grade II listed building in the city centre.
“It’s home to eight independent food traders including Fat Hippo which serves up stacked burgers and waffle fries, The Monkey Jar for a spicy fix of various Indian curries, and Edo Sushi which serves up sushi, sashimi, katsu curry, and other classic Japanese cuisine.
“Aside from the kitchens, there’s two bars, one beer stall and one coffee stall. Kommune accommodates vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners.
“It also hosts a quiz night every Thursday at 7pm, salsa classes every Wednesday evening, and yoga and brunch the first Sunday of each month.”
Also featured at number 4 on the list is Sheffield’s Cutlery Works, which comes from the same operators behind Liverpool’s The GPO and Salford’s Kargo Mkt, which is set to open in Media City this month and is one of the most hotly anticipated new arrivals of the summer.
Parts of ‘extremely busy’ road into Manchester city centre to close for improvement works from this week
Emily Sergeant
Lane closures will be in place on an “extremely busy” road into Manchester city centre from this week, it has been confirmed.
As part of the ‘Streets For All’ programme being carried out across the city and wider Manchester borough by Manchester City Council, several road improvements are set to be introduced in Oldham Road between Bengal Street and Portland Street – which is just north of the city centre, and described as being “well-used” by the public.
The Council has confirmed that the project to improve the roads and footpaths along the “key road” in the Ancoats area is expected to begin today (13 May).
The first phase of the project starting from today will take up to three weeks to complete.
Some of the improvement works being carried out from today include the improving the safety of cycleways, improving crossings and footpaths across Oldham Road to provide additional safety to any pedestrians crossing, and the installing of new traffic signals at the junction of Oldham Road and Radium Street.
Single lane closures on both carriageways of Oldham Road, between Bengal Street and Poland Street, will be in place from this week while the first phase of the project is carried out.
Manchester City Council says it’s working with its partners to “minimise disruption” as best as possible, but is still advising that people plan their journeys ahead of time.
“As part of our ongoing work across the city, we are looking at ways to make journeys safer for all our residents and improve transport links along key transport arteries,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council, ahead of the works commencing this week.
“The Oldham Road corridor is an extremely busy and well-used stretch of road, providing a link to Ancoats and the city centre, which is why it’s important that this work takes place.
“Updates will be provided as the work progresses, and as ever I’d advise people to plan their journey in advance to make sure any disruption can be minimised.”
According to the Council, the improvement scheme is expected to be completed by this autumn.
Featured Image – Google Maps
City Centre
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market returns to Manchester this weekend
Emily Sergeant
A huge pop-up fashion fair full of vintage, pre-loved, and small business clothing is back in Manchester this weekend.
Clothes Cycle is the UK’s biggest curated second-hand clothing market.
With a focus on championing sustainable clothing and helping fashion fans find a gem they’ll treasure forever, each pop-up market organised by the student-led initiative sees dozens of carefully-curated sellers offering a wide range of styles and items – including plus-sized, gender-neutral, male and female – come together all under one roof.
Taking over the unique space inside the historic Victoria Baths this Sunday (12 May), Clothes Cycle will welcome more than 100 different sellers showcasing everything from bargain vintage finds and designer pieces, to pre-loved wardrobes and picks from local small businesses.
Organisers say the Manchester event will be a combination of in-person thrift shopping, a filtered car boot sale, and the best of sustainable high street stores.
Sellers on the day will be offering up something for everyone on every budget.
With plenty of bargains under £5 up for grabs, you can expect to find vintage clothing of all kinds, alongside the best of streetwear, y2k, retro, archive pieces, luxury brands, current trends, and handmade clothing if you head down on the day, as well as bags, shoes, jewellery, and lots of other accessories.
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market returns to Manchester this weekend / Credit: Clothes Cycle Markets
If that wasn’t enough, there’ll also be vendors selling home decor, art and prints, greeting cards, plants, ceramics, and so much more, as well as tooth gem and nail art stalls to get involved with.
There’ll even be three DJs blasting out tunes in various rooms throughout the day.
And if all that shopping gets you a bit peckish, there’ll even be some of the city’s best-loved independent street food vendors pitching up to serve a wide range of mouthwatering grub – including pizza, burgers, dumplings, gyros, streak sandwiches, and ice cream, alongside freshly-brewed coffee, and other alcoholic drinks and cocktails.
Clothes Cycle is coming to Victoria Baths in Manchester on Sunday 12 May from 11am-5pm, and tickets are now on sale from £5 online or on the door – with several concessions and VIP ticket options also available.