Bread Flower is the latest addition to the exciting collection of independents at Manchester’s new £250 million canalside neighbourhood KAMPUS.
Bread Flower – which delivers bundles of six sourdough bagels, with a mix of toppings and sides, and a beautiful hand-tied bunch of seasonal flowers to Manchester locals every Sunday morning – is a collaboration between Prestwich-based baker Maya Black and florist Scarlett Jamieson from Salford, who’ve been friends since they were teenagers.
Bagels and bouquets will be available for collection from KAMPUS between 10am-12pm from Sunday 2nd May.
Selling out within just 40 minutes when they launched the company last month, the duo have been struggling to meet demand from their current kitchen in Altrincham, and will therefore be based in the KAMPUS Bungalow – an ex-security cabin on stilts overlooking the canal that has been transformed into a flexible, creative space for pop ups.
The bakery and florist crossover company joins Blossom Coffee Roasters, Manchester Smokehouse, and Common & Co as recently-announced additions to the growing neighbourhood.
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“We’re very excited to be moving Bread Flower into KAMPUS.” Maya Black said.
“We only launched at the beginning of April but have been overwhelmed and very humbled by the demand for our bagel and flower bundles [and] KAMPUS feels like the perfect place for us to grow and to continue to develop Bread Flower – it’s already opened up more possibilities for us.
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KAMPUS
“It’s a beautiful space too, with the jungle like garden and right on the canal, and the perfect city centre location.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing what the next few months hold”.
Bread Flower bundles will set you back anywhere from £30, but what exactly is included then?
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x6 sourdough bagels with a mix of toppings – plain, sesame, poppy and ‘everything’ seasoning (sesame, poppy, dried garlic and onion).
A choice of x2 sides (choose between a selection of flavoured schmears and hummus).
Adam Brady from KAMPUS’ developers, HBD said: “The Bungalow’s always been about giving local independents and start ups a chance to find their feet and grow [and] Bread Flower will be here when our first residents start moving in and what better way to wake up on a Sunday morning than to freshly baked bagels and a beautiful bunch of flowers?
“The whole idea is that the Bungalow is a flexible space with lots of things alongside each other, from pop ups to community uses, so if you’ve got a great idea and need a venue, get in touch”.
The buzz surrounding KAMPUS has increased in recent weeks, with the first images of the waterside development being released back in March, and one and two bedroom apartments now available to view in North Block, which is the first of five individual buildings to complete alongside its sister South Block – two beautiful Victorian shipping warehouses and a 1960s brutalist tower.
First vendors confirmed Glossop Market Hall, including two indie Manc traders
Danny Jones
The first vendors for the upcoming Glossop Market Hall have been announced, and the lineup includes two beloved Greater Manchester independent businesses.
Better still, the third is another noteworthy name from the North West.
Glossop Market Hall is scheduled to launch later this year, setting up shop in the historic town hall complex, where the High Peak Borough Council, a retail shopping arcade and various other municipal buildings have stood in various different iterations for nearly well over a century.
With the Derbyshire town set to celebrate the opening of the newly revamped market hall, those behind the new Glossop attraction have now revealed the first three names set to take up residence there.
As you can see, the biggest names already signed on to cook from one of the six kitchens is a Manchester favourite food hall in its own right: Hello Oriental.
The Pan-Asian paradise not only has a subterranean space below Circle Square, but also at The Trafford Centre, as well as a dessert spin-off in Freight Island.
Indie trader number two comes in the form of B&V Trading, who are based at Stanley Square in Sale and specialise in eco-friendly, UK-made treats, toys and essentials for four-legged friends.
After proving a hit with the locals, their small stall at nearby Altrincham Market has grown to see them open up not just a second site in the leafy Cheshire suburbs of Knutsford back in 2022, but now boast a third location in neighbouring Macclesfield.
Speaking of Macc, local gin and whisky makers, Forest Distillery – based up at the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn pub towards the Peaks – they round out the first wave of regional businesses set to pop up in Glossop Market Hall (GMH) when it finally arrives this winter.
And once again, as the update on social media reads: “This is just the beginning”.
Natives, day-trippers and tourists from all over are bound to visit this place when it opens sometime in November (exact date still TBC), and with space not only for a dedicated bar, dining space and a coffee shop, but a total of 17 retail spaces, we can’t wait to see what comes next.
GMH becomes just the latest among a growing trend of food and drink halls popping up all over our part of the country, with virtually every Greater Manchester borough now boasting at least one of their own – or, in the city centre’s case, what feels like a dozen now.
Exhibit number… not sure, we’ve lost track at this point.
Historic hidden library in Manchester city centre reveals £11m transformation plans
Emily Sergeant
Ambitious plans to transform one of Manchester’s greatest historical hidden gems have been announced.
Founded all the way back in 1806, The Portico Library – which is hidden in plain sight on Mosley Street, in the heart of the city centre – played a central role in Manchester’s rise as the world’s first modern city, and since then, it has been serving as a window into the past and a providing a place of inspiration for anyone who needs it.
But now, these new transformation plans, titled The Reunited Project, will ensure the building not only survives, but also thrives as the UK’s most sustainable historic library for generations to come.
The Portico Library‘s transformational scheme is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and will look to ‘reunite’ the historic building’s three floors for the first time in over a century, creating a fully-accessible and sustainable cultural library.
Crucially, plans will see a step-free entrance and lift installed to make the library accessible to all.
There’ll also be new exhibition and event spaces introduced as part of the scheme to explore the stories of Manchester’s communities and the city’s heritage.
There will a Northern Bookshop, showcasing regional and emerging writers, and independent publishers, as well as a creative Portico Kitchen, which will celebrate the city’s food culture, writing, and history.
A place for school groups, families, and all people to explore Portico’s collection and experiment creatively also forms part of the plans.
“Portico Reunited is about more than restoring a building,” explained Dr Thom Keep, who is a Librarian & the Chief Executive of the Portico Library, after the transformation plans were submitted to Manchester City Council.
“It’s about opening doors to stories, ideas, heritage and communities across Greater Manchester.
“These plans secure Portico’s future, unlocking the power of heritage to inspire Manchester’s visitors and residents to explore, share, and celebrate their stories and the city’s literary and global heritage.”
If the plans are approved by the Council, The Portico Library will close for around 18 months for construction, during which it will continue to engage the public through its ‘Portigo !’ pop-up programme.
Emily Sergeant -
30th April 2021 
