A brand new Chinese market hall is set to open doors underneath one of Manchester’s most exciting city centre neighbourhoods this summer.
Hello Oriental will be the latest edition to the Circle Square development on Oxford Road.
The new venue – which started life as an online supermarket specialising in Chinese and Vietnamese food, and is based on a concept created by popular local Chinese restaurant Ocean Treasure – will span across three floors, mostly underground, and as well as being home to a food hall serving Chinese roast meats, dim sum and East Asian street food, it will also feature a modern Chinese bakery and supermarket.
The development will all take shape beneath the new 5.7 acre Symphony Park.
And it’s also set to be joining Canvas Manchester – a new gig venue and events space – where DJs and live music will provide entertainment for the market hall’s visitors at the weekends.
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Speaking ahead of the arrival of Hello Oriental – which has been inspired by global dining destinations like Bang Bang Oriental in London, and 1800 Lucky in Miami – Ricky Yip, owner of Hello Oriental, said: “When we launched Hello Oriental as an online supermarket 12 months ago, that was only the start of our journey.
“We also wanted to deliver the very best Asian and oriental produce to our customers in Manchester, but we needed a flagship venue that would bring our vision to life”.
He continued: “It was clear to us that Circle Square is the perfect place for us [as it’s] a new city neighbourhood that is bringing people together and creating a really thriving community.
“We can’t wait to launch Hello Oriental this year and we’re confident that our new market hall experience will be a place for food-lovers of all backgrounds to come together, socialise and enjoy the very best Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine.”
“We’ve always had one goal,” Azim Kourah, Director of Hello Oriental, added.
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“To bring the finest oriental food to the people of Manchester to enjoy [and] moving to the city’s newest, fast growing neighbourhood enables us to reach new audiences through an original concept and be delivered with the same exceptional levels of quality and service we’re famous for.”
Tom Renn – Managing Director at Bruntwood SciTech Manchester – added: “The very best cities around the world are known for being hotbeds of culture, entertainment and social activity, and that vibrancy and community is exactly what will be on offer at Circle Square.
“Hello Oriental is a fantastic concept that will appeal to the students and residents that call Circle Square home, as well as to the office workers and visitors alike.”
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Hello Oriental is expected to open in July 2021.
The venue will be open seven days a week – from 10am to 11pm – with the market hall as its focal point.
Business
Elbow get behind campaign to save Jodrell Bank from closure
Danny Jones
Manc band Elbow are among the latest to get behind the campaign to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing permanently.
The Greater Manchester natives famously played a sold-out gig at the important scientific and cultural landmark for a very special live album recording well over a decade ago, and know all too well the site’s national and, indeed, global heritage.
Choosing the Observatory and the rare chance to perform a show in the shadow of the world-renowned James Lovell Telescope, it probably remains one of their most significant standalone UK date ever.
With that in mind, the local lads have been left just as worried by the news of its impending closure as everyone else, and have therefore issued a fresh appeal to help keep it open.
Posting a timely statement on social media, the group wrote: “Jodrell Bank has long been close to elbow’s heart. In 2012, the band played beneath the Lovell Telescope for one of the most memorable shows in our history.
“The recent news that funding for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network is set to end in 2028 puts the future of the scientific work at Jodrell Bank under serious threat. It is a remarkable place, with an extraordinary history, and one that continues to play an important role in science, culture and education.”
In addition to reliving clips and images from the historic live set all the years later, they also pointed people towards their ‘elbow – Live at Jodrell Bank‘ album documentary, which has now been made available online for the very first time as part of wider efforts to raise awareness around the cause.
Directing people to key online resources shared by the institution and astrophysics centre itself following their unfortunate update late last month, the push to not only find the funding but sustain support for the facility continues to ramp up throughout the world of science, arts and industry.
For anyone who somehow missed the news – 2028 being the current deadline handed down as per budget cuts across the sector – concerned parties here in the North West and all over the country have since started petitioning to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from shutting down for good.
In addition to being described as a “huge blow” to the field by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), some have even gone so far as to describe the decision as a form of “vandalism” when it comes to research and British culture as a whole.
Having also served as the host venue for the annual bluedot Festival since 2016, the multi-genre science and arts celebration could soon be forced to find a new home.
The battle is far from over yet, and the community has time to rescue Jodrell Bank Observatory from its fate, but it will take lots of money and more notable public figures to make it happen.
Once again, you can do your bit by signing the petition mentioned above right HERE.
Featured Images — Emma Farrer (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
Business
Manchester Storm announce partnership with USAsports including NHL pop-ups and more
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have announced a landmark new deal with USAsports, a dedicated home for British fans of North American sporting disciplines and global merchandising suppliers, which will see various exciting events this upcoming season.
Confirming the collaboration ahead of the pending 2026/27 campaign, this crossover will involve everything from special pop-up events to player sponsorships and much more.
USAsports specialise in officially licensed NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB clothing, and while you may have seen the odd jersey here and there at various Greater Manchester locations, they are now gearing up to work with Manchester Storm to deliver better exposure.
Whether you’re just a die-hard member of the Storm Shelter or an ex-pat who still follows an NHL franchise overseas, kit collecting and the fascination surrounding limited edition team jumpers is a big part of ice hockey fandom and culture not just here in the UK but around the world.
Sharing their own announcement, they wrote: “Manchester Storm are thrilled to announce a new partnership with USAsports for the 2026/27 Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season as the club embarks on an exciting new chapter at the AO Arena.
“As part of the partnership, USAsports will sponsor a Manchester Storm player throughout the season and deliver multiple NHL Pop-Up Shop events at Storm home games during the forthcoming campaign.”
On the subject of sponsorship, commercial entities are the only people who will be given the opportunity to back big players this term, as Storm are once again bringing back their ‘own-and-loan’ scheme.
Speaking on working closely with their new partners, the club’s General Manager, Ryan Finnerty, added: “We’re delighted to have USAsports on board for the 2026/27 season.
“Their passion for the fan experience really stood out to us, and their NHL Pop-Up Shops throughout the season will be a fantastic addition to game days at the AO Arena.
“We’re looking forward to working together throughout what promises to be a very exciting season.”
As casual fans here at The Manc, we’ll admit that watching the growing buzz around the resurgent ice hockey team, especially ahead of their Manchester city centre ‘homecoming’, has got us amped to dive deeper into the sport when it gets back underway next month. We’re not the only ones, either…
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2021 
