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”.
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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
Morrisons introduces new quiet hours to make stores less ‘overwhelming’ for shoppers
Emily Sergeant
Morrisons has decided to extend its popular ‘Quieter Hour’ across the UK to help make its stores less “overwhelming” for shoppers.
Introduced earlier this month to mark World Autism Acceptance Week, and in a bid to turn what can be a daunting task for many people into “a calmer and more enjoyable experience”, the supermarket chain has announced an extension to its already popular initiative by adding new ‘Quieter Hours’ during weekday afternoons.
In case you weren’t aware, Morrisons first introduced its Quieter Hour all the way back in July 2018, and has been welcoming people who may struggle supermarket shopping environments through its doors ever since.
The initiative – which initially took place between 9am and 10am on a Saturday, and for the first hour of trade on a Sunday – originally began as part of the National Autistic Society’s ‘Autism Hour campaign’, after it was found that some neurodiverse people, including those with autism, can find shopping in a supermarket “overwhelming”.
Morrisons has introduced new quiet hours to make stores less ‘overwhelming’ for shoppers / Credit: Morrisons
Supermarkets can lead many people to experience increased sensitivity to light and sound, such as loud music, bright lights, and busy environments, and in turn, this can cause anxiety or, in some of the worst cases, even physical pain.
But now, after the trial has proved to be so successful and well-received, Morrisons has made the decision to extended the initiative to weekdays too, as well as weekends – with ‘Quieter Hours’ now also running every week from Monday to Thursday between 2-3pm.
The company says the extension is all with the aim of “helping even more customers”.
During ‘Quieter Hours’, Morrisons stores operate lower levels of lighting, turn music and radios off, avoid making tannoy announcements, reduce movement of trolleys and baskets, and turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down.
“The weekly shop can be a daunting task for those who may struggle with noises associated with it,” commented Charlotte Exell, who is the Business Sponsor of Ability at Morrisons.
“At Morrisons, we are always looking for more ways to support customers, and as the Quieter Hour is incredibly popular in our stores across the nation, we have listened to customers and will now help more shoppers in our extended times.”
Featured Image – Morrisons
Business
The BBC is looking for Manc entrepreneurs for a new series of The Apprentice
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you’ve got what it takes to be Lord Sugar’s next business partner?
The current 2024 season of The Apprentice might be coming to a close, but the show is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
In fact, there’s already a chance to apply for the next season of the hit TV show.
Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur with a business-savvy mind, someone who’s always just fancied themselves for doing well in the field, or you have a business idea that you think could be the next big thing, everyone is encouraged to apply for the new series – and the BBC is particularly calling on people from Greater Manchester.
Basically, as long as “you think you’ve got the talent and confidence to impress Britain’s toughest backer”, then the show’s producers are keen to hear from you.
A casting call on the BBC website reads: “Could you be his next investment? If you think you’ve got the talent and confidence to impress Britain’s toughest backer, the process starts here. The winning candidate will receive an investment and go into a 50:50 business with Lord Sugar. Fighting it out for his investment candidates will take part in twelve tough tasks to win one life-changing opportunity.”
There’s a few simple questions to answer as part of the initial process, but the two major ones where you’ll have your chance to set yourself apart from the rest are:
Why should you be Lord Sugar’s business partner?
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever done in business?
The BBC is looking for Manc entrepreneurs for a new season of The Apprentice / Credit: BBC
Applications are now open and close on 1 December 2024 at 23:59, with successful candidates set to be contacted for interviews in the new year.
Initial interviews will be taking place across the UK, and at least two dates have been pencilled for Manchester, Leeds, and/or Birmingham, with additional interviews to decide on the final candidates then set to follow in early 2025, and filming for the series due to takes place for 10 to 12 weeks from 7 April – 22 June 2025.