Factory International, the new £210m cultural space tipped by Time Out magazine to be one of the best places to visit in 2023, has revealed details of its upcoming food offering – and there’s a lot to get excited about.
With plans to introduce a ground floor foyer café and public bar, as well as two auditorium bars when it opens later this year, the team has been busy looking for hospitality partners to come on board.
Today, bosses have confirmed that two of the north west’s best-loved operators – one of which is behind YES in Manchester and Ox Club in Leeds – will come together to service the new multi-million-pound arts venue.
Set to be known as Super Serve Manchester, the new hospitality collaboration will see operators Solitaire Restaurants Ltd and Square One join forces in a new partnership.
Together, they will look after all the permanent food and beverage services on site when it opens at the heart of the city’s new St. John’s neighbourhood, formerly home to Granada TV and next to the Science and Industry Museum, later this year.
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With menus changing seasonally, the inaugural offer at Factory International will include brunch, grab-and-go options and a late-night street-style offering when it launches this summer.
Super Serve, alongside other local traders, will also provide catering for the much-loved Festival Square which this year relocates to the venues’ new river-side public spaces for the first time.
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Solitaire Restaurants Ltd has a twenty-year proven track record of successful independent food and drink establishments and is well known locally for the busy bar and venue YES, which first burst onto the Manchester scene in 2018.
Solitaire is a well-known operator across the north west, with its team also responsible for favourites such as Ox Club, Belgrave Music Hall and Headrow House (Leeds) and Nightcrawler Pizza (Liverpool).
Square One, meanwhile, is an independent north west operator which provides infrastructure for events of all sizes, specialising in directing large-scale bar operations.
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The team brings experience delivering support at scale in the north for the likes of Highest Point Festival, The Depot at Mayfield, Creamfields, Parklife and the Garden Party.
Speaking on the new opening, Super Serve Manchester Managing Director Stevie Mulgrave said: “With many of the team starting their hospitality careers right here in Manchester before going on to work with some of the best independent operators throughout the North West, it’s an honour now to be chosen as the Food & Beverage partner for Factory International.
“Already billed by Time Out magazine as one of the best things to visit in 2023, we can’t wait to be a part of this amazing project in the heart of our city.”
Solitaire Director of Operations Gemma Hampton-Stone added: “We’ll be taking our inspiration from dining tables across Manchester.
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“We’re interested in working with the local community to deliver a diverse and accessible offer; working alongside suppliers who have the highest regard for sustainability and animal welfare and engaging in non-intensive and traditional techniques to create some of the best tasting and highest quality products around.
“We’re looking forward to presenting a seasonally changing menu that reflects the vibrancy the area has to offer.”
Sheena Wrigley, Venue Director, Factory International, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the newly formed Super Serve as our food and beverage partner.
“That two companies at the top of their game have come together to collaborate and created something new just for Factory International couldn’t be more fitting.
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“Not only does the team bring a wealth of expertise as Soltaire and Square One and understanding of the Manchester and North West hospitality scene, but they also showed a real commitment to supporting our values including sustainability, community engagement, and accessible pricing.
“We are excited to be working together establishing a creative, eclectic, welcoming new social space and in a unique part of the city.”
Programmed and operated by Factory International, the team behind the world-renowned Manchester International Festival, the new venue will host a year-round programme of original creative work, music and special events – from intimate concerts to immersive installations. Outside, pop-up performances, events and markets will create a buzzing riverside destination for all to enjoy.
Audiences will be invited to preview the trailblazing new cultural space during this year’s Manchester International Festival which returns across the city from 29 June to 16 July.
The venue’s official opening will be in October with the production Free Your Mind, a large-scale immersive performance based on The Matrix films created by Danny Boyle, Es Devlin and the co-founders of Olivier Award-winning Boy Blue.
Featured image – Supplied
City Centre
The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess to host ‘Merch Market’ in aid of bands
Thomas Melia
Tim Burgess, frontman of legendary band The Charlatans, is set to launch a one-off ‘Merch Market’ event, and its core purpose is to support bands.
He might have a ‘Jesus Hairdo’ but he’s currently serving as a good Samaritan as The Charlatans‘ Tim Burgess is putting on an event solely focusing on funding bands via gig merch and other apparel.
Running across a variety of live music locations within Manchester city centre, the day-long event is called ‘Merch Market’, and it’s encouraging music lovers and bands alike to tag along.
Although ticket sales, album sales and streams are critical in funding the careers of all the artists we know and love, one key drive in securing actual revenue in the music industry is merchandise.
Expect to pick up some rare finds and own some limited edition collections.Band merch will be front and centre at this event which is hosted by The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess.Credit: The Hoot/Audio North
‘Merch Market’ is taking place at O2 Ritz as well as adjacent venues Gorilla and Dog Bowl across the road with a special appearance from ‘Tim Peak’s Diner’, the caffeinated brainchild of Tim Burgess.
The whole point of this event is to make sure that bands can receive the full 100% of merch sales without any cuts from any third party.
Fronted by The Charlatans lead singer Tim Burgess, ‘Merch Market’ is building off his 2021 gathering, which had a similar initiative with ‘Vinyl Adventure’ encouraging the sale of physical music and media.
Alongside stocking up your wardrobe with all the latest band t-shirts, hoodies and everything in between, there will be an array of interesting performances and talks happening throughout the day.
Entry to this incredible celebration of bands is completely free of charge and, better still, there are chances to win some seriously cool prizes – including some tasty festival tickets.
Gorilla is one of the live music venues that ‘Merch Market’ is taking place at.The Manc and Antony Szmierek outside O2 RItz, another venue which will be taking part in ‘Merch Market’.Credit: The Manc Group
Expect stalls, live DJ sets, interviews, panels and even a chance to bag yourself VIP tickets for UK festival, Kendal Calling, which Burgess will be returning for 2025.
Burgess is a man of many talents as he will not only be hosting this fantastic initiative, but he will also be hosting a stall of his own and singing a couple of his biggest hits.
Bands don’t have to worry about forking out a fortune for renting a stall either as tables at ‘Merch Market’ are free, the only thing musicians have to bring is their merch and charming personalities.
So whether you’re an artist with leftover stock from your last tour or a music lover who just missed out on snagging a snap back, head down to these three venues on 25 May.
A queer comedy night is coming to Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
A comedy night packed with raunch and hilarious storytelling is heading to Manchester and its fronted by one of comedy’s leading queer comedians.
Titled ‘Queer as F*ck’ (we love a good pun), this night is devoted especially to queer comedy and sees Welsh comedian Morgan Rees taking the wheel with a wonderful roster of acts set to play too.
Taking inspiration from the cult-favourite queer comedy, this leading comedian is no stranger to seeing his work in the limelight as he has written for some of the funniest flagship shows like Mock The Week and The Great American Joke-Off.
Rees also doubles as the co-writer for smash internet hit The Uncle Roger Show, starring fellow comic Nigel Ng, and will definitely be bringing some of his razor-sharp one-liners on the night.
Ben Hodge, the MC for the queer comedy night in Manchester.Morgan Rees, the comedian headlining ‘Queer as F*ck’.Jenny Hart, one of the acts lined up for the queer comedy night in Manchester.Credit: Press Images (supplied)
The event, which has the full title of ‘brew. haha: Queer as F*ck comedy night’ will be MC’d by trans-male stand-up Ben Hodge and lesbian comedian Louise Young.
The latter may be a familiar name as she is currently supporting Alan Carr and Tom Allen on their latest tour while also stopping off in Manchester for this very special occasion.
Along with Rees and co., finishing the line-up are two impressive performers ready to raise the roof at this comedy night in Manchester: gay author Martin Dixon and trans comedian Jenny Hart.
Obviously, Rees doesn’t want to give everything away, but he has revealed an insight into what guests can expect to be chuckling away at in their seats.
Morgan Rees is excited to talk about “bad one night stands, growing up queer in a Welsh working class town, coming out late, and starting my first relationship in my 30s – it’s all in there.”
Taking place at Contact Theatre, this much-loved arts space is tucked away just behind the University of Manchester and another impressive city centre venue, Manchester Academy.
And if all this comedy talk wasn’t enough to get you down there, brew will be serving up Detroit-style pizzas with a range of draft beers and ciders – what a night you’re in for.
‘brew. haha: Queer as F*ck’ is coming to the Contact in Manchester on Wednesday, 9 April and ttickets are already on sale.
Georgina Pellant -
16th May 2023 
