Eats

202 Kitchen is opening its new Spinningfields restaurant next month

The restaurant is taking bookings now.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 17th June 2021

Eye-catching “Instagrammable” pink restaurant 202 Kitchen has announced the opening date for its new Spinningfields site.

The restaurant first appeared as a pop-up in a vacant plot on Bridge Street last summer, filling the space with pink blooms, neon signs and a life-size Barbie box.

News of a fresh, permanent home for 202 Kitchen first surfaced back in April – and now owners have confirmed a move-in date of Thursday 15 July 2021.

Situated on Leftbank, the huge 7000 sq ft venue will overlook the River Irwell and provide 200 covers to give guests the option to enjoy outdoor waterside cocktails, or the iconic lavish pink surroundings.

The Manchester site – which will be formed by knocking together the two restaurant spaces previously occupied by Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Zizzi to create a huge new venue – will now become 202 Kitchen’s flagship hub.

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The vibrant interiors of 202 Kitchen quickly made it a favourite of social media savvy millennials and the launch of the new venue will take the concept to a new level.

Owners have invested £1 million into transforming the new space – creating over 100 hospitality jobs in the process.

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The venue is promising “deliciously indulgent food”, an atmosphere like no other, and an enclosed outdoor area designed for all weathers, set against the pink backdrop it’s become most known for.

The menu will showcase “colourful cultural foods”, such as mac’n’cheese, waffles, fried chicken, burgers, grilled seafood, and more.

202 Kitchen is moving into Leftbank / Credit: The Manc Group

Speaking ahead of the restaurant’s opening next month, Leon Beckford, Panikos Myrritis and John Sambo – founders of 202 Kitchen – said: “It’s such an amazing feeling to finally be able to reveal our launch date.

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“After the success of our temporary pop-up on Bridge Street last year, we’re coming back bigger and better, and believe us when we say we’ve taken the brand to the next level.

“We can’t wait to reveal what we have planned.

“From the moment you walk in, guests will understand exactly what 202 Kitchen is all about [as] customer experience is our number one priority and whether that be from the quality of the food and drinks or the service, everyone is going to be talking about 202.

“We are proud to have been the first to bring this concept to Manchester last year but appreciate that the hospitality landscape is constantly evolving [so] to provide a unique experience, we have evolved the concept to make sure we’re one step ahead in terms of ideas and concepts.”

Reservations are now open ahead of 202 Kitchen’s grand opening on Thursday 15 July, and you can make a booking here.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Eats

Viral juice brand Joe & The Juice is making a BIG return to Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Joe & The Juice is heading back to Manchester

Popular coffee shop Joe & The Juice is making a grand return to Manchester, taking on a huge unit in the city centre.

The Danish-based business is famed for its juices, shakes, and sandwiches, including its best-seller, the Tunacado.

Joe & The Juice used to be based within Debenhams in Manchester, but moved out of town when the retailer collapsed.

Now it’s back, signing a 10-year lease on a 2,685 sq ft unit at Manchester Arndale, in the former EE store.

With more than 300 juice bars and coffee shops around the world, Joe & The Juice’s pink branding has become a familiar site globally since its launch in 2002.

It’ll be joining the likes of Michael’s Coffee House, HOP Vietnamese, Sides, Creams, Black Sheep Coffee and Lazy Sundae in the Manchester Arndale’s ever-growing food and drink line-up.

Scott Linard, Portfolio Manager for M&G Real Estate, said: “It is great to welcome Joe & The Juice back to Manchester city centre.

“They have built a brand which has become synonymous with meeting spots across UK towns and cities, so we expect them to thrive at Manchester Arndale thanks to our close proximity to city centre businesses and students keen to catch up over a bite to eat.

“Joe & The Juice adds to our already strong F&B mix as we strive to create a full day out experience for visitors to Manchester Arndale.”

Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, added: “Joe & The Juice selecting Manchester Arndale for its city centre return highlights the continued demand we are seeing from international F&B and retail brands for space at the centre.

“Having a mix of established and growing brands helps to ensure Manchester Arndale continues to be an attractive destination for visitors and allows us to draw in shoppers from across the North West.”

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Featured image: Publicity picture

Eats

Get Baked announces delay to first Manchester bakery – and ‘monumental’ changes

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Get Baked announces delay to first Manchester bakery - and 'monumental' changes

Get Baked has shared another major update on its move to Manchester – and while things are delayed, the plans are looking bigger than ever.

The viral bakery, famed for its gigantic chocolate ‘Bertha’, was set to open in the Northern Quarter in November.

But they’ve now confirmed the whole process has been delayed until February or spring next year.

The good news is that it’ll be worth the wait – Get Baked is now taking over the unit next door on Stevenson Square too, so it’s an even bigger space for its incredible coffee, pie, and a slice of its legendary 24-layer chocolate cake.

The Leeds-founded brand then teased that they’re bringing ‘monumental changes to our existing offering’ – and ones that ‘nobody will have seen coming’.

Whatever those changes are, they’ll then be rolled out to Get Baked’s Headingley store too.

Summing up what to expect in Manchester, they wrote: “It’ll sort of be like if Greggs shagged Gail’s but it happened in America so there’s sprinkles and unhealthy sh*t just absolutely everywhere.”

And explaining the delay, they said: “I announced the opening of Manchester a few months ago now, and explained that we were hoping for a November opening.

“That obviously hasn’t happened, which is sad, and unfortunately if you miss November, December is a bit of a write off because of Christmas, and so is January because tradespeople like to go back to work half way through the f*cking month.

“In all honesty though, even February is looking unlikely.

“The delay started (oxymoron?) because the renovation of our bakery took a lot longer than planned — we have doubled the size of the space that we moved into earlier in the year, which has been a lot of work, and it’s still ongoing.

“We have already outgrown the newly doubled space, but luckily for us, the unit next door to the one we have just taken, is now up for lease.

Get Baked announces delay to first Manchester bakery - and 'monumental' changes
Get Baked announces delay to first Manchester bakery – and ‘monumental’ changes

“So, we’re taking that space too, which will mean not only will I be sh*tting my pants at the thought of our overheads, but we’ll also be in a position where we can finally rollout stores the way we want to.”

Their statement also said: “In regard to the pending concept changes, I’ll leave you with this…

“In 2021 when I restarted Get Baked, I had a vision to create my own version of Greggs.

“Greggs is a truly wonderful situation, but it’s got too big for its boots in many ways hasn’t it.

“I’ve never been able to live out my fantasy of creating my version of Greggs, but half a million slices of Bruce (and Bertha) later, I’m nearly there. F*ck Greggs?”

You can keep up with the latest updates on Get Baked Manchester HERE.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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