An Australian-inspired eatery is opening at Kampus in Manchester, bringing flavourful salad bowls, soups and smoothies to the garden neighbourhood.
Bondi Bowls will open its first permanent base this summer, offering healthy choices to residents and visitors alike.
A Manchester success story, Bondi Bowls first began life as a delivery-only service during the pandemic before taking on residencies at street food markets Hatch and Freight Island.
Set up by founder Jamie Tones, a chef who has worked in kitchens around the world, the menu takes inspiration from his time in Sydney with a selection of different açaí and poké bowls.
When it opens later this year, diners will find an all-day brunch offering from morning to night with global flavour inspirations from the likes of India, Mexico, and Australasia.
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Bondi Bowls at Kampus will be a laid-back, contemporary space designed by renowned studio No Chintz, where people can hang out for coffee and food, or grab plant-based food to go (with the option to add non-vegan extras).
Image: Bondi Bowls
Image: Bondi Bowls
Speaking on the new opening, Bondi Bowls founder Jamie Tones said: “We always hear people in the city complaining about the lack of options when it comes to healthy food they can grab quickly. Australia does that really well, with healthy fast food that has real vibrancy and personality that you don’t really get here in the UK.
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“We’re taking that inspiration from Bondi Beach and bringing it to life in the heart of Manchester at Kampus – with super nutritious bowls that pack a real flavour punch. It’s the absolute antithesis of the sad supermarket salad people reach for when they’re trying to make good food choices. Everything on the menu is plant-based, with the option to add extras like meat and fish to cater for everyone.
“Kampus is a real foodie neighbourhood that totally fits with the Bondi Bowls vibe. Laid back, green, friendly – we can’t wait to open this year and start serving people craving something new.”
Jamie’s labour of love is the latest indie signing for the Kampus rental neighbourhood, which continues to add names to it its line-up of independent operators. Bondi Bowls will set up shop just off the lush communal garden, with its nearest neighbour being Pollen Bakery.
They’ll join fellow food indy operators Nell’s Pizza, Yum Cha, the Beeswing wine bar and kitchen, Great North Pie and the recently-opened Madre among others.
Featured image – Bondi Bowls
Eats
Free Glastonbury-themed festivals with pizza, tequila, and big screens to take place in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Glastonbury weekend is upon us, and to celebrate the UK’s biggest music festival in all its glory, Nell’s is hosting its own festivals instead.
Hundreds of thousands of people will be making the trek to the fields of Worthy Farm next weekend, as Glastonbury 2025 headliners Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, and The 1975 bring the tunes, alongside a list of other talented names too big to even begin starting to reel off – as is always the case with Glastonbury, there’s something for everyone.
But for those of us not lucky enough to have bagged tickets to what is undeniably the biggest event in the British music calendar, not to worry, as Nell’s is where it’s at here in Greater Manchester.
The beloved New York-style pizza specialists – which now has four sites across the region – is turning two of its most popular restaurants into festival hubs next weekend, bringing all the spirit of Glastonbury to Kampus and Altrincham.
Manchester‘s thriving canalside neighbourhood Kampus will become home to the aptly-named Kampus Fest, while over in the Trafford town of Altrincham, Alty Fest will be in full force.
Nell’s is hosting its own FREE Glastonbury-themed festivals at Kampus and in Altrincham / Credit: Supplied
At Kampus, the gardens will be transformed into a city centre festival site for a free three-day party featuring big screens live streaming the full Glastonbury festival throughout, plus a pop-up market, face painting and hair tinsel stations, an outdoor tequila and margarita bar, happy hours, and of course, lots and lots of Nell’s pizza.
Altrincham is bringing you much of the same – the same big screens, the same tasty pizza slices, and the same happy hours, only over two days instead of three.
Family fun is also at the heart of both Kampus Fest and Alty Fest, so you can expect lots of crafting workshops and bunting making, accessory customisation stations, as well as all-day colouring sessions by Born to be Wild Child and Søstrene Grene.
Kampus Fest will take over the gardens at Kampus from Friday 27 – Sunday 29 June, while Alty Fest will take place at Nell’s Altrincham on both Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.
Both are FREE to attend, so get yourselves down there quick.
Featured Image – Supplied
Eats
Viral Manchester bakery The Flat Baker to open its very first cafe
Daisy Jackson
Hugely popular Manchester bakery The Flat Baker has announced plans to open its very first cafe.
The Brazilian-French bakery has become legendary in the city for its flaky croissants and pistachio-based treats.
For the last few years, it’s been operating out of a hatch in Ancoats, with queues often snaking down Radium Street from early in the morning on weekends.
And now The Flat Baker has announced an exciting next chapter in their journey in Manchester – their very first bakery and cafe.
The team will be taking over a unit on the same street, which will have space to house their baking operations as well as a sitting area to serve brunch and hot food.
They’ve announced that they’ll be retaining their much-loved hatch but expanding to a second site in the heart of Ancoats.
They hope this will drastically reduce any waiting and queue times and allow even more people to sample these incredible bakes.
In a statement shared on Instagram, they wrote: “We have been keeping a secret from you. This corner of Ancoats will never be the same, because it will be our new bakery, cafe and brunch!
“We have been dreaming of it for years – we almost closed a deal with another two locations in the past few years, but it didn’t work out.
“We were about to leave the plan of the new shop aside, we were very frustrated of how things were not working the way we planned it to…
“But everything happens for a reason! Who knew the building next door was just waiting for us…
“The two-storey building has just the right space for our baking operations, plus a sitting area and a space to serve brunch and hot food.
“Don’t worry, we won’t let our tiny hatch go, we will keep both locations. This will allow us a faster service, avoid the waiting times and long queues.
“For now we just want to share this great achievement. Growing a small business when you see many other places shutting is such a challenge. But if you never stop dreaming and work hard for it, the sky is the limit! We can’t wait for the next chapter to come. Matt and Deb x”
The Flat Baker Cafe is expected to open in Ancoats this summer.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd August 2023 
