Black Milk Cereal is opening up a new cafe inside a former cinema
Manchester dessert heroes Black Milk have revealed plans to launch a new gelato range in signature flavours like Biscoff and hazelnut cream, and hinted at releasing a new baked goods menu in the near future...
Manchester’s favourite ‘cereal’ cafe, Black Milk, has revealed plans to open a new dessert spot next month inside Macclesfield’s Picturedrome.
Set to open in early February, its new cafe will serve up all of Black Milk’s signature sweet treats alongside some brand new baked ones as it takes on its own unit inside the former cinema.
It will join the likes of Reserve Wine x Tender Cow, Honest Crust, Savages Mussels Terroni and Rubens inside the Picturedrome, an old early 20th-century cinema re-imagined by the team behind Altrincham Market, Market House Alty and Mackie Mayor into a thriving independent food hall.
Image: Black Milk Cereal
Having previously held successful pop-ups at sister site Mackie Mayor last year, when an opportunity arose for Black Milk to permanently join the site in Cheshire it seemed like a no-brainer.
The Black Milk team announced the move on its Instagram page over the weekend, adding that they were looking for a pastry chef to join them – suggesting that the menu here may well take a turn into new territory in the coming months.
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Its full menu and the Black Milk shop will both be made available at the new site, as well as a range of delicious baked treats. These new treats are being kept close to its chest for now, but we’re promised all will be revealed soon.
In a first for Black Milk, it will also begin to offer luxury Italian gelato at Picturedrome in its signature flavours of hazelnut cream, pistachio, Biscoff and cookies & cream.
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Visitors to the new Macclesfield site can expect milkshakes, loaded freak shakes, alcoholic milkshakes in flavours like espresso martini and white Russian, plus heaped ice cream sundaes and Biscoff and red velvet cheesecakes.
Image: Black Milk Cereal
Its current Manchester cafe, which is found on Oldham street, is currently shut for a kitchen refurbishment – leaving fans without their usual Black Milk fix.
However, the team reassured Manchester locals that this will not be for much longer – promising that their city centre kitchen will be open again mid-February once an upgrade to its kitchen is completed.
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Black Milk also has another site in London.
In a post shared to Instagram, the cafe wrote: “ANNOUNCEMENT. We are delighted to let you know that we will be opening at @picturedromemacc in Macclesfield in early February.
“We will be serving up our signature treats alongside new baked ones!
“If you are based in Macclesfield, we are looking for a pastry chef to join the team. To apply please send your cv to [email protected]
“P.S. Black Milk Manchester will be back mid-February after a kitchen upgrade.”
Black Milk opened the city’s first ‘cereal cafe’ in Manchester city centre in 2015, with just five tables crammed into a small space inside Affleck’s.
In these early days, it drew inspiration from Momofuku’s Milk Bar in New York and Cereal Killer in London, serving up breakfast cereals from around the globe with a huge range of different kinds of milk – including one infused with squid ink, from which it takes its name.
Seven years on and its menu has come a long way, with popular items today focused more around indulgent desserts, freakshakes and lavish hot chocolates.
Customer favourites include Bailey’s hot chocolate and Kinderella milkshakes, but Black Milk sells all sorts from a huge varied menu.
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Image: The Manc Eats
An Instagram page bulging with pictures of loaded pancakes, cookie pies and cheesecakes, all made using the various spreads and sauces sold as part of Black Milk’s shop, is enough to make anyone drool.
Speaking on the new opening, Andy from Black Milk said: “We are delighted to be moving into such an incredible venue. It will be the first of our adventures into Cheshire where we see a great opportunity to serve our treats to a whole new audience.
“We’d like to thank the team behind Picturedrome for asking us to join an incredible group of independent food and drink brands in Macclesfield.
“We look forward to meeting everyone within the next few weeks.”
Jake from Picturedrome added: “We are delighted to welcome Black Milk to Picturedrome Macclesfield after a series of popular events at our partner venue Mackie Mayor.”
To find out more about what Black Milk has in store ahead of the new opening, make sure to follow them on Instagram here. To shop their at-home treats, visit the shop here.
Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure
Thomas Melia
A much loved independent craft beer bar in the heart of the Northern Quarter is set to close before the end of the year.
Fierce Bar, which opened in Manchester city centre in 2020, has been a firm favourite for Mancs and visitors alike with their range of beers and IPAs.
The Fierce Beer company has established itself as a leading force within the beer community winning ‘Scottish Brewery of the Year in 2021’ and numerous Scottish Beer Awards.
Their wide range of drink flavours pay homage to varieties from the USA and offered people who frequented their Thomas Street site in the Northern Quarter were treated to a refreshing taste of the transatlantic.
The Thomas Street bar had previously been home to 57 Thomas Street, a bar operated by Marble Brewery, which also operates The Marble Arch.
In a post on social media which opens with, “Some sad news…”, the company have stated: “We face continually spiralling costs that unfortunately mean it’s going to be unsustainable to continue operating the venue viably going forward”.
There’s still some hope as beer brand have also announced: “This is not the end for Fierce Beer south of the border though; we’re continuing to keep an eye on the market and aim to get back as soon as we can with a new physical location.”
Anyone wanting to continue the bar’s legacy in Manchester can sport the indie establishment’s range of t-shirts, hats and funky glasses, some of which adorned the walls.
Being a Scottish born and bred brewery, if you’re still after your alcohol fix, you can still visit their two other locations in Edinburgh and Aberdeen next time you’re heading up north.
The last day of trade for Fierce Bar will be 20 December where the founders Dave and Louise will be heading to the Manchester site say a sad goodbye.
As it will be the final night of service ever, the team are urging anyone to pop down for a pint or two to commemorate the Manchester home.
It’s a shame to see such a well-used city centre social space shutting its doors, however Fierce Beer loyalists fear not as their online website is still very much alive and thriving here.
Six By Nico launches tasting menu inspired by Christmas dinner
Daisy Jackson
Everyone’s favourite affordable tasting menu restaurant, Six By Nico, has announced its first-ever festive Sunday roast menu.
The beloved restaurant group, which now has two locations in Manchester, is famed for serving creative and interesting tasting menus, but at a much more accessible price than other fine dining establishments – just £44 a head.
Then you can add on extra snacks, perfectly-paired wine flights, and even matching cocktails.
At Six By Nico, the inspiration is always changing, whether the menus bring a sense of nostalgia, memories of a much-loved book or film, or whisk you away across the globe with dishes inspired by another country’s cuisine.
Previous menus have included The Chippy Tea, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Six By Nico switches up its six-course tasting menus every six weeks, keeping customers coming back time and time again for the next adventurous experience.
And one of the best things is the flexibility that these tasting menus have, catering for vegans, veggies, pescatarians and more. You can even mix and match courses across tasting menus to suit your mood and dietary requirements.
Inside one of Six By Nico’s two Manchester restaurants. Credit: The Manc Group
The next menu that has had us clicking ‘book’ at the speed of light is Six By Nico’s first-ever Festive Sunday Roast menu, with six courses and a cocktail pairing.
The new Six By Nico tasting menu features all the flavours of Christmas Day, presented in creative and exciting ways.
For example, your evening will begin with ‘Pigs in Blankets’ (pork pressé, Sauerkraut, burnt onion and grain mustard), as well as a Brussels Sprouts-inspired course that used barbecue hispi cabbage, aged ewe’s cheese, pickled mushrooms and black garlic emulsion.
For the main event it’s the Three Bird Roast – duck, chicken and turkey ballotine, liver parfait, honey glazed carrot and Madeira jus.
And you’d be remiss not to add the Ultimate Yorkshire Pudding on as an extra, made with pork and sage stuffing and sauce charcuterie.
Chocolate Profiteroles on the Six By Nico festive roast menu. Credit: SuppliedThe Six By Nico Christmas dinner-inspired tasting menu features Baked Brie De Meaux, homemade mince pie and Peckhams pearAnother dish on the Six By Nico Christmas dinner-inspired festive menu
Course five is Baked Brie De Meaux, homemade mince pie and Peckhams pear, then to finish Six By Nico has Chocolate Profiteroles, Tahitian vanilla Choux au Craquelin, chocolate Cremeux, buttermilk sorbet and dulce de leche.
In a second brand-first, Six by Nico Manchester has created a perfectly matched cocktail pairing to accompany the six-course tasting menu (£40pp) which includes six cocktails including an Apple and Dill Martini.
It’s just another example of the way Six By Nico keeps pushing the game forward.
Andrew Temple, Chief Creative Officer, spoke of the menu’s festive twist: “The response to our Sunday Roast menu has been incredible, and we wanted to capture that excitement in a way that complements the holiday season.
“Extending the Sunday Roast with a festive version not only celebrates the British classic but adds a layer of excitement in the build up to the Festive season.
“We’re looking forward to sharing this seasonal reimagining with our guests, bringing them both the comfort and joy of the festive period.”
The Festive Sunday Roast is £44 per person, with an additional wine pairing available for £30, or a matched cocktail pairing for £40. It’s available to book every Sunday from 24 November until 5 January HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
24th January 2022 
