One of London’s most popular restaurant names has chosen Manchester as the location for its first site outside the capital.
Caravan, famed for bringing New Zealand cafe culture to the UK way back in 2009 (including 10/10 coffee and brunches), will be opening in Manchester’s St John’s district.
These award-winning restaurants offer an all-day, breakfast-to-cocktails offering that includes coffees roasted in house.
Co-founded by native New Zealanders Chris Ammermann, Laura Harper Hinton and Miles Kirby, they’ve enjoyed huge success in London with eight restaurants across the city.
But Caravan has never expanded beyond the M25 until now, announcing a huge new Manchester location is set to open this summer.
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The 200 cover space will be close to Aviva Studios and the beautiful restaurant Fenix, and will house two all day dining rooms, a bar, a private dining room featuring a turntable and private sound system, two outside terraces, a takeout coffee brew bar and a dedicated coffee roastery.
Its decor will be inspired by trail hiking huts and wool sheds in New Zealand, which means natural light, recycled materials and organic finishes.
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Typical dishes at Caravan in London ahead of its Manchester opening
As part of their move up north, Caravan will open a second coffee roastery in Manchester, aiming to provide beans and training to coffee shops across the region.
The ‘well-travelled’ breakfast and brunch menu goes from fresh fruit and grain bowls to fry-ups, with favourites including the Korean-style buttermilk fried chicken with kimchi pancakes, and fried jalapeno cornbread with fried egg, spinach, curd cheese, mojo verde and chilli butter.
At its existing restaurants, Caravan’s customers range from early morning gym-goers to on-the-go coffee runs to after-work socials and weekend brunch get-togethers.
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In the evenings, there are cocktails, an international wine list, and hand-picked local beers, served alongside rice bowls, sourdough pizzas, and small plates.
Laura Harper-Hinton, co-founder and CEO of Caravan said of the opening: “We are so excited to be taking Caravan on the road to Manchester, but more importantly, we are really looking forward to spending more time in this incredible city.
“We’ve had nothing but great vibes and support from everyone we’ve come across so far. We’ve chosen a unique location which sits right next to the new Aviva Studios, behind the historic Granada Studios and right in the heart of a growing new district at St John’s.
“We hope to attract a real cross section of the city to our beautiful new restaurant and roastery. In our London spaces we see everyone from early morning gym goers and commuters grabbing coffee, business lunches, baby dates and cocktail heavy birthday parties in the evening!
“We’ll be open morning, noon and night and you’re all welcome anytime that suits you!”
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Mike Ingall of Allied London, the team behind the St John’s development said of the opening: “Caravan are one of very few successful businesses that have managed to take a relaxed coffee house culture and develop a combined wholesome food, drink and restaurant offering whilst keeping that distinctive coffee culture.
“Bringing Caravan to our unique mix at St John’s was an obvious move for us bearing in mind what we are creating, and Caravan will be an operation I am sure Manchester will love…a place where people can come in the morning and stay all day and night…”
The new Caravan site in Manchester will be open seven days a week from 8am on weekdays and 9am at weekends.
Sign up to be the first to hear more about the opening here.
Greens hasn’t shared as much detail about its Sale closure.
Simon Rimmer’s Greens restaurant in Sale has announced its immediate closure. Credit: The Manc Group
They wrote: “It is with deep regret that the board of directors and shareholders have decided to close the doors permanently on Greens Sale with immediate effect.
“We’ve done everything possible to make this work, but it is now clear the business is untenable.
“We’d like to thank everyone, team members & guests, who have been on the Greens journey with us.”
It’s another blow to the Manchester’s famous vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene, which has lost the likes of Wholesome Junkies, Vurger Co, and V Rev all shutting down in the last couple of years.
Wholesome Junkies shut down because of ‘skyrocketing costs’, writing at the time of their closure in July: “The figures just don’t add up, it’s no joke and it’s devastating the hospitality industry.”
Almost Famous announce they are closing their Withington restaurant in candid statement
Danny Jones
The unfortunate hospitality news just keeps coming, it seems, as Almost Famous have announced they will soon be closing their Withington restaurant.
A staple of the Manchester foodie scene for over a decade now and with a growing empire across the North, the ‘dirty burger’ pioneers aren’t just one of the most recognisable restaurant names in Greater Manchester, they’re tastemakers and have been for years.
However, unlike the OG site in the Northern Quarter which first began blowing burger fans away back in 2012, their Great Northern Warehouse venue or their locations in Leeds, Almost Famous‘ Withington site simply isn’t working.
In truth, their most recent restaurant and fifth all-told had been struggling for a while and it was only back in May that they were thanking customers for helping them ‘pull through’ a rough patch, but it seems they’ve sadly slumped back into being quiet and can no longer continue in this fashion.
Explaining in the lengthy and clearly emotional statement, beloved owner Beau Myers wrote: “Announcement (sad sh***y one, sorry).
Sorry to say we will be closing the Withington branch of Almost Famous. It’s not working, we’re not busy enough and it’s dragging us down.
“Really sorry to disappoint you guys, we’ve tried and we’ve pushed and you’ve been amazing for supporting us, this just isn’t the one. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up, admit you f****d up, learn from your mistakes limit the damage and move on.
“We got sucked in with perhaps the most beautiful site ever in the wrong location (for us). It really is/was my fav[ourite] famous and I’m gutted it’s closing, it looks the coolest, we had the staff party there this year. I wish some of the art wasn’t straight on the wall so we could take it with us.”
Almost Famous Withington will be closing after their final dinner service next weekend. (Credit: The Manc Group)
They go on to add: “We will be closing after service on Sunday 22nd (next weekend). Please come down and say goodbye and enjoy this beautiful place one last time before it goes forever. There will be drinks and tears and laughs.
Having visited the particular branch a few times ourselves not only in a work capacity but in our own personal time, we can confirm the Withington restaurant had a special charm to it and we’re also very sad to see it go.
It goes without saying that the comments were filled with support, with one person writing, “This is so sad I’m so sorry: you’ve tried really hard. Sad loss for Withington”, and another adding, “Always sad when a place with friendly staff, serving good food, good drinks and at a reasonable price doesn’t make it… onwards and upwards.”
RIP Almost Famous Withy — we hope you come back one day soon and we’re sure the whole team will bounce back stronger than ever no matter what comes next for the much-loved brand.
Daisy Jackson -
8th March 2024 
