Over the last decade-plus, Grind has expanded right across London with 14 cafes, coffee shops and coffee trucks, as well as its own coffee roastery, but hasn’t yet ventured up north.
It’s also known for its at-home sustainable coffee products, including pods, is a growing presence in retail spaces, and is served on board British Airway flights, stocking Soho House, and collaborating with the likes of Baileys and BrewDog.
They’ll bring their extensive menu of speciality-grade coffee, seasonal food and cocktails to town, for everything from takeaway coffees to bottomless brunches.
Grind was founded back in 2011 when David Abrahamovitch turned his father’s old mobile phone store in Shoreditch into the first Grind cafe.
David says he has family connections to Manchester and has long been looking for the right site for Grind to expand here – then along came St Michael’s.
David Abrahamovitch, Grind founder and CEO said: “We’ve always said that if we were to do a big site outside of London, the first place we would go would be Manchester.
“My wife is Mancunian and her whole family live in Manchester, so I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years and I’ve always thought that a Grind would work well.
Grind is heading to Manchester for the first time. Credit: SuppliedGrind is heading to Manchester for the first time. Credit: Supplied
“We’ve looked at various locations over the years, but thanks to Gary (Neville) and the team at Relentless we think we’ve finally found the perfect home for Grind in St Michaels, in the heart of Manchester. We cannot wait to get open in the summer!”
Gary Neville, Director at Relentless Developments said: “The ambition for St Michael’s was to create a landmark that will become an economic driver for Manchester and bring together major names in a world-class, sustainable development.
“Attracting brands like Grind who have yet to set foot outside the capital is a massive achievement and testament to how hard we’ve been working to deliver our vision for the scheme and city as a whole.”
Grind will open this summer at St Michael’s in Manchester.
Manchester favourite Nell’s to open new site for New York-style pizza, karaoke and shuffleboard
Daisy Jackson
Much-loved New York-style pizza joint Nell’s has announced big plans for a brand new location – they’re heading to MediaCity.
Nell’s are stepping things up a notch with the move, adding in private karaoke booths, shuffleboard tables, and a huge outdoor terrace in their new site.
Nell’s MediaCity is set to open this autumn, promising 22-inch New York-style pizza (also served in gigantic slices), frozen margs, and ice cream sandwiches.
There are already several spots around Manchester where you can get a slice of Nell’s, including their restaurants at Kampus and in Altrincham, the OG Northern Quarter site in Common, and at The Beagle in Chorlton.
And now it’s Salford’s turn, with plans unveiled for the team to expand over to MediaCity’s quayside Orange Building.
Nell’s co-founder Jonny Heyes said: “We’ve been thinking about MediaCity for a long time, it’s such a great area and we’ve seen what brilliant operators like Kargo have achieved so when this space came up, we jumped on it!
“The venue is huge which has given us the chance to really play with the experience.
“This idea of karaoke and shuffleboard accompanying our made-for-sharing pizzas and great cocktails feels like a natural next step for us as a brand.”
Nell’s have also partnered with Deliveroo and Slerp to send 14-inch and 22-inch pizzas far and wide.
The new opening is expected to create more than 35 new jobs, and as Common & Co has twice been named in the Times 100 Best Places To Work list, you might want to check those out HERE.
These viral sensations are a plush toy created by Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised designer Kasing Lung, who drew inspiration from his love of fairytales to create a character with bunny-like ears, large eyes and big smiles.
They’re swinging off handbags all over the UK at the minute and people are queueing for hours for the latest Labubu drops.
At Sweet Dreams, they’re making edible chocolate Labubus using a special mould flown in from Japan.
Each one has a pistachio kunafa filling and is painstakingly painted by hand.
And that brings us neatly to the next viral craze at play here – Dubai pistachio chocolate.
An army of pistachio chocolate LabubuInside a chocolate pistachio Labubu
Kunafa is a staple in Middle Eastern bakes and pastries but hit the global mainstream last year when thick chocolate pistachio bars stuffed with it went viral online, spawning countless dupes and inspired specials.
And finally, chocolate covered strawberries – hardly a new invention, but this simple dessert has rocketed in popularity especially in food hotspots like Borough Market in London.
Head into Sweet Dreams and you can build your treat from the base up – choose white or milk melted chocolate for your strawberries, layer on pistachio kunafa, then top with either a milk or white chocolate Labubu.
A slightly daft novelty? Yes. But that doesn’t stop them being delicious.
This is the only place in the UK currently selling Dubai pistachio chocolate Labubus.
Daisy Jackson -
10th March 2025 
