Gail’s has revealed the opening dates for not one but two new Manchester bakeries as the hit London bakery continues its rapid expansion into the north of England.
The customer-facing bakery and cafe chain – famed down south for its artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes – has revealed it will open its brand new Manchester city centre site on 7 June.
Moving into the former White Stuff shop on King Street, the new bakery-cafe will be Gail’s third in the north of England.
The new bakery will serve Gail’s artisan sourdough breads, pastries, sandwiches, and cakes alongside its speciality House Blend coffee, which changes four times a year with the seasons.
An outside terrace on the historic shopping street will give fans the option to enjoy a spot of al fresco drinking and dining, whilst a lower floor space offers the chance to host local events and gatherings.
ADVERTISEMENT
The King Street opening will be followed later in June by a second site in Didsbury village, which is tipped to open inside the old HSBC bank on Wilmslow Road on Friday 21 June.
Ahead of its King Street opening, the beloved bakery will throw itself wholeheartedly into Manchester’s famous Flower Show, which returns on 27 and 28 May.
ADVERTISEMENT
The bakery will be collaborating with local artist Amy Coney, who will be live painting a floral mural onto its windows as part of the festival, as well as with award-winning local florist Chloe Robinson.
Chloe has worked with Cheshire growers to create hand posies which will be given away with a loaf of GAIL’s Waste Less Sourdough between 11-1pm on Saturday 27and Sunday 28 May whilst stocks last.
The bakery will open on King Street,trading from 6.30am-6pm Sunday-Friday and until 7pm on Saturdays.
ADVERTISEMENT
The opening of Gail’s bakeries in the region reinforces its long-standing ties to the area following Gail’s wholesale bakery, which opened in Openshaw in 2017.
It has since supplied high-quality, artisan breads to some of the region’s top restaurants, cafés and hotels. The new bakeries will create new careers for people in craft baking, specialty coffee and bakery management.
For the past six years, Gail’s wholesale bakery in Openshaw has been supporting FareShare as well as local schools, presenting and teaching students about the benefit of healthier craft bread.
A newly established partnership with Manchester-based EatWellMCR will allow the distribution of any surplus food to those in the region who need it most in Manchester and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Featured image – Google Maps Street View
Eats
Irish Festival Village returns to Manchester with live music, fry-up pizzas and loads of Guinness
Daisy Jackson
A huge Irish Festival Village has returned to Manchester city centre today to kick off the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Over the coming 10 days, there’ll be live Irish music, street food, retail stalls and – of course – plenty of Guinness flowing.
The main event is now open at St Ann’s Square, where a gigantic marquee festooned in green, white and orange has been installed.
Inside here, the bar is being run by the O’Shea’s team, and the stage will host loads of live music and great craic.
Outside you’ll find Birchwood Pizza, who have got a menu of pizzas inspired by the Emerald Isle.
Pizzas include the What’s the Craic (a fry-up pizza with white pudding and Dubliner sausage) to The Black Stuff (black pudding, rosemary potato and streaky pudding).
The Irish Festival Village has opened as part of the wider Manchester Irish Festival celebrations across Greater Manchester.
The Irish Festival Village is back in ManchesterIrish pizzas at the Festival Village on St Ann’s SquareYou can shop Irish treats outside
There’ll also be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday 16 March, which will weave its way from the Irish World Heritage Centre all the way onto Deansgate.
The parade will showcase and champion local groups and organisations such as GAA clubs, Irish dance classes, marching bands, and pipe bands, along with a strong representation of the 32 counties in Ireland.
And it handily winds up around King Street, just beside the Irish Festival Village.
The gathering spot will be open from Friday 7 March all the way through to St Patrick’s Day itself – find out more HERE.
There’s a bakery in Manchester where you can decorate your own adorable tiny bento cake
Daisy Jackson
We’ve found a wholesome activity that’ll suit even the most cack-handed of bakers – a workshop where you can decorate your own miniature bento cake.
This Manchester activity has shot to the top of our list of our favourite things to do locally, perfect for a hen do, a birthday, a mate date or a date date.
Bento cakes, or lunchbox cakes, have all the elaborate decorations of a full celebration cake but made miniature, for a treat that doesn’t have to be shared out to dozens of people.
From swirls of buttercream frosting to pretty piped love hearts to cursive writing atop your cake, there are loads of decorations you can add to your own creation.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade.
She’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
As you arrive for your workshop you’re presented with two adorable vanilla sponge cakes, a classic base for a proper Victoria sponge or a more elaborate celebration cake.
Other cakes at Vanilla Ice CakesYou can mix up your own buttercream icingMaster baker Fiza at work at the bento cake workshopThe bento cake workshop space in ManchesterOne of our creations at the bento cake workshop in Chorlton, Manchester
Each class includes hot drinks, plus a plate full of Vanilla Ice Cakes’ delicious brownie bites.
From here, you’re taught the basics of piping, building a buttercream ‘dam’ before spooning in a filling of choice – jam, Nutella or Lotus Biscoff.
After applying a crumb coat (Great British Bake Off fans will already be on the right page here), the real fun begins.
Fiza will help you to whip up a smooth buttercream in whichever colour you wish, before letting you run riot with a piping bag.
You’ll practice swirls, rosettes, hearts, and even writing in icing ahead of decorating your actual cake.
You can see how we got on below, then book your own spot HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
24th May 2023 
