Glossop Market Hall has officially reopened its doors, and it’s a shining example of how to breathe life back into heritage marketplaces like this.
The market hall has undergone a major regeneration project to restore this landmark in the town, and is now home to a modern food hall as well as independent retail spaces.
It’s hoped that this impressive new space will once again act after the ‘heartbeat of the town’.
While the landmark building has a fresh design, the plan is to keep it proudly local, filled with local and regional traders from the beer taps to the burgers to the book vending machine (you heard – a book vending machine).
The regeneration of Glossop Market Hall has created more than 60 new jobs for the area and boasts an impressive array of food, drink, and retail across three different indoor zones and the outdoor market.
ADVERTISEMENT
The bar inside has independent local breweries on tap, while gin comes from the Glossop Distillery (from the team behind Forest Gin).
As for the food offering, you’ll find wagyu burgers from Wagyu Lookin At?, double-dunked fried chicken from Pattersons, and hand-stretched pizzas from Pizza Dealers, as well as artisan gelato from Baci Di Gelato and Greek street food from Kefi Social.
ADVERTISEMENT
Familiar names from Manchester have moved into Glossop Market Hall too – look out for Bold Street Coffee and Hello Oriental inside.
As for the retail spaces, there’s a bottle shop, a florists, an Asian grocery store, vintage clothing, a dog general store, and a delicatessen.
And as a unique addition, Derbyshire’s first public book vending machine has moved in, with 16 rotating titles chosen by the historic Dark Peak Books & Gifts.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’s a dedicated children’s area that honours the work of illustrator and author John Vernon Lord, plus a huge new events and wedding space available for hire.
Some of the food on offer in Glossop Market Hall
Food traders inside Glossop Market Hall include Hello Oriental
Bold Street Coffee
Richard Walker, managing director of The Hospitality Collective, said: “We know the local community has been patiently waiting for this moment, and we have been truly overwhelmed by the incredible engagement from such exciting local brands who wanted to be involved in the hall.
“It is a moment of immense pride for us to be able to finally launch the Market Hall, and we are so excited for the future of this venue as a destination the whole town can be proud of.”
Councillor Damien Greenhalgh, Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be opening the doors on this High Peak Borough Council‑delivered, multi‑million pound transformation of Glossop’s Market Hall, Arcade and Town Hall.
“This is the biggest regeneration project in decades, a true passion project that breathes new life into the very heart of our town. What’s most exciting is that we can now share it with the community – a space that celebrates our heritage, supports local entrepreneurs and creates a destination Glossop can be proud of for generations to come.
ADVERTISEMENT
The incredible space at Glossop Market Hall
“From the outset, our vision has been to give local businesses and independent makers the platform they deserve, while building a vibrant hub that showcases the very best in food, drink and retail curated by our operator, The Hospitality Collective. Glossop Market Hall is set to thrive once again – a real gift to the town and the perfect way to kick off the festive season.”
The Food Hall at Glossop Market Hall
Wagyu Lookin’ At?: Legendary wagyu burgers and loaded fries .
Pattersons: Famous for their brined, seasoned, and double-dunked fried chicken .
Bold Street Coffee: The Liverpool and Manchester institution pouring award-winning coffee .
Pizza Dealers: Hand-stretched, slow-fermented dough without pretence .
Kefi Social: Greek street food featuring fresh gyros and souvlaki .
Hello Oriental: Authentic East Asian street food .
Baci Di Gelato: Delicious artisanal gelato .
The Arcade at Glossop Food Hall
The Bottle Store: Curated small-batch spirits and liqueurs .
Norris Master Florists: Award-winning floristry and seasonal wreaths .
Hello Oriental Grocery Store: A one-stop shop for Asian ingredients and bubble tea .
Moda Vintage: Sustainable vintage sportswear from the 80s, 90s, and 00s .
B&V Doggo General Store: Serving the community’s dogs with a curated range of goods.
Gypset and the Rainbow: Vintage eclectic items and small-batch productions.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month
Daisy Jackson
One of the world’s silliest and most-loved experiences is returning to Manchester this year, offering people the chance to step inside the world of Fawlty Towers.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience sees immersive theatre blend with a three-course dinner, bringing Britain’s most infamous hotel to life.
Fans of the hit 1970s comedy will enjoy two hours of mayhem led by Basil, Sybil and Manuel, all while tucking into a delicious era-appropriate meal.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience has become an immersive dining phenomenon, scooping awards and selling out venues across the globe since launching almost 30 years ago.
In the years since, it’s welcomed more than one million guests, celebrated 13 years of its West End residency in London, and hosted celebrations for 50 years of the original BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.
And now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the event returning to our city between 3 and 15 February.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to ManchesterThe event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and ManuelAround 70% of the action is improvisedGuests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experienceCredit: Rosie Powell
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will be taking over the Voco hotel on Portland Street for a limited run, starring Aaron Millard as ‘Basil’, Rebecca Norris as ‘Sybil’, and Simon Hourihan as ‘Manuel’.
You can definitely expect two hours of theatre, chaos, and a 70s-inspired three-course meal, but with around 70% of the performances completely improvised, we can’t tell you much more than that…
Producer Jared Harford said: “It’s such a joy to be bringing Basil and the team back to Manchester. After such an incredible 2025 celebrating 50 years of Fawlty Towers, we can’t wait to continue sharing the laughter, chaos and community spirit that make this show so special.”
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience in Manchester:
Tuesday 3 February to Sunday 15 February
Tuesday to Saturday – doors open 6.45pm, seating and show starts 7.30pm
Saturday and Sunday – doors open 12.45pm, seating and show starts 1.30pm
Ticket prices, all including three-course meal and two hour immersive experience:
Tuesday to Thursday dinner, and Saturday or Sunday lunch – £67.50 pp (including fees) Friday or Saturday dinner £71.50 pp (including fees). Bookings can be made via the box office on (+44) 020 3700 3138 or online at www.faultytowersdining.com
We’ve found some of the best Chinese food in town – being served out of a snooker hall
Danny Jones
Yes, you heard us right: we’ve stumbled across one of our favourite new places for Chinese food just on the outskirts of Manchester city centre – it just so happens to be served out of a best-in-class snooker hall.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg here.
Some of you may have heard about and/or seen it already, but we’ll admit we were a little late to the party when it comes to Club 200, a.k.a. the pool, snooker, darts, mahjong club and more, which has so many different things rolled into that it’s really more a Russian doll than a Chinese restaurant or sports venue.
The hook speaks for itself: a place where people spend just as much time practising with chopsticks as they do their cues, as it really isn’t a gimmick, as some pessimistic folk would have you think – the food is banging and so are the vibes in general.
Not only is this quite literally the best snooker club in Manchester – complete with everything from classic American billiards and Chinese 8-ball to king-size snooker tables that the Ronnie O’Sullivan has played and won on, to a special AI system you won’t find anywhere else – it is SO much more than that.
Whilst the backroom was packed with everyone from casuals to those looking to get their pro certification via the official Q Tour, and lads in the front were practising their arrows, as co-owner Simon admitted they get almost just as many darts regulars these days, a storm was cooking up in the kitchen.
It would be unfair to say this place doubles as a bar and restaurant, because we really couldn’t get over how well put together this menu was.
‘Café 200’s food offerings involve classics like fried rice and chow mein dishes, to the kind of sides you could expect from your local Chinese chippy, but it’s even more authentic exports that really impress.
For instance, the beef ho fun seemed to be a big hit with everyone; we loved the salty seafood udon as well (a great chew on those noodles), and we know plenty of people still searching for proper Hong Kong-style French toast – they might just find it here.
Speaking of the special administrative region, which has a twisting and turning but nevertheless rich culinary culture all of its own, that last dish had us hopping with joy.
You’re looking at baked Portuguese rice: a Macau speciality rooted in the region’s colonial history.
We’ve never quite had anything like it before, even in all of our years eating this kind of cuisine around the 10 boroughs, but we haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
And then there’s everything else they do, from karaoke and bingo nights to catering for birthdays and other functions, or even just serving as a cool, somewhat tucked-away spot to watch the footy and other live sport come the weekend.
You can tell this place has built up a real community over the last 18 months or so, and while the food speaks for itself, it’s the sheer abundance and variety going on that makes it especially charming to so many.
Speaking of jack-of-all-trade venues, we stumbled across a similar multi-talented one over in Salford not so long ago, too…
Daisy Jackson -
3rd December 2025 
