A huge new food hall has opened in Denton, bringing some of the hottest street food names in Greater Manchester together under one roof.
Hatters is a brand-new addition to Tameside, a massive, modern, social space with four kitchens and a couple of sizeable bars too.
Its founders have pulled together an enviable line-up of operators for the kitchens, including a few that trigger queues down the street wherever they appear.
Up first is the legendary Ornella’s Kitchen, a firm Tameside favourite where diners can wait months for a table reservation.
Their menu at Hatters includes their beloved arancini, plus pizzas (including mini kid’s pizzas), and huge Italian sandwiches packed with quality Sicilian ingredients.
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Ornella has also brought her desserts to Denton – like a gigantic tiramisu and a rich chocolate cheesecake.
Another firm Manc favourite that’s moved into Hatters is Waffle Kart, the trader that triggers enormous queues at the Manchester Christmas Markets every single year.
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As well as their OG chicken and waffles, and the chilli crisp chicken sandwich, they’ve got snacks like hot buttered maple popcorn on the menu, plus waffle prawn toast, and frozen custard shakes (the blueberry maple waffle shake…)
At Casa Dario, owners Dario and Jess are cooking paella, classic Spanish tortilla made to order, and a traditional Argentinian Milanesa, where thin-cut beef is layered in tomato sauce and cheese.
Dario is Madrid-born, Barcelona-raised, and is now bringing his perfected Spanish cooking to Denton.
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Dario and Jess from Casa DarioPaella and tortilla from Casa Dario
Expect croquetas, gambas al pil pil, four different tortilla flavours, and giant for-two paellas served straight in the pan.
And completing the Hatters line-up is Curio, where you’ll find a menu that’s focused on meat in all its shapes and sizes, like a Cola BBQ burger, an Argentinian steak with chimichurri, and yakitori chicken skewers.
Curio is a neighbourhood favourite in Royton, where they’ve been feeding locals in some shape or another since June 2020.
At the bar, you’ll find frozen cocktails like pornstar martinis and margaritas, signature cocktails including palomas and negronis, and a great beer selection that includes Oldham-brewed pours from Trail Brew Co.
The bar at HattersCurio’s steak and yakitoriBeers, including a locally-brewed beerHatters in DentonCocktails upstairsInside Hatters in Denton
Hatters is split across two floors, with a modern food hall downstairs packed with long tables and a stage for live music events – while upstairs, it’s a more relaxed space with lots of sofa seating, designed for whiling away an evening with a cocktail in hand.
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The massive building in Denton used to be home to four different businesses – a pub, a carpet showroom, a warehouse, and a gym – now all four of those empty units have been knocked into one huge space, with floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping around and colourful art on the exposed brick walls.
The venue gets its name from the nearby pub that was previously owned by founder Josh Berry’s family.
Hatters Food and Drinks Hall opened its doors on Market Street in Denton on Friday 3 April.
Speaking after its opening night, the founders said they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the venue’s popularity, posting: “To the 1,000+ people that came to see us today, thank you. Overwhelmed. See you tomorrow.”
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse to reopen
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme – the community pub was a bit of a local institution thanks to its grassroots music and inclusive atmosphere.
But now it appears that the spirit of the venue will live on, under the new name of The Abbey.
Some of the city’s most experienced independent operators – who have been behind venues like YES and The Deaf Institute, and music promoters Now Wave – will be the new custodians of this beloved local landmark.
The pub, which closed early last year, is currently being carefully restored ahead of its big relaunch just next week.
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’ll also be affordable, hearty pub grub including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
The team bringing The Abbey to life are Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth – Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manchester venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall; while Wesley and Jonathan, through Now Wave, promote hundreds of independent gigs and live events each year; and Gareth is the founder of multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest.
The team behind The Abbey pub. Credit: Piran Aston
The rear of the site of The Old Abbey Taphouse will be extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while the cherished beer garden is given a facelift with new decking and its own bar.
The Abbey has stood in Hulme since the 1890s, playing an important role in the area’s heritage – this is where activist Len Johnson managed to overturn the shameful ‘colour bar’ policies of the 1940s.
Its restoration and relaunch is part of the flourishing Manchester Science Park development.
Matthew Pazos, Senior Retail Commercial Manager at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Ruth, Wesley and Jonathan are the perfect custodians to breathe new life into The Abbey.
“Their reputation for running independent spaces in Manchester, alongside their live music expertise, will ensure this much-valued pub once again becomes a beating heart for Hulme and the wider neighbourhood.
Glimpses of The Abbey’s refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
“The reopening of The Abbey will create an inclusive new hub that welcomes everyone – from the Hulme locals who have looked after the pub over the years, to the Manchester Science Park community, university students, and the many residents and workers across the Oxford Road Corridor.
“We are delighted that such a culturally significant and important pub is set to open its doors once again.”
Ruth Hemmingfield from The Abbey commented: “We love a good pub. With The Abbey, we’re excited about bringing a brilliant old pub back to life, protecting what people loved about it, and creating something special: a great local, alongside a vital grassroots music venue for the area. Honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd April 2026 
