Acclaimed local chef Mary-Ellen McTague has revealed details of the first restaurant at the huge new Treehouse Hotel.
She will open Pip, a restaurant that will celebrate seasonal, low-waste cooking, on the ground floor of the landmark new hotel.
This is the first of three restaurant concepts to be announced at Treehouse Hotel, which is taking shape on the site of the former long-standing Deansgate hotel the Renaissance.
When it’s completed later this summer, Treehouse Hotel will have 224 guest rooms, multiple event spaces, an expansive screening room, a gymnasium, and three unique restaurant and bar spaces – including the newly-announced Pip.
This first restaurant will be headed up by Manchester’s very own Mary-Ellen McTague, who’ll be doing what she does best – seasonal produce that celebrates the finest produce from around the North West, as sustainably as possible.
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Over her 20 years in the hospitality industry, Mary-Ellen has worked alongside Heston Blumenthal at his esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants, The Fat Duck and The Hinds Head, as well as founding EatWellMCR.
At Pip, diners can expect dishes that reimagine the potential of each ingredient served through from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a convenient grab-and-go option.
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Treehouse Hotel has confirmed details of its first restaurant, and a summer opening date. Credit: Supplied
She’ll be sourcing ingredients – sometimes unconventional ones – from local farms, and suppliers like Littlewoods Butchers, Cinderwood Market Garden, Organic North, Courtyard Dairy, and Platt Fields Market Garden.
Dish highlights include Carlingford oysters with fennel kimchi liquor; home-smoked mackerel with pickled beets, mustard cream, and rye; Lancashire hotpot with pickled red cabbage and oyster ketchup; and Rhubarb fool with olive oil biscuits.
Commenting on her new restaurant opening, Mary-Ellen McTague said: “I’m thrilled to bring Pip to life at Treehouse Hotel Manchester.
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“This restaurant is a celebration of everything I am passionate about – seasonal, low-waste cooking, and the incredible produce we have here in the North West.
Brilliant Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague will be behind the first restaurant at Treehouse Hotel. Credit: Jody Hartley
“The menu is designed to showcase the best of our local culinary heritage, using modern techniques that make the most of every single ingredient. I cannot wait to share our vision for Pip with the Manchester community and beyond.”
Treehouse Hotel Manchester itself will be the second property under the same brand, which says it takes its playful inspiration through the lens of childhood.
Commenting on the first restaurant to open at the hotel, Tim Reynolds, general manager of Treehouse Hotel Manchester, said: “We are incredibly excited to welcome Pip to Treehouse Hotel Manchester.
“Mary-Ellen’s innovative approach to low-waste cooking and her dedication to using locally sourced ingredients align perfectly with our values. We look forward to offering our guests an extraordinary dining experience that reflects the vibrant spirit of Manchester.”
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Pip will welcome guests in late summer, alongside the opening of Treehouse Hotel Manchester.
Drake-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in the Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
The cult LA-born fried chicken brand backed by Drake is expanding in Manchester once again, this time with a brand-new site at the Trafford Centre.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open its latest location inside the huge shopping centre, bringing its signature Nashville-style heat to The Orient food hall.
Already causing a stir with its first Manchester site at the Printworks, the fast-growing US chain has built a reputation for long queues and a chicken spice level so extreme you have to sign a waiver to eat it (The Reaper is not for the faint of heart).
And now hoardings have appeared at the bottom of The Orient at The Trafford Centre, joining Five Guys, Shake Shack, and Slim Chickens.
The new Trafford Centre restaurant is expected to follow the same winning formula, serving up its famous hot chicken tenders and sliders, available in seven spice levels and served on a slice of bread to soak up all the spice levels.
Fans can also expect a menu packed with loaded fries, creamy mac and cheese, kale slaw, and indulgent top-loaded shakes, alongside refreshing slushers to cool things down after the heat kicks in.
Born in a Los Angeles car park back in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken has exploded in popularity in recent years, with Drake becoming a high-profile investor as the brand rapidly expanded across the US and into the UK.
The Trafford Centre opening marks another major step in the brand’s UK growth, following successful launches in London, Birmingham, and Manchester city centre, and signals that the fried chicken heavyweight is only just getting started.
If the scenes at previous openings are anything to go by, Mancunians can expect queues, hype, and plenty of spice when the doors finally open.
Popular Manchester brunch spot Bruncho teases what’s to come with new Northern Quarter cafe
Daisy Jackson
Bruncho has shared a glimpse of what’s to come when it officially opens the doors to its new Northern Quarter cafe.
The brunch spot has had queues down the street since launching on Deansgate, with enough popularity to warrant it opening a second location.
Bruncho is moving into the old Feel Good Club, a huge unit in Hilton House that’s been left empty since the cafe’s shock closure.
And as the clock ticks down to Bruncho’s launch into the Northern Quarter, they’ve shared an exclusive look inside at their very big plans.
The team have now confirmed that the new venue will have a salad bar and vegetarian buffet, as well as coffee raves with DJs at select hours.
New CGIs of the space also show a drastic change from the site’s days as Feel Good Club, filling the giant cafe with wooden tables, hanging pendant lights, plants, and soft textures.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its absolutely stacked French toasts.
A glimpse inside Bruncho Northern QuarterBruncho will have a vegetarian buffet when it opens in the Northern QuarterHow Bruncho Northern Quarter will look
It’s consistently packed out at its original location on Deansgate, and now it’s taking over a 4,378 sq ft unit in the Northern Quarter too, set to open this June.
Omer Umut Mutlu, owner of Bruncho, said: “Manchester has shown Bruncho so much love, and expanding into the Northern Quarter feels like the natural next step for us.
“Hilton House gives us the space to elevate what we do – more covers, more events, and a new home for the kind of food and atmosphere people will make the journey for.
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the neighbourhood, with the opening scheduled for June 2026.”
Daisy Jackson -
23rd May 2024 
