There are two fresh new concepts taking over the ground floor of our well-known and loved New Century, serving up a brand new menu of gig-night bites as well as grassroots music events.
Launching side-by-side are Locker, a 450-capacity grassroots live music venue, and In Hand, a food offering that promises ‘gig-friendly’ food like Detroit-style focaccia pizza pies, 24-hour brined chicken tenders, sandos and sides.
Both concepts will launch in sync today, marking a significant new chapter for the restored venue, which has pivoted away from its previous New Century Kitchens food hall concept.
With the previous food traders moving on to fantastic new ventures, this new chapter allows one sole food offering to sit alongside the beloved bar area, keeping simplicity at the forefront of the concept.
The menu is designed for speed and ease, ensuring you can grab a quick bite in between sets at Locker or New Century Hall without missing out on the music, whilst still holding your drink of choice in your other hand. Perfect for keeping the night going, instead of having to leave mid-event to get some food to fuel you.
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This no-mess menu is serving up deep pan Detroit-style focaccia pizza slices or 8×10″ full pies, featuring everything from a classic margarita or pepperoni through to a chicken parm, mushroom and truffle or Detroit hot loaded with jalapenos and ‘nduja hot honey. Oh – and every pizza comes with their signature caramelised cheese crust – have we said all of your buzz words yet?
Detroit-style pizzas at In Hand at New CenturyThe main bar at New Century will serve Locker and In HandIn Hand food is designed to be gig-friendly
If it’s more just a bite you’re after, there’s a wide selection of grab and go sides. Our personal favourite were the 24-hour brined, double fried chicken tenders, available in a range of flavours such as lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, ‘nduja hot honey, smokey BBQ and masala mayo.
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Though if it’s something more filling you’re seeking, then there’s their delicious selection of sandos, all served with seasoned fries, like the classic chicken sando, prosciutto and ricotta on focaccia, chilli cheese chicken sando and a roast harissa halloumi.
In Hand will also be open during the day, making it the perfect spot for a post work pint, to quench your thirst and refuel after a shopping spree or as a new lunch spot if you work in and around the Northern Quarter, especially with their lunch time deal.
Inside gig venue Locker at New Century. Credit: The Manc Group
The deal consists of any chicken tenders or a quarter Detroit pizza, plus a side and a soft drink, all for just £10 – it would be rude not to.
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Matt Harvey, Head of Food and Beverage at New Century, commented: “The menu is built around what people actually want when they’re at a gig, something that tastes great, travels well and doesn’t slow you down.
“We’ve spent a lot of time getting the foundations right, from developing the dough recipe for the Detroit base through to the brining process for the chicken tenders. Every element has been thought about to ensure In Hand is comfort food done properly, and we think people are going to love it.”
Locker and In Hand are both open at New Century in Manchester today.
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
First look inside Social Osteria, Stockport’s buzzy new Italian restaurant
Lydia Mastrolonardo
That’s right Stopfordians – we’re gaining yet another brand new addition to our town’s blooming food and drink scene, as Social Osteria opens its doors at Weir Mill.
It’s safe to say we’re in good hands, with the geniuses behind The Social Trattoria, named best Trattoria at the Italian Awards UK 2025, being the ones to bring this new taste of Italy to South Manchester.
Just because we are no longer experiencing the weather to match an Italian summer, doesn’t mean we can’t continue eating like we’re there.
Social Osteria can now be found overlooking the River Mersey, as a beautiful 2,000 sq ft space within the buzzing new canalside development, fully equipped with the classic exposed red brickwork, vaulted ceilings and even the restored original kiln.
As you approach the restaurant, you are greeted by a sunken courtyard and riverside seating, making for the perfect alfresco dining spot, when the warmer weather finally rolls back around.
With the meaning of Osteria being an Italian tavern, for locals to gather and enjoy each other’s company, good wine and honest, flavourful food – the team have stayed true to the name. You can expect dim, ambient lighting, an open kitchen, fresh small plates, flavourful 48-hour pizzas, and traditional pasta.
Vibrant dishes at Social Osteria in Stockport. Credit: The Manc Group
This glamorous new restaurant is promising a spectacular menu, from cacio e pepe butter beans to guanciale topped pizzas and their very own slow-cooked beef shin and pork shoulder paccheri ragu, you know we’re in the right place.
With Italian food running in the family, the team’s cooking practices are rooted in traditional methods, passed down through the generations and then presented to us, with the freshest of ingredients.
It suits Capital&Centric, who’ve taken the same approach to Weir Mill itself – embracing the character of the historic mill whilst transforming it into a vibrant community, for generations to come.
Inside Social Osteria at Weir Mill. Credit: The Manc Group
Set below Stockport’s iconic viaduct, the £60m neighbourhood is now home to 253 apartments alongside bustling cafés, wine bars and stunning restaurants akin to Social Osteria, accompanied by plenty of outdoor seating, green spaces, and riverside viewpoints.
Where Osteria Social now calls home is part of Stockport’s £1 billion Town Centre West masterplan, adding to the town’s growing reputation as one of the best locations to live in the UK.
Social Osteria will officially open Thursday 22 October, at Weir Mill. Be sure to book your tables early as we fear this one might get a little booked up.
Lydia Mastrolonardo -
2nd October 2026 
