Sports nutrition and clothing company Myprotein have opened up a brand new concept store in Manchester city centre, the first of its kind which aims to not only showcase their products but educate those who stop by.
The overall fitness brand might already have a base in Manchester but this is the first time the city has seen a brick-and-mortar Myprotein Kitchen location available to the public.
Opening on 14 October on Mosley Street just between St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens, the company’s new ‘nutrition kitchen’ concept offers those interested in getting fit or simply eating better the chance to eat in or order healthy food to takeaway, meet fitness experts, network and plenty more.
Showcasing their various Activewear, supplements and accessories, all of which will be available to purchase then and there, as well as activities and special events. There’s a lot of stuff going on in this space — you can even come here to recycle your old protein scoops.
Credit: The Manc Group
After popping our heads in to see what all the fuss was about, we were pretty impressed right from the off, to be honest. Featuring two large rooms where you can sample their healthy food and drink options, socialise with friends, get a bit of work done or even just nip in for a coffee, it feels like a real multi-purpose space.
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The menu includes everything from protein pancakes, three-egg omelettes with your choice of toppings; frozen yoghurt bark and smoked salmon bagels for breakfast, to chipotle chicken salad, teriyaki turkey meatballs, protein flatbreads and a one-pot lentil dahl for dinner (lunch). Everything we tried was just as filling as it was delicious.
And, of course, there are lots of cleansing juices and freshly made protein shakes, as well as the usual powders, supplements and nutritious snacks if you just need to top up your supply.
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Yes, not only is the place packed full of Myprotein’s bread and butter supplements and nutrition products but also their wide range of MP Activewear and accessories, which a few members of The Manc team already own and can vouch for their quality.
Open seven days a week from Saturday, 14 October, we already know this place is going to be extremely popular. In fact, there was a constant stream of people trying to come inside and try it out whilst we were getting our sneak peek, and if that isn’t a good omen we don’t know what is.
Speaking on the opening, CEO of THG Nutrition Neil Mistry, said: “Quickly following on from our recent brand evolution, we’re so excited for Myprotein to step foot into ‘own retail’ with a concept store in the heart of the city the brand was born in.
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“With a unique combination of great menu choices, events, talks and ways to get active, Myprotein Kitchen is here to activate all of Manchester’s healthy intentions, championing everyone to live a healthier, more active life.”
While the headquarters might be in Northwich, Cheshire, Myprotein’s foundations are here in Greater Manchester, so the city centre was the perfect place to try out this new concept store and we’re going to go ahead and say it works.
A new ’boutique’ chicken spot has opened in Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Danny Jones
A brand-new chicken spot called ‘Le Coq Boutique’ has just opened in Manchester city centre, serving out of a popular Northern Quarter bar.
Is this the best name we’ve ever heard in our time writing about food and drink? It just might be…
Opening from inside The Social NQ on Thomas Street (formerly known as Smithfield Social), their new resident and poultry-centric kitchen is a bit of a pun on the classic French sportswear label, but having now been versed in the word about the bird for ourselves, we can confirm it’s much more than that.
For starters, the only thing more decadent than the roasted meats are the sides and cocktail menu, which features everything from chunky hash browns and some of the richest sauces you could ask for.
As you can see, the most chicken is well and truly the star of the show here, but what they have done is find unique ways of innovating and experimenting with it.
For instance, if you’ve never had a cocktail with chicken fat in it, here’s a place you can try one.
Honestly, this isn’t our first rodeo with this very particular kind of drink – but for those of you that haven’t, we promise, it really is quite good.
Aside from surprisingly saline kicks beside the salty marg rims we’ve become more accustomed to over the years, there are some very nice drinks on the menu.
But we’ll be honest, if you’re a sucker for the famous ‘chicken wine’ – a.k.a. La Vieille Ferme, if you want to be all formal – we imagine you’ll be sticking to plenty of this.
Having already spent many a weekend, be that afternoon or night, at the old Smithfield over the years, now that it has this fine new in-house food offering tacked on, we suspect we’ll be going back a lot more.
Whether you want lots of crispy chicken skin or prefer it smothered in gravy and various other kinds of savoury jus, if you’re an unadulterated mothercluckin’ chicken lover, then you’ll have a great time here.
As the team has joked in the comments under their first few social media posts, while it isn’t technically mandatory to wear the vintage 80s brand upon visiting, it is “expected”, with “bonus marks and shots” and promised for your efforts.
It’s also worth noting that they have an exclusive launch offer for those who sort a booking early, so we wouldn’t wait around if we were you.
Let us know what you think if you visit anytime soon.
Bunny Jackson’s offer Foo Fighters and Mancs incredible deal if they play their stage after Ritz gig
Danny Jones
Beloved dive bar Bunny Jackson’s has offered the Foo Fighters and Mancunians alike an incredible deal, provided the legendary band if they play on their stage after their gig at the O2 Ritz.
As well as Manchester ramping up the 2026 BRITs Week buzz ahead of the awards at Co-op Live this weekend, a little-known American rock group called the Foo Fighters decided to announce a surprise gig here in town.
But the bigger story now, we’d argue, is that the city centre boozer – which serves as a regular go-to both before and after gigs – is offering free drinks if Dave Grohl and co. pop up to perform on their usual bandaoke platform. As in for EVERYONE.
As explained by the Bunny’s boss, if the Foos make what is quite literally a minute trip down the road to OG Jackson’s wing joint and late-night watering hole after their Ritz gig is over, they’re promising to hand out free booze to all inside the venue.
Joking that they can quite literally “do anything” and may not even fit on their even smaller stage – with this being one of the tiniest of Manchester’s small-cap venues – it’s worth reminding that they wouldn’t be the first big name to surprise punters.
It was only a couple of years ago that both The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo showed their faces, with the former getting behind the bar and pouring drinks themselves, and the latter even hopping on the mic herself – yes, really.
Just last March, members of Bilmuri also hopped behind the decks for a DJ set, and saxophone player Gabi Rose couldn’t resist hitting some horns live for the crowd, too.
You might want to be at Bunny’s even if you’re not going to the gig anyway. (Credit: Bunny Jackson’s)
So what we’re telling you is that this isn’t entirely beyond the realms of possibility. Keep absolutely everything crossed.
BJ’s was already hosting a pre- and post-curfew party for the big Manchester gig, as they often do, but just think how incredible it would be if the rock icons actually turned up in person. You can find out what else they’ve got planned on the night HERE.
Not only would it mean free-flowing beer for everyone in the gaff, but this would go down as one of the greatest stories in Greater Manchester music history.
If you want to up the chances of this happening, make sure you share it far and wide, getting @ing and pestering them, and hopefully we’ll see you at Bunny Jackson’s with the boys from Foo Fighters!
Oh, and lads, if you’re wondering why we all love it here, look no further:
Danny Jones -
13th October 2023 
