The team behind one of Ancoat’s coolest venues has been quietly working away on plans for a new venue on the other side of town for months. Now, at last, they’ve teased out some details – promising to open this summer and bring ‘Manchester’s biggest beer garden’ to Piccadilly East.
Called Diecast, the new 5,000 capacity space is set to be something of a behemoth. Within its giant new beer garden, its vast outside area will also house an open-air BBQ kitchen, ‘NeoPan’ pizzeria and festival-style ‘House of Daiquiri’ and ‘Rum Town’ bars.
Specialising in frozen daiquiris and pina coladas alongside heritage and new world rums, when the next heatwave hits this summer we know where we will want to be drinking.
Add to that plans for an in-house beer and kombucha brewery, night market, brewing co., warehouse restaurant, and a huge festival stage, and it really does sound like this is going to be a huge new opening for Manchester this summer.
Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Set to open in stages, according to bosses the outdoor area will launch first although no date has been set as of yet.
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Emphasising the size of the project, Joel Wilkinson, DieCast Director and owner, said “We’re taking all our learnings from Ramona and The Firehouse, but this time it’s on an industrial scale.
“It’s more than a venue. It’s an area within itself. A new creative neighbourhood for the city.”
Due to the sheer scale of the site, the city centre location and striking industrial aesthetics, DieCast is already in use as the industrial backdrop for events, parties, shoots, and film locations.
Adelaide Winter, Creative Director at Diecast, added: “The Factory floor and Machine Works are already being used for creative events, filmmakers, musicians and event producers to use.
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“This is the first part of establishing DieCast as a new creative resource for the city, but this summer we will finally open the garden to the public for the first time ”
Built around a 250,000-square-foot former foundry and warehouse. Untouched since its last update in 1983, it’s a paradigm of Manchester’s industrial aesthetic: with corrugated steel, roof-block walls, large roller shutters, and a concrete terrazzo stretching throughout.
Just a few minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly train station, Diecast will be located between Store Street and Ducie Street. To keep up with more updates, make sure to follow Diecast on Instagram here.
Feature image – Supplied
Eats
Ian Wright raves about Chorlton takeaway Jerk Junction
Daisy Jackson
Ian Wright has publicly raved about a Greater Manchester takeaway, saying it’s the ‘only reason’ he comes to the city.
The TV personality and football great took to Instagram yesterday to share his short but sweet review of Jerk Junction.
It’s a beloved takeaway and restaurant that has a few sites across Greater Manchester and tonnes of loyal followers – including more than a few famous faces.
And now Ian Wright has joined the legions of fans celebrating Jerk Junction, a Caribbean spot famed for its jerk chicken and curried meats.
On his Instagram page yesterday, Wrighty shared a video of himself tucking into a huge helping of curry and rice, with fried dumplings on the side.
In it, he gives the camera a big thumbs up before saying: “It’s the only reason I come to Manchester really.”
Jerk Junction has also shared a photo of them delivering the food to Ian, writing: “Special delivery to everyones favourite Uncle, The Legend himself Mr @wrightyofficial.”
Ian Wright raving about Jerk Junction on Instagram. Credit: Instagram, @wrightyofficialIan Wright with Jerk Junction. Credit: Instagram, @jerkjunction
Ian Wright has then replied: “Too much food! But it was amazing!! Thank you so much.”
The takeaway’s menu is filled with dishes like Jerk chicken, curried goat, and vegetarian options like Ital stew, all served with rice and peas, and prepared with traditional spices and ingredients.
Family-run tapas restaurant shames customers who stole decorations
Daisy Jackson
A family-run restaurant in Whitefield has publicly shamed a couple who stole new decorations from them.
Campo Blanco, a popular tapas joint in the Bury suburb, threatened to call ‘Santa’ over the petty theft.
Owned and operated by high school sweethearts Aaron and Faye Cummins, the charming local spot opened back in 2018 and has been a firm favourite in Whitefield ever since.
But it’s not just their tapas menu that’s caught the attention of locals – now apparently it’s their new table decorations.
Campo Blanco has shared CCTV footage of a couple who dined there recently pocketing lamps off their table.
The customer in question quietly reaches across her dinner, picks up the pretty gold lamp, turns it off, and shoves it into her coat pocket.
The restaurant shared the video online and pleaded for them to return the lamps by Christmas Eve.
They then said they’d be telling Santa – ‘and by Santa, we mean the police’.
Campo Blanco wrote: “We love our new table lights too. We actually can’t get them anymore as they’ve stopped making them so please bring them back. Also, they aren’t yours!
Georgina Pellant -
8th March 2023 
