Salvi’s has unveiled its brand new site in Manchester as the family-run brand marks its 10th anniversary in the city.
The beloved Italian restaurant has now taken over a modern unit in the Deansgate Square development, which they’ve turned into an Italian food hub.
The new Salvi’s site features a weather-proof terrace, a private dining room, a deli, a bar, a restaurant, and an exhibition space.
This smart new location is a bit of a departure – though a beautiful one – from Salvi’s original home, a cosy space beneath the Corn Exchange.
The new Salvi’s site at Deansgate Square is home to a deli stocked with Italian produce. Credit: Supplied
Here you’ll find glossy tiles, natural wood, and brushed concrete instead of mismatched chairs, rustic tiles and olive trees.
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Their Deansgate Square food hub spans 3,000 sq ft at the foot of one of the city’s new skyscrapers.
The family-run business wants to bring a taste of southern Italy to the southern end of Deansgate, through its sun-soaked terrace and Sorrento-style bar, and its menu of authentic Neapolitan food.
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Inside Salvi’s at Deansgate Square. Credit: Supplied
Recipes that have been passed down through generations include Pasta Nonna Teresa (with pistachio pesto and pancetta) and octopus and spicy sausage Pasta Polipo ‘Nduja, along with brand new Pasta Pesto Melanzane, combining sizzling aubergine and aromatic pesto.
Diners will also find dishes like lobster linguine, pasta al piennolo, ribeye steak, grilled tuna steak, and sea bass with cherry tomatoes.
There are handmade Neapolitan-style pizzas, too, such as classic margheritas and Naples-specialty calzone fritto.
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Salvi’s at Deansgate Square will serve Limoncello Spritz alongside the crowd-favourite Aperol Spritz, alongside Italian beers and wines.
Salvi’s has a weather-proof terrace at its new Deansgate Square home. Credit: Supplied
Private dining space The Amalfi Room will host VIP experiences, including owner Maurizio Cecco’s famous pasta classes.
Salvi’s was first launched by Maurizio and his wife Claire, who spotted a gap in the English market for authentic, high quality, Italian produce and opened their deli in the Corn Exchange and a restaurant in the Northern Quarter.
Managing director Maurizio said: “We worked so hard to bring Salvi’s Deansgate to life and we’re absolutely ecstatic to finally be able to share the simply stunning venue that we have created!
“Like many other businesses, we faced a lot of challenges during the pandemic, but we are proud to say we are still standing strong and growing.
“We took the best features of each of our venues and crafted the new Salvi’s brand for everyone as passionate about real Italian food as us. Manchester has been our home for years, and we’re dedicated to ‘serve’ back the love we receive!”
The new brand has been designed by Manchester’s Instruct studio, drawing inspiration from Italian street signage and mid-century Italian food packaging.
Featured image: Supplied
Eats
Huge bakery chain Gail’s confirms move to Prestwich – but spells village’s name wrong in signs
Daisy Jackson
After months of swirling rumours, bakery group Gail’s has finally confirmed it’s moving to Prestwich – but locals have spotted a glaring error at the first hurdle.
The popular artisan bakery will be moving onto Bury New Road, right in the heart of the suburb and directly opposite the new Rudy’s pizzeria.
Prestwich locals have been hearing whispers of a Gail’s arriving for a few months, and finally the London-founded cafe has stuck up signs to confirm it’s on the way.
But the sign contains one crucial mistake – it’s spelled Prestwich wrong.
The red window displays now read ‘Hello Preswich. We’ll be baking here soon’.
One local messaged Gail’s to point out the error and to say it’s ‘not a great first impression for the locals…’.
Gail’s has since confirmed it’s in the process of fixing the signs.
The arrival of both Gail’s and Rudy’s has already caused a stir in Prestwich, which has always been fiercely independent and has only a handful of chains within it (Greggs and Costa are perched by the tram stop).
In fact, one local business-owner shared a moving statement about his concerns for the future of local businesses just a few weeks ago.
Gail’s has confirmed it’s opening a bakery in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
First formed in the early 1990s as a wholesale-only operation, Gail’s opened its first cafe on Hampstead High Street in 2005.
Today the brand has more than 100 sites spread across London, Oxford, Brighton and further afield, and is known more as a customer-facing cafe and bakery.
It’s famed for its freshly-baked loaves, cinnamon buns, ham and cheese croissants and coffees, and is likely to go down a storm in Prestwich.
But the signs have been causing a bit of a stir in the wrong way this weekend – in a local Facebook group, one person commented: “Not locals who own it then.”
Another described it as an ‘epic fail’.
And one person said: “Oh the DRAMA of it all.”
Someone else joked: “I cannot wait for Gais to come to Preswich.”
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Daisy Jackson
It’s funny how we all turn a blind eye to the temperature outside when it comes to the Christmas Markets.
At a time of year where should probably all be hibernating inside, droves of us instead head out to brave the elements all in the name of the festivities.
Of course, the Manchester Christmas Markets sell all sorts of wares to take the edge off, and we’re not just talking about the stalls selling woollen mittens everywhere.
Our favourite winter warmers tend to take the form of a tray of piping hot garlic potatoes, or a mug of hot chocolate, or another boozy beverage that’s massively underrated.
The drink in question is a Hot Blob, which is listed on the menu at the Piccadilly Gardens markets as ‘legendary’.
A bold claim, but a lot of long-time Manc residents will understand why.
The Hot Blob is a jaw-clenchingly sweet concoction served piping hot at the Manchester Christmas Market, similar to a hot toddy.
It’s made with Australian fortified white wine, lemon, sugar, and boiling water.
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it? Credit: The Manc Group
The drink was first invented by Yates, that well-known pub chain, which started life as Yates’s Wine Lodge up the road in Oldham.
According to Pubs of Manchester, the Hot Blob has a tendency to ‘speed up drunkenness to a young drinker’.
These days, it’s pretty rare to come across one on a menu, but back in 1990s it was a staple in a few pubs around town.
There even used to be a ‘Blob Shop’ on High Street, run by local legend Ged Ford (now in charge of the equally legendary Millstone pub), which found itself in a state of utter carnage when the IRA bomb went off.
The long-lost institution specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’.
The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester. Credit: deltrems@flickr
Ged sold 6,000 a week.
And while the drink may have fallen out of favour since then, there are still healthy numbers being sold at this time of year, even if they are a damn sight more expensive than they were in the 1990s (£6 a pop, plus a glass deposit).
Anyway. If you’re sick to the back teeth of the endless gluhwein being peddled across the markets, make a beeline for Manchester Winter Ale House at Piccadilly Gardens, where you can find Hot Blobs as well as boozy Vimto and cask ales.
The Manchester Christmas Markets officially end on 22 December.
Daisy Jackson -
7th June 2022 
