The team behind Ancoats wine bar and small plates spot Flawd will relaunch their restaurant concept Higher Ground at a new venue in Manchester next month.
First launched as a four-week pop-up back in February 2020, it was closed when Covid struck but now the bistro is making a return after securing a new permanent home in Chinatown’s Faulkner House.
The brainchild of Joseph Otway, Richard Cossins and Daniel Craig Martin, dishes will change on a daily basis depending on the season and showcase organic produce from their very own market garden, Cinderwood, as well as other local producers.
Promising a focus on North West ingredients, dishes will put a focus on small-scale agriculture and small herd, whole carcass cookery, whilst its wine list will center around small-scale, low intervention winemakers from around the European continent.
Partridge vindaloo with caramelised yoghurt. / Image: Higher Ground
With room for 50 covers, guests will have the option to sit at traditional dining tables or perch on stools overlooking the open kitchen and charcoal oven.
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An à la carte menu will allow guests to enjoy a few dishes and a glass or two from the wine selection, whilst a second sharing menu will be made up of both individual courses and sharing dishes.
Example plates could include Cumberland Farmhouse Cheddar Quiche and Jane’s Acorn Reared Pig Belly with Grain and Mushroom Porridge, whilst vegetarian dishes span BBQ Leek Skewers and Cow’s Curd and Celeriac with Spanish Blood Orange and Bay Leaf.
Guests will also be offered the choice of sweet or savoury options to round off their meal with Garstang Blue and Lager Rarebit sitting alongside Yorkshire rhubarb, Custard and Caramelised Croissant on the dessert menu.
Speaking on the new opening, Rich Cossins said: “We’re now over three years into our journey of owning our own business and we’re only just about to launch our first full-scale restaurant.
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Image: HIgher Ground
Image: HIgher Ground
“The most exciting times are without question still to come and we look forward to contributing even more positively to the city of Manchester.”
As you’d expect from the team behind Ancoats’ critically acclaimed Flawd, the beverage list at Higher Ground will include an ever changing by the glass option along with a short and concise wine list.
There will also be a short list of aperitifs and specialty cocktails to begin the meal with as well as a range of UK beers in can and bottle format.
The restaurant will be open four days a week, between Wednesday and Saturday. They will serve dinner only on Wednesdays and Thursdays and will be open for both lunch and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
Manchester institution Salvi’s announces closure of original city centre restaurant
Danny Jones
One of Manchester’s oldest and most loved Italian restaurants, Salvi’s, has sadly announced that they are closing their original restaurant after more than a decade and a half.
Having served authentic recipes from Naples and been at the forefront of the cuisine in this city for well over 15 years, it can be hard to remember a time before Salvi’s.
With that in mind, we’re gutted to hear that their OG location over in the Corn Exchange is now shutting its doors imminently.
But fret not: it’s not all doom and gloom, as they promise this isn’t the last you’ll see of them.
Often considered the first true Manc-Neapolitan eatery, which turned from a small counter and deli into, at one point, a big and beloved group of local independent restaurants with multiple locations, most people know the name and the sign, and plenty have patronised them since day one.
Sharing an emotional message in the caption of the post above, founder Maurizio Cecco and his wife Claire said: “For sixteen years, Salvi’s has been part of Manchester’s story. We’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve built together.
“As the city changes, independent businesses have to change too. Today will be our last day of trading at Corn Exchange. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey all these years.
“This isn’t the end of our story; it’s the beginning of a new chapter – stay tuned. Grazie Mille.”
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to the news has been bittersweet, with people obviously saddened to hear of this latest closure but also looking back fondly on its past.
One person wrote in the comments: “I remember launching this amazing place all those years ago and have continued to watch you thrive!! Best of luck for the future!” Another added: “Will miss Salvi’s great food, great staff, not forgetting the Italian festival. All the best, Maurizio and family in your new adventure
As mentioned, it’s also worth noting that Maurizio and Claire are also behind the equally famous Festa Italiana, which draws crowds of tens of thousands across a full weekend every single year.
Having been regulars and firm fans of both their first family-owned flagship site and the aforementioned festival for many years, we’re equally gutted to see it go.
But as they made clear, this is not a definite ending for the brand, and it’s safe to say we’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next.
Thanks for the memories and all the incredible food and drink you’ve served us – we hope we hear from you again sometime very soon.
Iconic old Manchester boozer named the best pub in the UK
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most legendary pubs – which happens to be home to its most legendary landlady too – has been named the best in the UK.
The Peveril of the Peak has shot to the top of a list of the 22 Best Pubs in the UK, compiled by Time Out.
The comprehensive list spans the length and breadth of the country looking for the watering holes that nail a ‘convivial atmosphere, charming staff, charismatic decor and, above all, a varied selection of well-kept, well-served drinks’.
And it’s Manchester’s very own Peveril of the Peak, or The Pev, that made it into the number one spot, being labelled by judges as ‘perfect’.
Time Out praised the pub’s ‘dazzling’ tiled exterior, its jukebox and pool table, and its 96-year-old landlady Nancy Swanick, who (along with her family) has overseen the pub for more than 50 years.
The Peveril of the Peak wasn’t the only Manchester pub to make it onto the list of the best in the UK – there was also a nod for another local icon, The Marble Arch, which placed 15th.
Elsewhere in the North West, The Golden Lion in Todmorden, and The Roscoe Head in Liverpool made it onto the list, along with a couple of pubs in Sheffield.
Inside The PevThe Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
Speaking of The Pev, Time Out wrote: “The Peveril of the Peak — or the Pev, for short, always — is the kind of pub that’s so perfect, it deserves to serve as the venue for the wetting of your head, your wedding and your wake. And, preferably, as much life between.
“Standing freely on Great Bridgewater Street, the Pev beckons you in with its dazzling green, yellow and brown tiling, retro windows and heavy emerald door. Inside, it’s a ‘proper pub’ and then some: a jukebox, pool table and dartboard are all crammed into a cosy snug, smattered with vintage stools, sticky tables and framed Pub of the Year awards from decades gone by.
“The boozer — rumoured to be both a former brothel and a haunt for ghosts — has been overseen by legendary landlady Nancy Swanick, who still lives above the bar and is now well into her 90s, for over 50 years. Expect a knees-up for the ages when she hits the big 100. Cheers!”
The full list of Time Out’s 22 Best Pubs in the UK 2026
Georgina Pellant -
26th January 2023 
