A former Grade II-listed banking hall in the heart of Manchester is to be transformed into a steak and seafood restaurant The Cut & Craft.
Already an established name in York and Leeds, the all-day dining spot will open this year on the corner of Mosley Street and York Street.
The huge venue will be serving premium locally-reared steaks, as well as a menu of expertly delivered seafood specials and meat butchered in-house.
The Cut & Craft is currently taking shape inside the former Manchester and Salford bank, one of the city’s finest examples of Victorian architecture, which dates back to 1862 and is now known as Bond by Bruntwood SciTech.
The restoration of the former banking hall includes transforming the former subterranean vaults into private dining and entertainment spaces, including a state of the art ladies room, ‘gossip room’ and sommelier lounge.
The building itself is a stunning example of a palazzo-style building, having been originally designed by famed Mancunian architect Edward Walters, who was famed for his adopted Italian style.
The Cut & Craft will proudly show off some of the space’s original features, from the cornicing on its double height ceiling to its floor-to-ceiling windows.
As for the food, the restaurant will focus on quality steak and affordable seafood, served from lunch through to the evening.
The grand former banking hall that will soon be home to The Cut & Craft. Credit: SuppliedThe grand former banking hall that will soon be home to The Cut & Craft. Credit: Supplied
Dishes will include freshly-shucked oysters, Exmoor caviar and hand-cut beef tartare with breaded yolk and sesame croutons, plus grilled monkfish, king scallops, fish and chips, grilled lamb cutlets and a signature 10 oz flat iron steak, which is butchered by an expert team in house.
In a LinkedIn statement, Oscar Akgul, co-founder at Lucia and The Cut & Craft said: “Manchester is soon to have The Cut & Craft and in all honesty we simply cannot wait.
“Our new venue is located on Mosley Street inside the iconic Grade II * building. Filled with history and its original features including vaults, soon to host private dining, combined with state of the art ladies room, ‘gossip room’ and sommelier lounge.
“Our new restaurant will be filled with elegant yet timeless style settings giving you the ultimate luxury at accessible prices.
“Working closely with the local authorities to bring back this rare building to its glorious days. Once this is completed, I believe we’ll make Manchester proud, as well as all the people who’ve worked on this amazing restoration project.
Steak and seafood restaurant The Cut & Craft is already well-established in Yorkshire. Credit: The Hoot LeedsSteak and seafood restaurant The Cut & Craft is already well-established in Yorkshire. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
“We’re months away from opening and we cannot wait to welcome you all.”
The stunning restoration project for The Cut & Craft is in collaboration with Bruntwood SciTech who have carried out a complete reimagining of the building. With the arrival of Cut and Craft the Bond building is now complete, creating a new destination for the city as well as an exceptional offering for those working in the building.
Ciara Keeling, Chief Operating Officer at Bruntwood SciTech commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming The Cut & Craft to Bond.
“In breathing new life into this iconic building, Bruntwood SciTech have created an inspiring new workspace and leisure destination, one which deserves an exceptional hospitality operator at its heart.
“Preservation of this building’s extraordinary heritage and architecture has been front of mind throughout the whole restoration project, and the ground floor banking hall space is no exception.
“In The Cut & Craft we have found a partner that will bring quality, elegance and laid back glamour to this magnificent space, completing Bond’s status as an exciting new destination for the city centre.”
Inside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Hotel Chocolat has today opened the doors to its first Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester, serving up shakes, hot chocolates, sundaes, and loads more.
Part cafe, part retail space, inside you’ll find everything from molten chocolate fountains to a full range of chocolate boxes, bars and hot chocolate powders.
The popular chocolatier has stores up and down the UK selling its ethically-sourced sweet treats, hitting a new level of fame with its Velvetiser, an invention that creates velvety smooth hot drinks at the touch of a button.
They’ve been so popular, Hotel Chocolat is now opening Velvetiser Cafes across the UK – and Manchester is next.
There are exclusive-to-Manchester-sundaes in store, each one inspired by their most popular chocolates, like a Billionaire’s Shortbread and an Eton Mess.
You can also grab yourself a hot choc shake, with loads of flavours, milks and toppings to choose from.
Hotel Chocolat’s new Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterThe chocolate boxes at Hotel ChocolatInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterMix-and-match hot chocolate selection boxesInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterExclusive-to-Manchester ice cream sundaesCroissant with a molten chocolate potInside the Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe also has pastries, which you can order with a side of melted chocolate for dipping and drizzling.
As part of the experience inside, there’s a wall of hot chocolate sachets, which you can mix and match to build your own selection box.
And all along the way there’ll be samples, and loads to learn about the chocolate industry.
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe has officially opened its doors today on Cross Street in Manchester city centre, just next to the new Joe & The Juice.
The old fire station in Salford that’s now home to a bakery, brewery and bar
Daisy Jackson
A former fire station in Salford has been turned into a bustling base for some of the North West’s finest baking and brewing talents.
The Old Fire Station, right beside the University of Salford, is now operating as a bakery, brewery, bar, cafe and restaurant.
That means pastries, bread, pizzas and even beers are made within a few feet of where you’ll be eating and drinking them.
The space is beautiful, still boasting those gigantic red fire station doors and the traditional ceramic tiles that would have been here when the space was still home to fire engines instead of bread mixers.
Around half of the pastries coming out of the bakery, headed up by Erick Molero Delgado (his CV includes top bakeries across the USA and Europe), are completely vegan – not that you can tell from looking at their glossy, laminated layers and extravagant fillings.
We’re talking perfectly cubed laminated brioche with sweet maple flavours, mini pizzettes with olives and tomatoes dotted inside a pastry wall, and striped pain suisse stuffed with nuts and chocolate.
Then there are the not-very-vegan-at-all pastries, like a spandaeur, which is like a croissant and pastel de nata hybrid, and thick slices of Basque cheesecake.
There are new signature ‘Salford bagels’ too developed by assistant head baker Scott Shannon, which are a fusion of North American, German and Jewish styles, fermented for up to 48 hours with a crisp outer shell and a chewy centre.
A spandaeur pastry and a pain suisseHeirloom tomato bruschetta on sourdoughThe bakery line-upThe ‘Salford Bagel’ with smoked salmon
We had ours stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and raved about it all the way home.
Erick says: “Our new menu is a true labour of love by the whole team – from early ideas and experiments right through to the final bake.
“If someone has an idea, we run with it. That creative freedom is priceless. It keeps the work exciting, and it means our customers have the opportunity to get something fresh every time they visit.”
As for the beers, they’re all made on site too – on the opposite side of The Old Fire Station is Lark Hill Brewery, headed up by Jack Dixon, who’s able to experiment and explore new flavours in this top-spec microbrewery.
Jack Dixon in the Lark Hill BreweryLaminated briocheThe Old Fire Station bakers at work
There are experimental beers, sometimes made in collaboration with researchers at the University, as well as true-to-style classics like a New England Pale Ale and the Lark Helles, a fresh take on a classic German lager.
Jack said: “Having the autonomy to design and brew what I want, without limits, is rare and exciting,.
“It means every beer we pour here has a story and a personality. We’re proud to bring something new to Salford’s craft scene.”
This summer, they’re launching New York-style pizzas, made on slow-fermented, hand-stretched pizza dough.
And very little goes to waste here – the trimmed-off croissant pastry is now being turned into their own croissant loaf, which they’re whipping into French toast for the brunch menu.
Everything at The Old Fire Station is crafted with talent and love, and you can really taste it.
Daisy Jackson -
10th July 2024 
