While an industrial estate is not usually the first place you’d go when hunting for a new place to eat, trust us when we say that if you venture down to Piccadilly, you’re in for a very pleasant surprise indeed.
Bucking the trend for most trading estates, the archways and pre-fabs behind Manchester’s main railway station are surprisingly full of brewery taprooms.
Over the years, this part of town has become something of a favourite haunt for the city beer lovers, who regularly head down to get their hands on some of the freshest pints in the city.
But as well as hiding away all that beer, it’s also home to another well-kept Mancunian secret: Primo Bagels.
Faye Brown, one-third of the Primo Bagel team, holding her ‘babies’. / Image: The Manc Eats
Housed inside Cloudwater’s taproom, up the stairs of what looks, at first disconcertingly, like an office building, you’ll find this brilliant bagel and cookie pop-up run by three friends is getting pretty much everything right.
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Faye Brown, Niall Harley and Scott Shannon all used to work at Pollen bakery together, but during the lockdown they decided to branch out and launch their own delivery project together.
Primo has been going for a while but for the past three months, the team has expanded to the taproom every Friday and Saturday.
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Here, you’ll find them serving up a host of generously-stuffed bagels alongside sweet bakes, hummus and chips, fermented cabbage, and bialy – a Polish treat made using leftover bagel dough, baked with half a red onion inside.
The main draw is, arguably, a selection of eight different bagels, baked to perfection in flavours like salt, marbled malt, sesame, everything, pumpernickel, plain and poppy.
The main draw is a choice of eight different bagels, baked to perfection in flavours like salt, marbled malt, sesame, everything, pumpernickel, plain and poppy. / Image: The Manc Eats The main draw is a choice of eight different bagels, baked to perfection in flavours like salt, marbled malt, sesame, everything, pumpernickel, plain and poppy. / Image: The Manc Eats
Bagel baker Scott leans on tricks learnt during his time in the Pollen kitchen to make these chewy, traditionally Jewish delights, marbling malt through some and simply baking others with crystals of rock salt.
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The way it works is you pick your bagel, then your filling, and can opt to have hummus, chips and pink sauerkraut alongside for an extra £4.
Filling choices range from simple (think homemade hummus or house whipped cream cheese) to indulgent, with a salt beef, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing option bursting from its bready confines.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Elsewhere, you’ll find a spicy, pickled jalapeno schmear with bacon from Littlewood’s butchers; smoked salmon and ‘everything’ cream cheese with lemon, dill, seeds, onion and garlic; and a whipped Marmite cream cheese bagel with spring onions.
As for sweets, think brown butter and sea salt cookies with Primo proudly emblazoned across the front. It’s a wholesome affair.
Find Primo Bagel at Cloudwater’s Unit 9 taproom on Piccadilly Trading estate every Friday and Saturday from 12 – 6pm.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Eats
A huge new Irish bar has opened in Manchester city centre (yes, another one)
Daisy Jackson
There’s another new Irish pub in Manchester city centre, this time on one of our busiest nightlife strips, Peter Street.
Katie O’Brien’s has officially thrown open the doors to its enormous two-storey venue, taking over and transforming the former Peaky Blinders bar.
Inside, there are three bars pouring both Guinness AND Murphys, a huge elevated stage on its own mezzanine level, which will host live musicians seven nights a week, and walls packed with decor transporting you to the Emerald Isle.
The makeover they’ve given this massive unit really is quite something, creating all sorts of cosy corners and snug areas where you can nurse a pint of stout.
Faux fireplaces, leather booth seating, and low ceilings all set the tone for a relaxed pint in the snugs.
Or if you want something a little livelier, head to the heart of the bar, where you can dance the night away to the live entertainment above your head.
Manchester’s Katie O’Brien’s is set to be their largest Irish bar yet, with existing locations all over the UK, including in Leeds and Sheffield.
Their rapid expansion has now brought them to the heart of Manchester, where they’ll be neighbouring bustling nightlife spots like Albert’s Schloss, Manahatta, and Impossible.
Katie O’Brien’s has opened on Peter StreetIt’s taken over the old Peaky Blinders barCosy snugs in Katie O’Brien’sIt serves both Murphy’s AND Guinness
The venue has taken over what was once the Peaky Blinders bar, which shut down back in March.
The previous occupier had themed its venue and menu around the hit gangster show, with cocktails named after characters.
They wrote at the time: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we unfortunately have to announce the closure of Peaky Blinders Manchester with immediate effect. On behalf of our entire team, we are truly thankful to every guest who has stepped through our doors since opening in 2018.
“We are devastated it has had to end this way, but grateful for the journey. Thank you so much for your continued support over the years. It’s been a blast, Manchester!”
Katie O’Brien’s is open now on Peter Street in Manchester.
One of Manchester’s most popular brunch spots is opening its second location
Daisy Jackson
A brunch spot with queues down the street, and an edible Labubu French toast on the menu, is opening a second location this summer.
Bruncho has revealed plans to expand from its home on Deansgate and take on the Northern Quarter.
The all-day brunch cafe is set to move into the huge unit left empty by the shock closure of Feel Good Club.
Bruncho is known for its brunch dishes that have a real knack for going viral on social media, including New York-style breakfast rolls in croissant bread; fresh coconut water and matcha served in the coconut; and its absolutely stacked French toasts.
It’s consistently packed out at its original location on Deansgate, and now it’s taking over a 4,378 sq ft unit in the Northern Quarter too, set to open this June.
Omer Umut Mutlu, owner of Bruncho, said: “Manchester has shown Bruncho so much love, and expanding into the Northern Quarter feels like the natural next step for us.
“Hilton House gives us the space to elevate what we do – more covers, more events, and a new home for the kind of food and atmosphere people will make the journey for.
The viral Labubu French toast at Bruncho in ManchesterA breakfast spread at Bruncho
“We’re excited to bring something fresh to the neighbourhood, with the opening scheduled for June 2026.”
Paul Shakeshaft, Head of Property Management at CERT, commented: “We’ve found the ideal tenant to join the Hilton House community. Bruncho provides a new focal point for the building and for the community.
“They’re a fantastic operator with big plans that bring the right fit and the right atmosphere to the building and neighbourhood.
“Signing Bruncho brings Hilton House back to full occupation, including a full refit in just seven months, underpinning our neighbourhood vision for our commercial properties, and their continued success and appeal far beyond their completion.”
Bruncho will open their second Manchester cafe in the Northern Quarter this June.
Georgina Pellant -
10th May 2022 
