A new bar, called The Trading Route, is set to open next month, from the minds behind three of Greater Manchester’s best-loved and most established food and drink names.
The Northern Quarter’s long-standing bar and brunch spot Trof, plus local brewery Manchester Union, and Monton’s village wine shop Wandering Palate, are all collaborating on this very exciting new venture.
Inside The Trading Route, there’ll be cold beer and hot rotisserie chicken, plus a luxury larder of expertly-sourced goods.
Set to open in November at Goods Yard Street, just a few doors down from Caravan, it’ll be a 150-capacity space that’s open from dawn until dusk.
The Trading Route will act as a lagerhouse for Manchester Union, taking inspiration from the great beer halls of central Europe but serving local brews from their Ardwick-based brewery.
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Pints will be poured with a full and frothy head, and served in custom-made Tübinger glasses. They want this to be known as The Home of The Foam.
There’ll also be a purpose-built rotisserie serving crisp whole- and half-chicken, as well as porchetta, carved fresh from the oven to order and served with pickles and dips.
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The menu has been crafted by the Trof team – a Manchester institution – and will also showcase freshly-baked focaccia as well as small plates like slow-roasted potatoes served with chicken fat mayo, salsa verde, and pecorino), salads, and house-made sweets.
The Trading Route comes from Manchester Union, Trof, and Wandering Palate. Credit: SuppliedThe Trading Route is heading to Goods Yard Street. Credit; Supplied
Then heading across from Monton, Wandering Palate will look after the pantry portion of The Trading Route – expect some of the most sought-after cheeses and sundries you can pick up on the way home.
Jamie Scahill from Manchester Union said: “The Trading Route is an unofficial tap room for us, and it feels like this has been a long time coming.
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“Working with our friends at Trof and Wandering Palate has been great, with our offerings and expertise perfectly complementing one another. We can’t wait for people to come down to experience our very own lagerhouse over a few pints this November.”
Matt Nellany from Trof added: “We’ve focused on bringing everything that people love about Trof to an exciting space in a new neighbourhood.
The Trading Route comes from Manchester Union, Trof, and Wandering Palate. Credit: Supplied
“The kitchen team have been perfecting a menu ideally suited to our purpose-made rotisserie ovens – think crispy chicken, slow-cooked porchetta, and some killer vegan options too, all designed to be shared.
“It’s going to be that perfect spot whether you’re grabbing breakfast, stopping in for lunch, or settling in for a proper evening session.”
And Will Evans from Wandering Palate said: “It’s brilliant to be bringing our wines, cheeses, and deli favourites to a new audience in the city centre. We’ve curated a selection of goods that we’re really proud of, and, of course, we’ll be there to help people discover something special to take home. It’s an exciting space, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”
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To celebrate its launch, The Trading Route will throw a day-long complimentary party, with free lager and chicken to the first mailing list subscribers who sign up HERE.
A ‘saucy’ new Korean fried chicken restaurant is opening in the Gay Village
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new Korean fried chicken restaurant and cocktail bar is set to open on Canal Street this week.
CLUK is promising some big deals and amazing giveaways to celebrate its launch in Manchester, including free food and prize draws.
The newcomer in the heart of the city will specialise in Korean-style crispy fried chicken, but also warming ramen bowls, and salt & pepper classics.
Signature dishes will include Korean cheese-powder fried chicken, and Cheese Volcano Chicken.
CLUK will also serve dishes like kimchi cheese loaded fries, salt & pepper chicken, and huge sharing platters.
You can customise your Korean fried chicken order by size, choosing between wings and boneless and picking a flavour out of honey garlic, sweet and spicy, honey mustard, and honey and sour.
They promise it’ll all be ‘saucy, crunchy, and seriously addictive’.
That’s all washed down with ice-cold beers and creative cocktails, like martinis, spritzes and sours.
CLUK is now open in the Gay Village in ManchesterA spread of CLUK dishesInside CLUK ManchesterFried chicken with Korean cheese powderInside CLUK Manchester
The CLUK team are hoping to create a fun late-night dining option for this buzzing corner of the city centre.
To celebrate its launch on Thursday 18 September, CLUK have announced a whole heap of promotions.
This includes free chicken bao for the first 50 guests to visit during the first five days.
Over the two week launch period, visitors can spin the wheel whenever you spend £12 – spend £24 and spin twice.
And there are big prizes available – the top prize is a £100 gift card or £50 cash, with other prizes including free drinks, food and a £3 voucher as a consolation prize.
Plus, anyone who buys a gift card and tops it up with £100 will receive a free beer or cider.
When those two weeks are up, CLUK will run a £1,000 prize draw.
Plans lodged to turn Ducie Street Warehouse into huge food hall
Daisy Jackson
Ducie Street Warehouse could be transformed into a massive food hall, with new plans lodged.
The historic warehouse building near Manchester Piccadilly has worn a few hats over the years.
When it first opened, it was a home to Bistrotheque, a London export that bowed out from the beautiful Grade II-listed building after just six months.
Since then, it’s become a bustling all-day space where you can sit with a laptop for hours (and many do), snacking on a simple menu of flatbreads and salads as well as great cocktails.
But now it looks like Ducie Street Warehouse is in store for a major shake-up again, with plans now lodged to transform the space into huge food hall with more than 500 covers.
The planning application comes from the same team behind Edinburgh Street Food up in Scotland, which is packed with street food traders serving a range of cuisines.
If the plans for Manchester Street Food go ahead, the warehouse on Ducie Street will become the home of a 10-kitchen food hall.
It would flip most of the ground floor, including the terrace, while the upstairs continues operating as a hotel.
The plans also show that the existing private dining area will be turned into a casual games room, with the addition of pool tables, arcade machines and foosball tables.
Ducie Street Warehouse could be turned into a food hall. Credit: The Manc Group
Manchester Street Food will join a flurry of food halls across the city, with Mackie Mayor just a short walk away, along with the waterside venue Society, and the newly-opened House of Social.
The plans also mention minor changes to the exterior of the building, illuminating an external lift shaft in a rainbow hue.
Their application states: “The ‘Street Food’ brand works with a range of vibrant and independent street food vendors to provide varied yet complementary choices, whilst showcasing local breweries and distilleries.
“Their operations focus on supporting local businesses and to diverse the food and beverage offer to create a welcoming and accessible food experiences.
“The ’Street Food’ brand was first established in the form of Edinburgh Street Food which opened in 2023, and which welcomes a broad demographic. It is recognised as a cultural and culinary hub whilst contributing positively to the local economy.
“Building on the success of Edinburgh Street Food, the Applicant is keen to expand further and enhance Manchester’s hospitality, gastronomy and evening economy.
“As such, this full planning application has been prepared to enable the operation of Manchester Street Food from a prime city centre location at Ducie Street Warehouse.”
Do you think Manchester has the appetite for yet another street food hall?
Daisy Jackson -
16th October 2024 
