The man behind one of Prestwich’s most successful independent businesses has shared a moving statement this morning as the thriving neighbourhood readies for the arrival of Rudy’s.
Dan Edwards, owner of Chips @ No. 8, has spoken out on chains ‘piggybacking on the the successes’ and dreams of all the many, many local favourites that have made Prestwich into one of the UK’s best places to live (not just our word, either – The Times said it too).
His statement comes on the week that work has begun on the former Barclays bank on the high street, ready for the arrival of Rudy’s – that ever-expanding pizza giant that started life in Manchester and is now infiltrating every corner of Britain with its Neapolitan pizzas.
And it’s rumoured that a Gail’s bakery (a big London name) might also be moving in just across the road in the former Natwest bank.
Now Dan has shared a powerful statement addressing his fears that these chains will change the face of this proudly independent corner of Greater Manchester.
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“I fear you’ll forget us,” he wrote.
He vocalised concerns from the suburb that the tiny, family-run, independently-owned, much-loved cafes, bars, restaurants and shops based in Prestwich won’t be able to compete with the ‘unlimited marketing budgets, fancy gimmicks, big shiny interiors’ of Rudy’s and Gail’s.
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He said that he’s worried this will drive rents even higher and attract even more chains (at the minute, Costa and KFC are really the only high street names along Bury New Road).
Rudy’s will be moving into this unit in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupPizzas from an existing Rudy’s in Altrincham. Credit: The Manc Group
Dan said that it feels as though the chains are ‘piggy backing the dreams, the visions, the hopes and mostly successes of the independent businesses that helped establish Prestwich as a community that we can be proud of’.
He listed many of the local spots who ‘drove the scene’, from the beautiful cafe-bars like Cuckoo, All The Shapes, and Grape to Grain, to restaurants like The Pearl and Dokes (we would, obviously, like to add Chips @ No 8 to that list).
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And while Rudy’s and Gail’s will be ‘great additions’ to Prestwich, Dan stressed that these places ‘aren’t unique’.
He wrote: “Their owners don’t live in Prestwich, their kids don’t go to school here. It’s likely they won’t be shopping here.”
And he pleaded: “Support local, support independent. Please. More than ever we all need you.”
Dan Edwards’ statement on Prestwich’s future, and Rudy’s arrival, is below in full
“With the recent news that Rudy’s are finally starting work at the old Barclays and the rumours that Gail’s Bakery secured the lease at the old NatWest being confirmed, we can, and rightly so, get excited.
“Prestwich’s tag of an “up and coming” town really is a thing! The chains have identified it as such and are moving in! The impending redevelopment of the precinct has hastened the charge. Will chains, arrive there too? I hope not.
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“The chains are piggy backing the dreams, the visions, the hopes and mostly successes of the independent businesses that helped establish Prestwich as a community that we can be proud of.
“Cuckoo, ATS, G to G, The Pearl, Dokes, KCB, Macca’s, Tito’s, Butterfingers, Hideaway, Us, Everyone Else, all the great little places in Prestwich Village that offer something different, something great, somewhere you can get excited about to share your secret culinary pleasure when family or friends come to visit. We all laid foundations. We all drove the scene.
The Pearl. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Cuckoo, an original Prestwich independent. Credit: The Manc GroupFood at Chips & No 8. Credit: The Manc GroupGrape to Grain in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupA few of the businesses Dan named in his statement about the arrival of Rudy’s in Prestwich
“Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be great additions. They’ll give us more choice and they’ll be great places to eat. They’ll give us another reason to get excited about when family or friends come to visit.
“Only, they won’t be a secret, there’s loads of them. Chances are, your visitors have already been, albeit somewhere else, in a different town. They aren’t unique, and they aren’t independently owned. Their owners don’t live in Prestwich, their kids don’t go to school here. It’s likely they won’t be shopping here.
“They won’t panic when they have a bad trading day, they won’t worry that the VAT bill is only days away and there’s not enough money in the pot. They have shareholders, investors, fancy lawyers and fancy accountants, deep pockets and big buying power.
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“They won’t be concerned that “Dave’s” place round the corner has seemed quiet for a little too long now, “I hope they survive”.
“I hope they do well, I hope they bring people in, I hope they give us exposure to a wider audience, I hope we can have our turn being carried by the piggy.
“I fear they’ll bring more chains, I fear they’ll drive rents higher, I fear that “Dave’s” place round the corner doesn’t stand a chance, I fear they’ll dazzle us with unlimited marketing budgets, fancy gimmicks, big shiny interiors.
“I fear you’ll forget us. Support local, support independent. Please. More than ever we all need you.”
What it’s like to stay in Manchester’s surprisingly affordable new mid-century hotel, Mollie’s
Daisy Jackson
There’s a fine line between ‘tastefully retro’ and ‘your nan’s spare room’, but the city’s newest hotel – Mollie’s Manchester – lands firmly in the former.
Designed by the same team behind Soho House, this (surprisingly affordable) mid-century hotel feels like stepping into the 1950s… if the 1950s had Pelotons and Dyson Airwraps in the wardrobes and enough aesthetic lighting to make everyone look faintly famous.
Whether you’re booking the classic rooms, usually priced from £109, or the huge suites, you can expect the same level of design detail.
Think terrazzo tiles, teak panelling, sage greens, burnt oranges, and interesting textures on every sittable surface.
And unlike some hotels that punish you for booking the ‘basic’ room by giving you a view of an air conditioning unit and a kettle balanced on a luggage rack, every room type at Mollie’s feels far more premium than the actual price tag.
For our stay, we were welcomed with batched cocktails and a mini fridge filled with treats like canned wine (which feels deeply respectful of modern traveller needs), plus a Grind coffee machine, fluffy robes, giant TVs, rainfall showers, and Cowshed toiletries.
If you end up on the better side of the hotel, you’ll have views of the city skyline from your bed, your sofa, or your bath.
Design details in a Mollie’s Manchester roomGrind coffee machine in the roomA Dyson Airwrap in the wardrobe of a studio roomAnd an actual Peloton bike in your room, tooThe beautiful bedroomA bunk room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterViews from your bedA Mollie’s Motel suite
There are bunk rooms you can book too, where up to four people can climb into stylish wooden sleep pods, so cool I’m immediately planning a girls’ night out where someone can hand me a martini as I climb into a luxury bunk bed.
Downstairs in Mollie’s, which has taken over the former Granada Studios, you’ll find a cocktail bar that seems to pay homage to the building’s history.
Studio IV has vintage TV screens above the bar, music performances and DJs on stage, and cocktails inspired live music you can enjoy from a loungey vintage-patterned sofa.
Breakfast at Mollie’s ManchesterCocktails in Studio IVMollie’s Diner is open nowBurgers and fried chicken at Mollie’s DinerStudio IV cocktail barInside Mollie’s Motel & Diner Manchester
Then there’s Mollie’s Diner, which fully commits to recreating 1950s Americana. Inspired by a vintage Cadillac, the interiors are all deep burgundy leather booths, glowing globe lights, and polished chrome details.
The menu is exactly what you want from a diner like this: thick milkshakes, burgers, steaks, and fried chicken in the evenings; waffles, French toast, eggs any style in the mornings.
Mollie’s Manchester may be inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood – but it’s heralding in a new Golden Age of hotel for Manchester too.
The Marble Arch is increasingly becoming much more than a pub – it’s now a brilliant Manc bistro
Danny Jones
If you’ve been to The Marble Inn in Manchester before, you’ll know it’s always nailed cosy Northern pub vibes; to tell the truth, the food has always been pretty good, too, but their new menu is really something to write home about.
So we did.
The historic old boozer located on Rochdale Road has sat there in some shape or form since way back in 1888, and naturally, things have evolved significantly over the years – decades, certainly.
But the latest iteration of food and drink at the increasingly forward-thinking Marble Arch Inn is a cut above, bringing together a fusion of current culinary trends and contemporary takes on pub classics.
No. 73 enters a new chapterOne of the best pies we’ve probably ever hadCredit: The Manc Eats
Now just over a month into its run at the home of Marble Brewers just beyond Ancoats, it feels rather fitting that this place has always sat on the cusp of surrounding districts in somewhat of a Manc no-man’s land, as there’s something about this place that feels like it’s dancing on the line of a scene.
Recently installed head chef Adam Shatarsky is still self-admittedly pretty green in comparison to lots of other local chefs, as he’s only been cooking for around five years, but his spells at Mackie Mayor’s Taiko and Cardinal Rule in NQ have already proved he’s got to grips with how the city eats.
His food just keeps getting better and more confident in experimentation, it would seem – as proven with this approach to Marble Arch classics like fish and chips, their pies, burgers, the treasured Sunday roast and so on.
The difference is now that some of these mainstays and undeniable British favourites have been levelled up quite significantly. Now there’s bone marrow in the mince used for those oh-so-juicy patties; toast is fried in beef fat to dovetail with a tartare dish, and the chips are some of the best you’ll find in a pub.
Seriously, they even use the Brewery‘s new cult favourite Earl Grey keg flavour to make their rarebit recipe. In fact, when one local punter saw that the staff were enjoying a posh chip butty with wild garlic and mushrooms for the staff, they couldn’t help but ask for one, and now it’s a special menu item.
A familiar faceThree small plates for £25Credit: The Manc
This is the kind of ethos they’re trying to keep across the board: attempting new things and trying to be more modern when it’s appropriate, but still holding onto their traditions and looking after their regulars.
Adam’s only ever trained in British kitchens, so he admitted doesn’t know any different really, but he does know the global variety offlavours and textures he likes and is not afraid of trying to find ways to make even the most contrasting ones come together.
Case in point: freezing and shaving feta over lemon ricotta and fresh beetroots. Stunning.
He’s even brought over a variation of his popular fried chicken sando from Taiko, though this one has nowhere near as much of that Eastern heat, and instead focuses on the theme of making hearty and filling comfort food.
For instance, there’s an undercurrent of just that extra little bit of richness running throughout the menu, from the bone marrow that makes already satisfying dishes even more indulgent, to the tallow, truffle and drippings that are used to great effect.
The same goes for the use of cheese, as well: even in the simply incredible mixed mature cheddar and red Leicester curd that surrounds that singular 72-hour caramelised onions (wow doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of our for this one.
All of them are big top-note flavours, sure, but none of them overpowers the overall taste, whether it be brining and curing chicken in dark brown sugar and soy, or a 16-hour low and slow braised beef that literally melts in the mouth from the bread and the butter to the eventual meaty bite.
We can’t speak highly enough of what is now being served out of The Marble Arch Inn’s kitchen, and truly believe what Adam and the existing pub team are now doing is brilliant and very much worth shouting about.
Can’t beat a burger and beerSuch a cosy spotMmmmadeleinesCredit: The Manc Group
Daisy Jackson -
3rd October 2024 
