Feature

Great independent cafes to try in Manchester this weekend

We're spoiled for choice when it comes to local coffee shops in Manchester - and you can show your support by heading down to visit this weekend.

Jess Walmsley Jess Walmsley - 14th July 2020
Home Sweet Home

Manchester businesses have been opening their doors and welcoming back customers for long-awaited lattes and fantastic filter brews; which is welcome news after 14 weeks of sipping instant coffee.

Costa Coffee recently made headlines for giving all their coffee club members 300 points – the equivalent of £3 – as a “welcome back” token for customers. But the luxury of being able to provide free drinks simply isn’t possible for smaller businesses who have been struggling to keep their heads above water during lockdown.

We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to local coffee shops in Manchester – and you can show your support by heading down to visit some this weekend.

Here are a few ideas…

Soul Coffee

Northern Quarter is renowned for its alternative and independent stores. But their cafes are second to none.

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One perfect case in point is Soul Coffee.

Situated on Great Ancoats Street, Soul Coffee is a unique coffee and gelato bar serving speciality blend drinks, handmade Italian Gelato and some disco dancer brunch & dessert items.

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The headliners of the menu are the decadent desserts all whimsically named after popular soul songs, from ‘Just to keep you satisfied’ french toast stack to their ‘I heard it through the grapevine’ Lotus Biscoff Milky Shake.

Soul Coffee is the only place in Manchester which offers true Italian Gelato in multiple forms from a sweet Affogato to a classic scoop on cone. With more hot weather on the way, it could be worth ducking in.

Idle Hands

Idle Hands is the place to go for a piece of pie and a cuppa.

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The venue excels in pastry-making; baking all kinds of exciting flavours and creations from coffee, cookies and cream to sticky toffee pudding!

Aside from pie, you can also enjoy a lovely lunch menu and treat yourself to a cheeky glass of vino whilst you’re at it.

You can order and collect online or go in as normal – but it’s worth noting that opening times are subject to change as they adjust to the new climate.

Head over to their website to find out more.

Vienna Coffee House

Vienna Coffee serve everything from breakfast (named after areas in Manchester like ‘Deansgate’ and Castlefield’) to Sunday roasts or quaint afternoon tea.

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This family-run business is located nearby to St Peter’s Square, serving up a wide variety of delicious dishes.

But as good as the food might be, the clue’s in the name. Customers just can’t get enough of that coffee.

Vienna have their own amazing blend; Guatemalan, Indonesian and Rwandan beans, freshly roasted which they create into a classic Viennese coffee.

Incredible.

Learn more online.

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ManCoCo

ManCoCo is a hidden roastery and café tucked beneath the arches of Hewitt Street in the ever-evolving neighbourhood of Castlefield.

Selling, ethically-sourced coffee from single origin farms and estates, ManCoCo hand-roast the beans right here in Manchester – serving them in fresh cups of coffee or grounded powder to go.

They’ve also got a wide range of organic, artisan teas available, along with own range of cool branded cups.

If you’ve had a bit of a heavy night and need a little pick-me-up for the morning, ManCoCo is the perfect place to visit and get your hands on a strong Mancunian coffee.

Discover more on their website.

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Federal

Federal has proven so popular they’ve had to branch out.

Now, the popular cafe has two spots in town – one in Deansgate and another in Northern Quarter.

Federal prides itself on “Antipodean happiness” in Manchester, serving food and drink that has seen customers coming back in through their doors since 2014.

Both cafes are open for walk-ins only; serving breakfast, all day brunch, lunch options, coffee and cocktails!

They regularly run enticing deals on their socials – including a bagel and coffee for £5.

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Keep up to date by following their Instagram page.

Seed & Cherry

Seed and Cherry is another independent cafe in the quirky Northern Quarter region of Manchester city centre.

This venue specialises in artisan ingredients but remains hugely down-to-earth; with a crackling atmosphere and dog-friendly policy.

Their coffees are exquisite, as they use a blend of artisan ‘speciality grade’ coffee beans (you get to choose which beans you’d like when ordering).

The food menu has European and Mediterranean-inspired small plates – meaning you can save room for their famous French toast.

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Learn more online.

Ezra & Gil

Ezra & Gil

Another caffeine pit stop in the Northern Quarter is Ezra & Gil; Ezra meaning ‘Helper’ and Gil meaning ‘Happiness’.

E&G was wildly popular before lockdown and nothing has changed in that respect – although the look is a little different with perspex screens and a new ordering system in place.

Known for eclectic coffees from white chocolate matcha lattes to a range of fun iced drinks, Ezra & Gil even has its own an app where customers can click and collect if you prefer.

They’re also open for visitors to sit in or take away.

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Siop Shop

An ultra cool cafe tucked away down Tib Street is Siop Shop.

This lovely little venue specialises in amazing baked goods – especially their beautiful and indulgent doughnuts!

As well as doughnuts, you can take your pick from a number of exciting savoury options which are updated regularly, including sausage rolls, snickerdoodle cookies, and salted caramel brownies.

You can follow your nose or find them on Tib Street NQ.

Visit their website to find out more.

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Just Between Friends

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Further down Tib Street is another top cafe called Just Between Friends – which also has another location in Beehive Mill, Ancoats.

JBF serve an amazing variety of freshly-baked pastries, coffee and tasty sandwiches.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, there’s more than a few chocolate-dunked treats up for grabs, too.

Feast your eyes on their food via their Instagram channel.

Home Sweet Home

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCgBL5fh7OA/

Home Sweet Home have won the outdoor seating game in Manchester – creating a European-style continental alfresco section that spreads right through Edge Street.

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While dining outdoors you can scoff down some decadent cakes, sip shakes and tuck into a range of breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

A crowd favourite is the pancakes. Order them and you’ll quickly find out why.

Ultimately, Home Sweet Home is the place to be if you want to soak up some Manchester atmosphere (and hopefully sunshine) whilst chomping on a large wedge of cake!

Find out more online.

Chapter One Books

Chapter One Books is a quirky cafe and bookstore where you can read to your heart’s content in the centre of the city whilst sipping on fresh coffee and munching a slice of homemade cake.

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The Lemon Drizzle and Earl Grey comes highly recommended, and the coffee is cracking, too – making Chapter One an ideal spot to curl up with good book.

Top tip: Make sure you arrive early.

It can be tough to get a seat, sometimes; such is the popularity of the place.

Head over to their website to read more on this NQ hotspot.

Pot Kettle Black

Up next, we have Pot Kettle Black aka PKB Coffee.

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This stylish coffee house has two sites in Manchester: one in Barton Arcade and the other in Spinningfields.

Currently, they have only reopened their Barton Arcade cafe where you can either book a slot or just drop in.

PKB serve coffee with a twist, taking inspiration from Antipodean culture to bring customers flavours from all the way across the globe.

Flour from Manchester mills, butter from Normandy, pistachios from Iran and chocolate from Belgium. PKB take influence from everywhere.

Visit their website to learn more.

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Tea Hive

Tea Hive Chorlton

Outside of the city centre is a beautiful tearoom in Chorlton.

Tea Hive takes inspiration from our Mancunian worker bee and serves hearty brunch and lunch dishes alongside mouthwatering cakes! They use loose leaf tea and artisan coffee so it’s a real treat to go in and enjoy not only the atmosphere but the amazing quality of food and drink.

The most popular choice amongst locals is their Sautéed Mushroom on toast (vegetarian & vegan) – washed down with one of their 10 different types of hot chocolate.

That will definitely hit the spot.

The Manc is supporting Manchester’s independent businesses with the hashtag #buzzingtobeback so if you fancy exploring more of what the city has to offer. Let’s continue supporting local independents to get the region buzzing once more!

Read more about what we’re doing for the industry here.

Read more about eats in Manchester here.

Feature

Bruce Springsteen’s unforgettable final night at Co-op Live in Manchester – just wow…

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bruce Springsteen Manchester Co-op Live night 3 gig review

It’s rare you get to see legends in real life, especially this up close and personal, but there’s still just one key word that keeps coming to mind when we think of seeing Bruce Springsteen in Manchester at the Co-op Live last night: surreal.

We still can’t quite believe that he was here in Manchester, in the flesh, for three separate nights, but we do intend to replay it in our heads over and over again until it fully sinks in.

Springsteen, ‘The Boss’, Brucey, whatever you want to call him, there really is something to be said for someone who’s been going this long and still exerts so much energy at 75.

That goes for his desperately loyal and dedicated crowds, too. The legions that marched down ‘Thunder Road’ and back down the CityLink walking route and the Ashton canal in supreme spirits after all was said and done gave as good as they got.

springsteen uk tour dates
springsteen manchester
springsteen co-op live
We can only assume Springsteen was as incredible on the first night at Co-op Live as he was on the last. (Credit: Audio North)

From singing back every chorus to the chants of “Bruuuuuuuce!” between every single song, it was more apparent than ever that being a Springsteen fan is quite literally a way of life for these people; they know every line, every call and response, every micro-dance move and regular on-stage ritual.

Each show is roughly three hours long, by the way – he does have an absolute treasure trove of discography to work through, in fairness.

Put simply, there’s no messing about, just non-stop rock and roll of the highest order. Well, there are some brief pauses, but for good reason…

As a passionate political and philanthropic person throughout a career which spans more than six decades, he took the time to talk about America and the turbulent times they are once again facing.

He spoke about the craven billionaire class, poverty, uniting through art and, just as he did on night one in Manchester, Springsteen railed against a particular tyrant who happens to have found himself in the seat of power yet again back over in the States. He made sure to do this every single night.

‘Born in the U.S.A.’ (which he did decide to play, along with a plethora of the other biggest hits) now feels more like a protest song than ever. The war may no longer be in Vietnam, but there is one raging back home, and he’s even more wary of it than before.

He thanked those in the pit and the stands for indulging him, as well as the “wonderful space” of the Co-op and its “beautiful sound” for hosting him, but we have a feeling the New Jersey poet could have said just about anything and he’d still have 23,500+ in the palm of his hands.

All that being said, it wasn’t like this was a pseudo-rally or anything like that, nor was anything of this being foisted upon the audience, but there was a real sense of a congregation gathering in the church of Bruce to take in his sermon.

His followers have often been referred to in this way, and despite only previously considering ourselves a very casual Springsteen enthusiast, having now been to a sell-out arena gig with one of the biggest Boss fans we know, we can understand why millions of people around the world idolise this absolute icon.

bruce springsteen gig review manchester
Credit: The Manc

It goes without saying that a huge amount of applause must go to The E Street Band themselves, who are just as much a part of what makes Springsteen sets so special as he is.

From the ever-charismatic Steven Van Zandt (still hard not to see him as ‘Sil’ from The Sopranos) to Jake Clemons on sax – who has been part of the group since 2012 and shared a touching embrace with Bruce as tributes to his predecessor and uncle, Clarence, played behind them – these lot are a family.

Our only minor gripe is that we sorely missed hearing ‘Atlantic City’, but what the concert did confirm is that much like the effect the recent Bob Dylan biopic had on us, we’re now more committed than ever to working through the Springsteen back catalogue from start to finish and seeing how obsessed we get.

To end on one final thought and echo the words of the man himself: “peace, love and freedom.”

Read more:

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

Feature

The 81-year-old Red being forced to give up his seat after nearly half a cenutry

Danny Jones Danny Jones

We recently had a touching, albeit heartbreaking chat with one Michael Carney: the 81-year-old Manchester United fan who is being forced to give up his current seat after nearly half a century.

The lifelong Man United supporter has been going to Old Trafford since he was seven years old, meaning he’s spent nearly that same number in decades going to the iconic footballing arena, longer than most who currently attend the ground have been on thre planet.

Put simply, Michael has regularly attended matches for pretty much as long as he can remember and held a season ticket for the bulk of his adult life. His current seat in the old south end, now known as the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, has been in his name for over 45 years – but not for much longer.

The die-hard Red was recently told that his particular part of the stand would be sacrificed to make way for new hospitality seats, a decision that supporters aren’t taking lightly. Some of you may have witnessed the protests in his section with your own eyes; even if not, millions have since seen this image:

Holding up the modest but emphatic sign, the message was clear: the current administration is favouring tourists and casual visitors over the so-called ‘legacy’ fans who have devoted their time and money to the club for generations.

The reverse of Michael’s sign read: “I was sat here before you were born”. Having moved from the old Cantilever Stand, a.k.a. ‘United Road’ (now where the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is situated) to this particular seat back in 1979, that’s true for the majority of the INEOS Group now at the helm of the club.

Met with cheers from those sitting around him, especially those facing the same eviction, as well as countless others around the stadium when he held the sign aloft during the most recent Manchester Derby, his vocal but peaceful protest saw just as much coverage as any organised fan march.

Looking up to co-owner Jim Ratcliffe (who still wouldn’t fit into the same ticket age category as Carney, even at 72) and other members of the administration in the moment, Michael told us that those sitting in the executive seats refused to even acknowledge him and his peers.

Revealing that failed to offer so much as a glance down, merely making their “glum faces” very plain to see, he said his immediate feeling was one which many have echoed since they arrived: “They’re just puppets for the Glazers.”

Long before the days of wealthy billionaires and entire nation states splurging their cash on football clubs, Michael still remembers the simpler times in football; a time when players like Charlton, Law, Best and, most poignantly for him, often overlooked legends like Duncan Edwards were the story.

duncan edwards death newspaper clipping
He still has a newspaper clipping from the Munich Disaster.
duncan edwards man united shirt
Been there, got the shirt…
Back in those days, “you could smell the liniment and the red was so vivid” that you couldn’t help but pick United. (Credit: Supplied)

As most fans do, he still remembers his first game: it was a Saturday on 29 September 1951, when Matt Busby’s side took on Preston North End at Old Trafford and went on to lose 2-1.

Although he “cut [his] teeth” watching local non-league clubs around Cheshire back then, enjoying the likes of derbies between Northwich Victoria and Witton Albion, the joy of going to watch United for nine old pence as a junior with his uncle is a feeling that has stuck with him.

That being said, it’s fair to say he has little trouble recollecting even more recent history and big turning points, such as that first buyout back in 2005, pretty well.

Few could have predicted just quite how turbulent things would gradually become in the time since, but some certainly feared as much, and Carney isn’t the only one who now considers those same people as “visionaries” doing their best to warn their fellow supporters of a growing spectre.

Not only were they applauded by purists for splintering off and starting their own grassroots phoenix club, FC United of Manchester, but they also helped ward off the possibility of the leveraged buyout model as a threat to other teams in the future, as the attached controversy and debt only grew greater.

In short, as Michael summed it up, “I don’t think people realised just how bad it was going to get – they knew it was coming. Fergie hid it with results on the pitch, but with a lack of success even from last year, it’s increasingly evident how big a mess they’re in.”

michael carney ben carney man united fans
The next generation of matchgoing Carneys and fans, full stop – quite literally awe-inspired. (Credit: Ben Carney)

One of the biggest concerns, as he and many others see it, is the crowd itself and how decisions such as these imminent hospitality seats continue to chip away at the spirit within the stands.

For football lovers of Mike’s generation, in fact, the idea of going to both Man United and Man City (‘Purples’ as these matchgoers have often been referred to) wasn’t unheard of, and the main obstacle for him was just getting to those grounds from the not-so-nearby market town.

The love of beatiful game, pure and simple.

Fast forward some seven decades later, however, and when asked point blank if he felt the atmosphere had changed in the modern era, he couldn’t have answered quicker: “Oh yes, I think so – definitely.”

Touching on the ‘forwarding membership’ debacle brought in for the 23/24 season, he carried on: “They’re trying to force people to refund their ticket so they can resell it [at an inflated price]; they’re just making it so difficult. They want the end-of-season ticket holders over 65, full stop, I believe.”

Perhaps the hardest thing for us to hear was when Michael told us: “I don’t feel part of the club at all, and I haven’t for a long time. It’s that feeling of not belonging and loss of feeling like part of a family – they’ve got to get that back.

“How they’re going to do that, I have no idea. I think they’re rotten from top to bottom.”

This becomes an even more bitter pill to swallow when you consider how football can play a part in local communities and families like the Carneys; for instance, without Michael, his grandson Ben may never have enjoyed truly unforgettable moments like these:

Conveying a genuine feeling of heartbreak behind his treatment, in one exasperated moment, he could only utter, “It used to be so simple…”, before going on to joke that if things keep going as poorly as they are on the pitch, they won’t have as many tourists to attract and “they’ll want people like me back.”

We had the pleasure of speaking to Ben himself too, a fellow lifelong Red and now aspiring sports writer studying at UA92 (the further education facility set up by United legends) and he had no reservations in admitting that he owes his love the club, the sport and the magic of watching it live to Michael.

“To me, supporting United is a religion — a way of life”, he says. “It’s in my blood, and that’s all thanks to my grandad. This season, the troubling trends of the past decade have continued, both on and off the pitch, but never underestimate the stoic spirit that runs through Manchester United.

“Even in the bad times, we do it differently, and the chaotic win against Lyon was proof of that. As the chant goes: ‘Ruben Amorim, he’ll bring the glory days again.'”

Unfortunately, many well-meaning Reds, who also expressed their frustration with the club during that frankly bonkers game, have seen their memories of the night somewhat sullied.

Manchester United fan group call for full investigation into security after sit-in protest
Michael might be the oldest fan having to advocate for his own seat but he’s from the only United supporter holding up homemade signs.

Neverthless, without him, treasured memories in Ben’s life like Lyon, that PSG game in 2018/19, derbies both here in Manchester and when the Irwell flows into Merseyside – not to mention core, life-affirming experiences like ones seen above – may never have happened.

He’s been here through the ups and downs and brought the next line of his kin, friends and numerous others along with him; he’s also stuck with the club through the big periods of transition in the past too.

Each time a new chapter has been turned, he’s refused to be left behind and still has all the passion to witness whatever comes on the next page, but its the club that seems to be trying to obfuscate that as they prepare to ultimately leave the Theatre of Dreams after more than 115 years.

The Northwich-born fan says that he understands the need for a new stadium, even though he believes “renovating would’ve been alright” – admittedly quipping that it’s already a bit like Trigger’s brush from Only Fools given how many different iterations of Old Trafford he’s already lived through.

He pointed out that “people probably said the same” back when the club then known as Newton Heath left Clayton’s Bank Street back in 1910, but did admit he wasn’t the biggest fan of the bold and controversial vision for it, which has been said to resemble a circus top by more than a few.

Being perceived as a somewhat fitting metaphor for modern-day Man United by fans, rivals and neutrals alike, “it was ready-made for the p***-takes”, says Michael, but you can gurantee that he’d be going their in full faith and getting behind his team – only the problem is it isn’t exactly up to him anymore.

Read more:

Michael text me not long after the full-time whistle following the incredible comeback against Lyon last month to joke, “Forget everything I said about them not being entertaining!”, even going on to rather sincerely apologise for what he feared was “too much ‘fings aren’t what they used to be’ chat.”

Like any truly loyal fan of a club, it doesn’t take much for him to be sucked back in and football cannot, under any circumstances, afford to take undying levels of support like this for granted. Without veterans like this, nights like the one now being set up against Spurs for the Europa League final just don’t exist.

When you factor in how much time, money and energy he’s sunk into travelling for games both home and away – getting trains from Northwich to Alty, then buses to the ground, coaches all over the country and even abroad to see his team play – circumstances like his imminent ousting feel all the more unjust.

He admitted himself that while he might not be around much longer to see the likes of the new stadium and maybe see finally win another league; to cheer on that next generation of youngsters onto the pitch and see a United reborn, he’s more than earned the right to spend every second he can at that ground.

Ruben’s reds might be going to Bilbao and, who knows, maybe they’ll even be back on track from next season, but one things for sure, they won’t get anywhere without true fans like Michael.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied

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