Escape to Freight Island is gearing up for the grand reopening of its highly-anticipated “next stage of evolution” at Depot Mayfield next month – The Ticket Hall.
And bookings are set to go live from 10am tomorrow.
The Ticket Hall – which is the newest chapter in Escape to Freight Island’s story, and is described as “the true vision for this unique urban destination” – saw a calendar of entertainment and a whole host of new food and drink vendors descend on the hugely-popular venue to take over the industrial indoor space last October, before it was forced to temporarily close its doors as the country entered into its third national lockdown amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The 8,000 sq ft, fully-heated and COVID-safe venue is positioned underneath the original and striking roof structure within Depot Mayfield, and captures the atmospheric charm of the imposing building.
When the venue reopens on 17th May, there’ll be 12 kitchens, five bars, three brand-new terraces, and a “glorious” new stage ready and waiting.
Some of the UK’s most exciting vendors and traders – Baratxuri, Voodoo Rays, Patty Queen, Madre, Mi & Pho, Plant Grill, The Jane Eyre, Forever Changes, Great North Pie, Maison Breizh, Belzan, Krum, Pomona Island, Camden Town Brewery, and Kopparberg – will all be on hand to provide the food and drink.
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As well as the lineup of entertainment from resident and guest acts, Manchester Jazz Festival will also be taking over Escape to Freight Island for three days of music from 11th – 13th June.
Bookings for The Ticket Hall open at 10am tomorrow for the 17th May – 20th June.
The Safe + Social Manifesto means Escape to Freight Island has been designed as a space where you are able to socialise safely with your party, maintain social distance from others, and remain alert to the risks of coronavirus (COVID-19), while being part of the overall urban festival atmosphere.
You can find more information and book tickets via the Escape to Freight Island website here and you can follow Escape to Freight Island on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Food & Drink
Award-winning Manchester cocktail bar Red Light announces surprise return in new location
Daisy Jackson
Red Light, an award-winning cocktail bar that closed its doors earlier this year, has announced it’s making a grand return.
The celebrated watering hole had been at Kampus in the city centre for three years before it closed for good in August.
But now, in news that will thrill a lot of us in Manchester, the bar has announced it’s returning, with plenty of new ’surprises’ to come.
Announcing Red Light 2.0 this evening, they revealed a brand-new location, with all the cocktails we all loved before, plus a new bar snack offering.
Also new with its reopening will be a dedicated clubbing space (operating in a residential area was one of the reasons Red Light closed at Kampus) and the return of its legendary street parties.
They said: “Your love and support has meant the absolute world to us since we closed the doors to our Kampus venue.
“It’s been a tricky secret to keep but we’re thrilled to share that we’re back and in a brand new location!
“This one feels special, it’s not often you get a second chance at things in the current climate.”
They added: “We can’t wait to welcome you with open arms. Red Light NQ. LETS GO BABY!”
Although they’ve not announced the location, they have teased some pictures – and unless we’re very much mistaken, they’ll be moving into Tariff Street, in the old El Capo site.
Chinatown restaurant pleads for help after dine-and-dash customer leaves staff member in A&E
Daisy Jackson
A brilliant restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown has shared CCTV and a heartfelt appeal after one of its staff members was left in A&E.
Noodle Alley shared that one of its young staff members chased after a group of dine-and-dash customers who’d left without paying for their meal.
The restaurant then said that she was ‘assaulted’ at some point in the chase and ended up in A&E.
In their statement, Noodle Alley said that the staff member ‘had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this’.
They wrote: “What has this world come to? A violent man sent our staff to A&E over an unpaid meal.”
The CCTV shows a group of three young men, all carrying Selfridges shopping bags, entering the restaurant.
They sit and enjoy a meal, before two of them slip out of the restaurant. The third man then exits but is chased by a Noodle Alley staff member.
It’s at this point – out of the range of the restaurant’s CCTV – that they said she was assaulted ‘after going beyond her duty to try and recover what had been taken’.
The family business said that she has been ’emotionally affected’ by the incident.
The police are involved and the restaurant has appealed for anyone who can help with their investigation to get in touch.
It’s also the second time they’ve appealed about a dine-and-dash customer in the last few months, but this incident went ‘far beyond’ previous incidents.
In their full statement, Noodle Alley said: “We’re a small family business, and lately it feels like small businesses are being targeted again and again.
“But this time, it went far beyond anything we have experienced before.
“One of our young staff members — a girl simply doing her job — was assaulted after going beyond her duty to try to recover what had been taken from our restaurant. She ended up in A&E.
“What hurts us most is seeing how emotionally affected she has been by what happened. She told us she had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this.
“We work hard to look after our staff and our customers, and nobody should have to go through this simply for doing their job.
“We have reported the incident to the police.
“If anyone recognises these individuals or has any information that could help the police with their investigation, please contact us or the police directly.
“We’re sharing this because we believe our staff deserve to feel safe at work.”
Emily Sergeant -
21st April 2021 
