The threat of rain was barely dampening the studious preparation from the seven or eight stall holders in Ancoats on Saturday – several of whom were setting up for their first ever market day.
The business owners had all gathered for the latest edition of the ‘Ancoats Pop Up’ – which has become a word-of-mouth and social media hit in recent weeks.
Every weekend, queues snake up Radium Street to an array of high-quality food, drink, homeware and skincare stands set up by local people in the community.
Kat Brown, Ancoats Pop Up’s manager, told me over the phone that the focus is all on supporting local makers.
“I went to the market once and I loved it,” Kat said.
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“I had the idea of making this beautiful, community led, independent opportunity, a place where people could attempt to get their weekly shop without shopping in a big corporation or supermarket.”
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The market itself is tiny – a former garage that just about fits four tables along each wall. But the close proximity of Ancoats Pop Up is also its greatest asset; making for an intimate atmosphere with conversation and interaction, as well as the chance for a real look at what’s on offer (making those freshly-baked brownies and sourdough breads appear particularly tempting).
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It’s growing all the time, too. On the market’s open day, there were only four stalls. Now, there are at least eight – with different stallholders pitching up every week.
Dominic runs Allons-y (“let’s go” in French), which sells speciality coffee and natural wine and has been a regular at Ancoats Pop Up since it started a couple of months ago.
“Because Ancoats is its own little village in a way, people have come back every week,” Dominic said.
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“People would come in to grab a coffee and their veg box. It’s that kind of tight-knit closeness, which has been really nice to see.”
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There’s a real community among stallholders themselves, even if they’ve only met that morning.
Many of the makers live locally, and it was lovely to overhear the recognition of “Oh, you work there? But I live there!” echo between the tables as people set up their wares.
For several of the stallholders I chatted to, it was their first time not just at Ancoats Pop Up, but at any market.
The cost of a stall for the day at many markets can be well over £100, Kat told me. At Ancoats Pop Up, they charge £40 and don’t take any of the stallholders’ profits from the day’s trading.
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“There’s no agenda behind the market,” Kat said.
“We’re all just pretty chilled, we’re not trying to make a million pounds out of this, we’re just trying to make a nice thing. We’re passionate about all the things that people have made themselves. It’s not a market where you just churn things out.”
The market celebrates sustainability and is as eco-friendly as possible.
Alexa, who runs Alexa Weaves, makes macramé rainbows for nurseries out of recycled cotton, linen and sari silk from India. Studio Dawn, run by Chelsie, makes macramé home décor, including plant hangers, wall hangings and lamps. Both Alexa and Chelsie have the same supplier, which provides them with recycled material.
Local sourcing is also important. For cold press drinks company Fruition, all the fruit for their drinks is sourced from McCall’s organics on Church Street, with labels printed locally.
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There’s also the delicious-looking Batard – a microbakery that sells freshly-baked sourdough, croissants, steak bakes and other treats. Dorothy, one half of the business, said: “The vibe we’re going for is kind of like Gregg’s, but instead of mass production in factories, we’re taking it back and making it contemporary and fresh.”
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As we come out of lockdown, Kat has plans to the develop the market into a true social space. “In the long run we want to be able to get some seats and maybe even a DJ to make it a more social event,” she said.
But the market isn’t exclusive to Ancoats residents or creatives, she emphasises. It’s for everyone.
“Manchester as a whole is quite a big community, and I feel like that’s the thing that I love about Manchester: even though it’s a big city, it does feel like everyone will go out of their way to help each other out.”
Ancoats Pop Up market is open from 11am-4pm every Saturday at 26 Radium Street.
Food & Drink
Mouro opens third coffee shop on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
South Manchester’s beloved independent coffee brand Mouro has opened its third location – and this time, they’ve headed to the Northern Quarter.
The stylish neighbourhood coffee bar has taken over a vacant unit on Tib Street, serving speciality coffee as well as sandwiches, cinnamon buns, and pastries.
The two-storey venue has been kitted out beautifully (but that’s no surprise – the team here are also behind So Marrakech in Altrincham).
There are comfy banquette seats in the window, marble and wood sunburst tables, terrazzo floors, hanging wooden lights, and all sorts of other carefully thought-out design details that set it apart from everything else in the Northern Quarter.
Outside, they’ve preserved a lot of the character of Tib Street, painting their sign directly onto the old brickwork above the door.
Mouro is already a well-established name in Heaton Moor and Altrincham, where it’s built up a loyal following for its house-roasted small-batch coffee beans.
In the Northern Quarter, you can pick up a bag of beans to take home with you – and if you do, they’ll make you a fresh coffee to take away with it.
Cinnamon buns at MouroInside Mouro on Tib StreetSandwichesThe newest Mouro opens on Saturday 15 MayMouro is opening in the Northern Quarter
Alongside those house blend and single-origin coffees, there’s a whole spread of cinnamon buns, including ones made with an espresso frosting (again, made with their own roasted coffee).
There are also sandwiches and other bakes to have in or take away.
Mouro will open its doors at 68 Tib Street on Saturday 16 May, with free coffees and matcha from 9am to 12pm on launch day.
Mouro will then be open Monday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 4pm.
Inside Tyga, as a Manchester favourite changes its stripes for a new era
Danny Jones
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Tyga, Manchester city centre’s latest Indian restaurant, which has taken the place of former local favourite, Asha’s.
The Peter Street spot had always been a great place for a curry and progressive takes on the nation’s staples, often pulling inspiration from the Rajasthan region, but now the unit is the start of a new chapter.
In truth, the food was always pretty damn good here – often truly great, even – as we found out the last time we reviewed it; however, it’s clear that there’s been a greater honing of the concept.
Put simply, Tyga is trying to elevate what the team already did so well, whilst adding an extra layer of fine-dining refinement.
@the.manc Peter Streets Indian spot Tyga, has had a serious glow-up, bringing a more refined, fine-dining take on Indian cuisine while keeping all the bold flavours at the heart of it. The 24-hour slow-simmered lamb shank is an absolute must, as is the butter chicken which just melts in your mouth. 😍 It’s not just about the food here though, with an extensive cocktail list that brings theatre to the table, they’re the perfect accompaniment to your table full of scran. It’s the perfect spot for date night, celebrations, or when you just want to seriously impress someone over dinner. 🍸 Get it booked. 📍 47 Peter Street, M2 3NG #themanc#tygamanchester#manchesterfoodie#manchestercurry#wheretoeatinmanchester♬ original sound – The Manc
You hear sentences like a ‘contemporary twist on cuisine’ and ‘modern approaches to classics’ recycled quite a lot, and we get it: it can be a great way to get across that you’re trying to push culinary tradition(s) forward, but it often feels a bit of a throwaway term that’s used far too much.
That being said, while there’s definitely a feeling of familiarity to this recently refreshed foodie lineup, this is one of the times and places where it actually seems like that phrase means something.
While the building and stunning venue itself might have stayed largely the same, bar some knick-knacks being swapped for a few different tiger-based decorations, the authentic clay-pot lamb, ‘Tyga’ prawns, salmon tikka, and Vepudu spiced stir fry show some real innovation.
A lot of these might be rooted in a kind of food we know very well here in Britain, but these latest iterations in recipes and experimentation with their components result in some very cool creations.
The ember wings were smoky and moorish in a way that we’ve not had in a restaurant like this before, and the lamb chops alone were worth ordering by the wheelbarrow full.
Small plates have also been thrown into the mix more seamlessly this time around, too, as have some of the Indo-Chinese options that feel less like a footnote now and, instead, like a continuation of the tweaking and trying out new things seen throughout the rest of the offerings.
Even the vegetarian/vegan section of the menu has been lifted in certain aspects, too, with previously popular dishes being brought back better and more beautifully presented than ever.
Before we forget, a special shout-out goes to those beetroot dill patties.
Speaking of presentation, although they might have simplified some stuff (such as the okra fries that simply need to be dumped on the table and be devoured in seconds by gannets like us), as mentioned, plenty of other bits have been levelled up.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that they’ve just been voted alongside some fellow standout spots by the Asian Catering Federation.
They’ve never shied away from a bit of pageantry, and nothing has changed in that respect.
Everything from the plating to even giving you a rotating water jug that revolves on a single point and never spills has a bit of flair, without being too much or straying into gimmicky territory.
Most importantly of all, whether you want a classy room for your next date night, somewhere intimate the next time you go out for tea with your partner, or still fancy a more banquet-style feast for you and your mates in the form of the updated ‘Maharaja’s Grand Platter’, Tyga can turn its paw to any occasion.
Anna Willis -
4th May 2021 
