The first food line-up for the kitchens at New Century has been announced, featuring a butty shop from one of Manchester’s most prestigious chefs.
The legendary music venue New Century Hall has been unused for the best part of a decade, but is set to reopen this summer under a (slightly) new name as an events, music, and food and drink destination.
The heart of the development will be the 10,000 sq ft kitchens, with six independent operators serving up food to around 300 diners.
Adam Reid, the chef behind The French inside The Midland hotel (often lauded as one of the regions’ best restaurants), will open a brand-new concept that’s a bit of a departure from his usual fare.
The new-look New Century Hall. Credit: Supplied
Two-time Great British Menu winner Reid will launch The Butty Shop, which he hopes will bring the classic British butty back to life.
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He’ll use classic northern flavours inspired by childhood visits to the bakery, with sides including pickled eggs and potato salad.
Also joining the food line-up at New Century is Banh Vi, a favourite from Altrincham Market.
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Adam Reid, of The French, will be opening a butty shop at New Century
Banh Vi are also opening
They’ll be bringing their plant-based Vietnamese and Thai dishes to the venue, including banh mi baguettes, steaming bowls of Pho, and fresh summer rolls.
2021 British Street Food Awards ‘People’s Choice’ winners, BaoBros23, are also joining New Century – their first foray into Manchester.
Father-and-son duo Daniel and Iain Woodhead will bring Asian-inspired cuisine with a touch of nostalgia, like bao, loaded fries and desserts, fresh from their success as a pop-up at Riverhead Brewery Tap in Marsden.
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BaoBros23 are joining the food offering at New Century. Credit: Supplied
There’ll also be coffee and grab ‘n’ go concepts from New Century, plus local beers, wines, cocktails, teas, juices and smoothies.
The redevelopment of the Grade II listed building is already underway, and will soon be spilling outside onto Sadler’s Yard for al fresco dining and events.
Across the three-floor social hub, there’ll be an 800+ capacity live music venue, a large food hall, and a creative college.
The venue is located between Victoria Station and Shudehill, right at the heart of one of central Manchester’s best connected areas, the 20 acre NOMA neighbourhood.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Manchester’s Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new menu of smokehouse-style BBQ dishes being served up on a sunny terrace on Deansgate.
Motley, the neighbourhood bar and restaurant on the corner of John Dalton Street, has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen.
That means they’ve got a whole load of new dishes, slow-cooked over hickory wood, that are bringing a taste of a Deep South BBQ to Manchester city centre.
The smokehouse-style meats are all seasoned in-house and cooked for hours, for a perfect fall-off-the-bone experience.
It might be an authentic American smokehouse menu, but it’s firmly British too, with most products locally sourced.
You can now get Deep South-inspired BBQ dishes on Deansgate / Credit: The Manc Group
Motley are calling on local suppliers like Althams Butchers (established since 1856) for their meat, plus greengrocers R Noone and Son, and Cheshire Farm for their real dairy ice cream.
Signature dishes on the new menu at Motley include slow smoked brisket, seasoned in Motley’s signature rub before being slow-smoked for more than eight hours.
There’s also a beef short rib with a chimichurri sauce, and a pork belly strip that’s seasoned with sage and onion and finished with a panko breadcrumb crust.
And for the veggies, there’s a vegan smoked veg kebab with courgette, mushrooms, bell pepper, sweet corn and red onion drizzled with homemade BBQ sauce.
Motley has added an authentic smoker to its kitchen / Credit: The Manc Group
Prices across the board start from just £16, served with beef dripping fries, rainbow slaw, pickles and homemade beef gravy.
As for small plates, you can expect short rib bonbons, homemade corn bread, spicy chicken wings, bang bang cauliflower, mac and cheese, and frickles.
House favourites like steak, vegetable hash, salads, and burgers will remain on the Motley menu.
Victor Gonzalez, food and beverage manager at Motley, said: “Our new signature smoked dishes are all crafted and seasoned in-house then slow cooked for hours over hickory wood to create rich and smoky melt-in-your mouth flavours.
“From our slow-smoked brisket to our home-made sides, everything has been carefully crafted to bring an authentic taste of the deep south to Manchester and we can’t wait for guests to try it.”
Motley can be found at 2 John Dalton Street on the corner of Deansgate in the city centre.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse to reopen
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme – the community pub was a bit of a local institution thanks to its grassroots music and inclusive atmosphere.
But now it appears that the spirit of the venue will live on, under the new name of The Abbey.
Some of the city’s most experienced independent operators – who have been behind venues like YES and The Deaf Institute, and music promoters Now Wave – will be the new custodians of this beloved local landmark.
The pub, which closed early last year, is currently being carefully restored ahead of its big relaunch just next week.
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’ll also be affordable, hearty pub grub including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
The team bringing The Abbey to life are Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth – Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manchester venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall; while Wesley and Jonathan, through Now Wave, promote hundreds of independent gigs and live events each year; and Gareth is the founder of multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest.
The team behind The Abbey pub. Credit: Piran Aston
The rear of the site of The Old Abbey Taphouse will be extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while the cherished beer garden is given a facelift with new decking and its own bar.
The Abbey has stood in Hulme since the 1890s, playing an important role in the area’s heritage – this is where activist Len Johnson managed to overturn the shameful ‘colour bar’ policies of the 1940s.
Its restoration and relaunch is part of the flourishing Manchester Science Park development.
Matthew Pazos, Senior Retail Commercial Manager at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Ruth, Wesley and Jonathan are the perfect custodians to breathe new life into The Abbey.
“Their reputation for running independent spaces in Manchester, alongside their live music expertise, will ensure this much-valued pub once again becomes a beating heart for Hulme and the wider neighbourhood.
Glimpses of The Abbey’s refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
“The reopening of The Abbey will create an inclusive new hub that welcomes everyone – from the Hulme locals who have looked after the pub over the years, to the Manchester Science Park community, university students, and the many residents and workers across the Oxford Road Corridor.
“We are delighted that such a culturally significant and important pub is set to open its doors once again.”
Ruth Hemmingfield from The Abbey commented: “We love a good pub. With The Abbey, we’re excited about bringing a brilliant old pub back to life, protecting what people loved about it, and creating something special: a great local, alongside a vital grassroots music venue for the area. Honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Daisy Jackson -
14th July 2022 
