Food & Drink

Social club Lost Cat and Bunny Jackson’s ‘crazy cousin’ move into Northern Quarter

The double venue will see a cocktail club Lost Cat and mini dive bar Junior Jackson's moving into Oldham Street later this month.

The Manc The Manc - 12th May 2021

The first images have been published of a brand new double venue set to open in Northern Quarter this month.

Lost Cat – a modern neighbourhood social club and cocktail spot – is taking over the old Eat New York site on 64 Oldham Street, with Junior Jackson’s – the ‘crazy cousin’ of Bunny Jackson’s – setting up in the basement.

The pair of venues are the latest concepts from Lyndon Higginson – the man behind the scenes at multiple Manchester sites such as Bay Horse Tavern, Bunny Jackson’s, Cane & Grain, Crazy Pedro’s, Junkyard Golf Club, The Liars Club and Wolf at the Door.

Lost Cat

At street level, Lost Cat will serve “serious beers and stupid cocktails” within laidback, timber-style surroundings.

A food menu will be supplied by wildly popular NY bagels and burger joint Triple B (who also announced a collab with O’Sheas Beer Garden in April).

Laid out across two floors, Lost Cat will host intimate gigs and resident DJ sets from Dutch Uncles, with a revolving door of weekly guest performers for live music.

A further floor is also being added in 2022 – set to feature an extra bar and rooftop cinema.

Lost Cat will open from midday to midnight Sunday to Wednesday and stay serving until 3am from Thursday to Saturday.

Lost Cat
Lost Cat
Lost Cat

Bouncing around downstairs in the basement at 64 Oldham Street, meanwhile, will be Bunny Jacksons’ wiry relative Junior.

Decorated in graffiti-scrawled walls and grungy lighting, Junior Jackson’s is described as having the “same amount of bourbon and same amount of not giving a fuck attitude” as its bigger buddy on First Street.

Adorned in American flags and a wild hodgepodge of artwork and photography, the dive bar will also have its own private room with a fully-stocked beer fridge available to reserve for events.

Junior Jackson’s
Junior Jackson’s
Junior Jackson’s
Junior Jackson’s

Junior Jackson’s will also be home to what owners have described as “Manchester’s second best jukebox” – meaning there’ll be plenty of bangers ringing around the drinking den all night long.

And indeed, like its cousin Bunny, Junior Jackson’s is definitely one for late crowd.

Doors open at 5pm each evening and won’t close ’til 3am.

Lost Cat and Junior Jackson’s will open at 64 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1 LE.

Food & Drink

The old fire station in Salford that’s now home to a bakery, brewery and bar

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The 'Salford Bagel' with smoked salmon

A former fire station in Salford has been turned into a bustling base for some of the North West’s finest baking and brewing talents.

The Old Fire Station, right beside the University of Salford, is now operating as a bakery, brewery, bar, cafe and restaurant.

That means pastries, bread, pizzas and even beers are made within a few feet of where you’ll be eating and drinking them.

The space is beautiful, still boasting those gigantic red fire station doors and the traditional ceramic tiles that would have been here when the space was still home to fire engines instead of bread mixers.

Around half of the pastries coming out of the bakery, headed up by Erick Molero Delgado (his CV includes top bakeries across the USA and Europe), are completely vegan – not that you can tell from looking at their glossy, laminated layers and extravagant fillings.

We’re talking perfectly cubed laminated brioche with sweet maple flavours, mini pizzettes with olives and tomatoes dotted inside a pastry wall, and striped pain suisse stuffed with nuts and chocolate.

Then there are the not-very-vegan-at-all pastries, like a spandaeur, which is like a croissant and pastel de nata hybrid, and thick slices of Basque cheesecake.

There are new signature ‘Salford bagels’ too developed by assistant head baker Scott Shannon, which are a fusion of North American, German and Jewish styles, fermented for up to 48 hours with a crisp outer shell and a chewy centre.

A spandaeur pastry and a pain suisse
A spandaeur pastry and a pain suisse
Heirloom tomato bruschetta on sourdough
Heirloom tomato bruschetta on sourdough
The bakery line-up
The bakery line-up
The 'Salford Bagel' with smoked salmon
The ‘Salford Bagel’ with smoked salmon

We had ours stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and raved about it all the way home.

Erick says: “Our new menu is a true labour of love by the whole team – from early ideas and experiments right through to the final bake.

“If someone has an idea, we run with it. That creative freedom is priceless. It keeps the work exciting, and it means our customers have the opportunity to get something fresh every time they visit.”

As for the beers, they’re all made on site too – on the opposite side of The Old Fire Station is Lark Hill Brewery, headed up by Jack Dixon, who’s able to experiment and explore new flavours in this top-spec microbrewery.

Jack Dixon in the Lark Hill Brewery
Jack Dixon in the Lark Hill Brewery
Laminated brioche
Laminated brioche
The Old Fire Station bakers at work
The Old Fire Station bakers at work

There are experimental beers, sometimes made in collaboration with researchers at the University, as well as true-to-style classics like a New England Pale Ale and the Lark Helles, a fresh take on a classic German lager.

Jack said: “Having the autonomy to design and brew what I want, without limits, is rare and exciting,.

“It means every beer we pour here has a story and a personality. We’re proud to bring something new to Salford’s craft scene.”

This summer, they’re launching New York-style pizzas, made on slow-fermented, hand-stretched pizza dough.

And very little goes to waste here – the trimmed-off croissant pastry is now being turned into their own croissant loaf, which they’re whipping into French toast for the brunch menu.

Everything at The Old Fire Station is crafted with talent and love, and you can really taste it.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Food & Drink

Lord Mayor of Manchester opens crucial new community kitchen in Blackley

Danny Jones Danny Jones Lord Mayor helps reopen community kitchen in Blackley

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Carbine Grimshaw, has opened an upgraded community kitchen in the heart of Blackley.

Recently refurbished and officially unveiled last week, the uplifting new space, based out of the GM ward’s Higher Blackley Community Centre (HBCC), aims to be a key outlet and amenity for the area.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which took place on Thursday, 17 July, was attended by local councillors, centre staff, as well as local community members and volunteers.

Christened with a commemorative plaque celebrating the completion of the important renovation, the work has been carried out by North West-based perimeter physical security specialists, ATG Access.

lord mayor of manchester ribbon cutting ceremony
A wholesome moment with the Lord Mayor.

Having sat virtually untouched since the 1960s, the kitchen space was long overdue for some TLC, and now it has been reopened as a modern, purpose-built and community-driven facility.

Speaking at the event, the Lord Mayor said: “The work that has been done here is fantastic, especially the social value aspect of it. It’s clear to see it’s far more than just a community centre; it’s the hub of the community. The support it provides to so many people is remarkable.

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the unsung heroes behind it all, from centre manager Kate and her dedicated team, to the board of trustees and all the volunteers. It’s a shining example of what community spirit can achieve, and I’d love to see it replicated right across Manchester.”

The kitchen itself is now kitted out with entirely new units, fresh flooring and splashback surfaces, as well as large appliances including a big range cooker, American-style fridge freezer and commercial dishwasher – all donated by ATG and its supply chain partners, Van Leeuwen and Welding Engineering.

But it isn’t just a place to cook; the sizeable room will host workshops, events, meet-ups and various other activities, from toddler groups to adult learning programmes, as well as offering services to various classes and groups.

blackley community kitchen
Before
community kitchens greater manchester
After

In just its first week of being put to use, the kitchen has already helped provide meals for 11 families who would otherwise have gone without – nothing short of brilliant news for the district.

As for ATG, Managing Director, Richard Ellis, went on to say: “From our first visit, it was clear this was a place where we could make a real impact. The building was well-used and worn, but the people and the work being done there were inspiring.

“We felt a responsibility to help and were delighted to do so, getting ‘hands on’ through our volunteering programme.”

Finally, HBCC Manager Kate Shannon added: “It’s been a huge lift for the community. The new kitchen means we can do more, support more people, and take pride in our space again. It’s been a real team effort, and we’re so grateful to ATG.”

Well done to everyone involved in bringing the Higher Blackley Community Centre Kitchen to life.

Well done to everyone involved in bringing the Higher Blackley Community Centre Kitchen to life.

Read more:

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Featured Images — Supplied

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