A new food hall is set to open on Manchester’s Peter Street this year, adding three new kitchens and two new bars to the area’s already thriving food and drink scene.
Put together by the team behind the aperitivo and coffee bar Haunt, opened in the same building last summer, the new opening Exhibition will bring together three of Manchester’s best chef operators inside the iconic St George’s House.
Hosting three new kitchens from the Michelin-recommended Osma team, the Michelin-trained Carlone Martins of the Sao Paulo Project, and Ramsbottom’s lauded Basque fire cookery restaurant Baratxuri under one roof, this already sounds like it will blow every other local food hall out of the water.
Diners will be able to tuck into fine Brazilian-British fusion, Scandinavian and Basque dishes as part of the new dining experience, whilst elsewhere Exhibition will also boast two new bars, fresh beer straight from in-venue Manchester Union lager tanks, and a number of exhibition spaces for local artists.
Caroline Martins, Great British Menu chef and Manchester’s Chef of the Year nominee, will be launching the Sao Paulo Bistro, serving popular dishes from her popular fine-dining residency in Ancoats in a more relaxed setting.
At her Bistro, you’ll find daintily-plated oysters, hand-dived scallops in creamy cassava, Lancashire ribeye steak sandwiches with Garstang blue, and a showstopper chocolate dessert made using liquid nitrogen and specially-imported cocoa beans from Brazil.
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Keeping local suppliers at the heart of her menu whilst exploring her fusion theme, chef Caroline will work closely with Platt Fields Market Garden, Dormouse Chocolates, Northern Cure, The Flat Baker and more to promote quality produce.
She will be joined by a team from Ramsbottom favourite Baratxuri. The specialist fire cookery restaurant will also move in, serving a selection of lunchtime pintxos alongside its classic Basque dishes – available as a mixture of small and large plates.
Think big cuts of meat and whole fish with a mix of large sharing dishes, such as its famed Capricho Oro’ Txuleton (a 1kg bone-in rib steak), alongside various nibbles like boquerones and the finest grade jamon Iberico de bellota, sourced from free-range pigs that roam the oak forests between Spain and Portugal.
Elsewhere, Prestwich favourite Osma will bring a new relaxed edge to its Scandinavian concept serving open sandwiches, fresh salads and hearty soups during the day before switching its menu offering to something a little more sultry come nightfall.
Think tempting small plates like Avruga caviar pots with toasted brioche, whole lobster with herb butter, sashimi with caper and shallots, and a dish of roasted and pickled beetroots with raspberry and rose,
Elsewhere, the bar operation will be headed up by the award-winning Gethin Jones (formerly of Ducie Street Warehouse and Cottonopolis) with a specialist cocktail bar menu focused exclusively on brandy throughout autumn.
The bar offering will also include a dedicated rotational line for Manchester breweries like Sureshot, Cloudwater and Pomona, and a carefully chosen wine list designed to complement the kitchens stellar food offering.
Due to open in Manchester this autumn, a date has not been set but we’re expecting it will be some time in November. To keep up to date until then, make sure to follow Exhibition on Instagram here.
Feature image – Supplied
Food & Drink
Albert’s Schloss is set for its ‘biggest party ever’ with three whole weeks of Oktoberfest
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester bar, beer hall, restaurant and home of all things involving dancing on benches, Albert’s Schloss is upping their game for Oktoberfest 2025, confirming three whole weeks of the annual event.
Tipping this year’s edition as their “biggest party ever”, this one IS the big one.
Located on Peter Street – just off the main Deansgate strip – the city centre boozer is one of the busiest spots around, day or night, and they definitely know how to lean into the festivities whenever it comes to big dates on the calendar.
That being said, given their German heritage, it doesn’t get much bigger than Oktoberfest, especially now that they’re spending nearly a full month celebrating the global favourite.
Kicking off from Saturday, 20 September onwards, the Albert’s Schloss will be observing Oktoberfest for 21 days to coincide with the original festivities in Munich, hoping to nail a slice of that authentic experience here in Britain.
Culminating in one final Bavarian blowout on Sunday, 12 October, ‘The Bier Palace’ will be offering three weeks of unique brews native to the region, a range of delicious new dishes themed around the festival, as well as the usual non-stop live entertainment that will have you dancing on the tables all night long.
What’s more? Albert’s Schloss‘ Oktoberfest party is open to all; there are absolutely no tickets required – just turn up, get in the queue and prepare for a proper knees-up.
2024 saw nearly 5,000 steins of the beer served to punters (not even just pints, STEINS), plus you can expect the same keg-tapping ceremonies, oompah bands, the ‘Baby Grand Slam’ and the equally unmissable ‘Disko Wunderbar’ to return this autumn.
Of course, there is more than just beer, pretzels and dancing; if you’re not into you ale or salty snacks, then you can always grab an alpine cocktail like their ‘Oktoberfest Spritz’, a blood orange/ginger version, or perhaps a ‘Munchen Long Island’ – all of which are mixed with Monkey 47 gin.
As for the food menu, how does Oktoberfest Paprika Roasted Half Chicken, a towering traditional Schweinshaxe (Bavarian pork knuckle), Currywurst, as well as sweet treats like the München Mess and Klassic Apple Strudel sound? Töp scran, that’s what it sounds like.
Credit: Supplied
James Plant, Head of Innovation at Albert’s Schloss, said ahead of 2025’s festivities: “We are so happy to be extending Oktoberfest to three full weeks this year.
“Every year, the energy and enthusiasm from our guests grow, and 2024 completely exceeded expectations. This year we are going even bigger – with more bier, more showtime and more Bavarian feasting. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back through the doors.”
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled on their socials for more info closer to the time on what might just be the biggest beer and boogie-filled bash of the year, and yes, you will most likely see us there, clad in lederhosen and silly hats.
Featured Images — Albert’s Schloss (supplied)/The Manc Group
Food & Drink
Mother and daughter-run bakery selling nostalgic cakes issues plea for support
Daisy Jackson
A Bury bakery run by a mother and daughter has shared a heartfelt message asking for support as running costs continue to skyrocket.
Little Blonde Bakes in Unsworth has enjoyed great success with its colourful occasion cakes and its nostalgic puddings and desserts.
We’re talking old-school cake with sprinkles and custard, thick slabs of banana bread, and pancake stacks with Nutella and strawberries.
They’re also all over the latest sweet trends, like pistachio kunafa strawberries and even a Dubai chocolate-inspired cookie pie.
But despite putting in such graft and creating such beautiful bakes, Little Blonde Bakes has said it’s falling on tough times.
The family-operated bakery, fronted by mother and daughter Jayne and Fran Harrison, said that it’s struggling to balance the rising costs of ingredients, national insurance, rates, and taxes, as well as a fickle Instagram algorithm that sometimes leaves them with only a few likes on a photo.
In their heartfelt statement, they added that events like the huge concerts that have come to Greater Manchester this summer, the hot weather, and the school holidays are having a negative effect on the small local business.
They wrote: “It feels like we our putting ourselves out there by sharing this & feels a little scary. but we need your help and support to keep going.
Little Blonde Bakes sells treats like old school cake and custard
“We’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and although it may seem like we are doing well, behind the scenes we are now trading and working to pay the bills. This goes for lots of small, local & independent businesses. They need us!”
The post from Little Blonde Bakes continued: “So if your local, or want to visit us, please do, we strive to always use the best ingredients and put so much love into our baking.
“If your not local, we have a full postal menu each week online which delivers anywhere in the uk.
“If you can’t do any of that (i know the cost of living crisis is also affecting a lot of people and families) then please, turn on our notifications, like & share & comment on our posts where you can, or even leave a review. Any support means the world.
“We really want to be able to continue doing what we love, with our amazing team, but the future looks a little scary without the amazing support of our customers. We love you all.”
You can pay Little Blonde Bakes a visit at 62 Sunny Bank Road, Unsworth, BL9 8HJ and follow them on Instagram @littleblondebakes.
Georgina Pellant -
4th October 2022 
