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AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021
AJ Handley-Rowe -
10th November 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
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Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
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This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
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Featured image: Supplied
First 14 Greater Manchester train stations set to join Bee Network this year revealed
Emily Sergeant
The first 14 train stations in Greater Manchester that are set to join Bee Network before the end of the year have been revealed.
In case you need bringing up to speed, back in December of last year, Andy Burnham – who was then Greater Manchester Mayor, at the time – announced a step-by-step plan for bringing the region’s rail lines into the Bee Network, all with the aim of creating the first truly integrated public transport system outside London.
Eight commuter rail lines will be brought onto the Bee Network in phases through to 2028, with the final additions expected by 2030, so passengers can enjoy all the benefits of joined up buses, trams, trains and active travel.
And now it’s been revealed which stations are set to be the first to join.
The first two lines – which will connect Manchester to Glossop and Stalybridge – will become part of the Bee Network from December 2026, with contactless ‘tap in, tap out’ ticketing also rolled out across 14 stations at the same time.
Here’s everything you need to know.
The 14 Greater Manchester stations joining the Bee Network in December 2026
- Ardwick
- Ashburys
- Broadbottom
- Dinting
- Fairfield
- Flowery Field
- Glossop
- Godley
- Gorton
- Guide Bridge
- Hadfield
- Hattersley
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Newton for Hyde
The 15 stations planned to join the Bee Network in March 2027
- Ashton-under-Lyne
- Belle Vue
- Bredbury
- Brinnington
- Hyde Central
- Hyde North
- Manchester Victoria
- Marple
- Reddish North
- Romiley
- Rose Hill Marple
- Ryder Brow
- Stalybridge
- Strines
- Woodley
The 43 stations planned to join the Bee Network by December 2028
- Appley Bridge
- Atherton
- Bolton
- Burnage
- Castleton
- Cheadle Hulme
- Clifton
- Daisy Hill
- Davenport
- Deansgate
- East Didsbury
- Eccles
- Farnworth
- Gathurst
- Gatley
- Hag Fold
- Hazel Grove
- Heald Green
- Heaton Chapel
- Hindley
- Ince
- Kearsley
- Levenshulme
- Manchester Airport
- Manchester Oxford Road
- Mauldeth Road
- Middlewood
- Mills Hill
- Moorside
- Moses Gate
- Moston
- Patricroft
- Rochdale
- Salford Central
- Salford Crescent
- Stockport
- Swinton
- Walkden
- Westhoughton
- Wigan North Western
- Wigan Wallgate
- Woodsmoor
The remaining 25 stations planned to join the Bee Network by 2030
- Altrincham
- Blackrod
- Bramhall
- Bromley Cross
- Bryn
- Chassen Road
- Denton
- Flixton
- Glazebrook
- Greenfield
- Hale
- Hall-i’-th’-Wood
- Horwich Parkway
- Humphrey Park
- Irlam
- Littleborough
- Lostock Parkway
- Mossley
- Navigation Road
- Orrell
- Pemberton
- Reddish South
- Smithy Bridge
- Trafford Park
- Urmston
This means that contactless ‘tap and go’ payments with capped fares will be brought in across bus, tram and train services from 2030.
All timings are subject to ongoing work between Greater Manchester leaders and the Department for Transport (DfT), Network Rail, Shadow Great British Railways, and Train Operating Companies.
Featured Image – TfGM
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