An empty industrial unit in Manchester could be transformed into an enormous beer hall and night market.
The proposed The Foundry site would include a walled garden, independent shops, an open-kitchen barbecue restaurant, a bakery, a coffee shop and a gym.
If it goes ahead, it will see the old Presbar Diecasting Foundry on Store Street turned into a food and drink venture.
The exciting new plans come from some local hospitality heavyweights – A Very Inc. is headed up by Adelaide Winter and Joel Wilkinson, the team behind Ramona and The Firehouse as well as previously founding the likes of the Albert Hall, Albert’s Schloss, Gorilla and Rudy’s.
A glimpse inside the site. Credit: The Foundry
The Foundry is set to take shape in the Piccadilly East neighbourhood near Manchester Piccadilly, on a 200,000 sq ft plot.
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The site would be split into two – Diecast, which would be home to the bars, bakery and night market; and Diecast Studios, with creative studios and a tech hub.
Its Beer Hall will include a craft brewery and long communal tables, while the corner of the building closest to Store Street will have a more daytime offering of coffee, and deli and baked goods.
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The Foundry’s plans. Credit: The Foundry
The outside space would be turned into a beer garden, with lights strewn across the yard, a herb garden and beehives.
The Foundry would be open on Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays from midday, closing no later than 1am.
Due to the residential properties in the area, the plans also include sound-proofing the warehouse.
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The Foundry comes from the same team behind Ramona and The Firehouse. Credit: Ramona
It’s set to create 1000 jobs for the local economy.
A public consultation is now set to take place before planning permission is sought for the project.
A statement on The Foundry’s website says: “Our passion is for reimagining, reusing and breathing life into historic, derelict buildings and neighbourhoods in this amazing city.
“Our next adventure is one of our biggest challenges yet. We want to transform the former Presbar Diecasting Foundry on Store Street into a new creative neighbourhood, providing a resource and community for local residents and visitors to Manchester.
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“We have created this website to tell our new neighbours a bit more about our plans and to ask for your feedback. We’d also love you to come and say hello in person.
“At our venues we take pride in the positive relationships that we have with our neighbours. We’re looking forward to getting to know you all and hopefully having a good time along the way.”
Popular night-time indie shopping market returns to Manchester tomorrow
Emily Sergeant
A unique indie shopping market is returning to Manchester, and you’ll be able to shop from 50 local small businesses all under one roof.
In case you hadn’t heard, the hugely-popular Night Market UK is back by popular demand, and it will be stopping off in our city centre for one night only tomorrow as part of the current leg of its tour across the country.
Returning to Manchester, but this time at a new location down at Fairfield Social Club in the Green Quarter, the unique night-time shopping experience will be showcasing more than 50 local small businesses – with everything from bespoke fashion items and beautifully-crafted homeware, to candles, artwork, silverware, and more on offer.
Brutal Fashion, Lost in Music, Urban Botany, and Dapper Alice are just a handful of the indie traders you’ll be able to shop from.
With event organisers promising there’ll be “a stall for everyone” to browse on the night, some of the other traders in attendance, include artisan producers, artists and bakers, as well as Fairfield Social Club’s resident street food purveyors Isit Kitchen, and pizza pros Killa Carbs.
DJ Clara B will also be taking over the club’s sound system too, and will be blasting tunes to set the scene all night long.
From bespoke fashion items and silverware courtesy of Brutal Fashion, to dazzling musical art prints from Lost in Music, and sculptural candles from Urban Botany to beautifully crafted homeware by Dapper Alice, there will be a stall for everyone on the night.
A popular night-time indie shopping market is returning to Manchester tomorrow / Credit: The Night Market UK | Kunal Mahesh Tewari (via The Night Market UK on Facebook)
The Night Market UK will open at Fairfield Social Club from 6pm tomorrow (Friday 26 July), and will run right through until 11pm.
Tickets are now on sale from just £4 each, and can be purchased in hourly entry timeslots – which organisers say “keeps the atmosphere just right” and ensures there’s enough space for everyone to be able to stay as little or as long as they’d like.
You can buy on the door or grab your tickets in advance here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Manchester
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Daisy Jackson -
14th February 2022 
