A tiny bakery is opening a new shop on an Ancoats backstreet selling specialist treats and classic pastries with a Brazilian-inspired twist.
Serving out of a small hatch on Radium Street, The Flat Baker’s new shop will move into the same building as takeaway slab shack favourite Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria at the start of next month.
Opening on Saturdays only, here pastry and bread lovers will find a multitude of croissants and cruffins, pastel de natas, cinnamon swirls and faviours breads, including focaccia, cornbread, Pão de Queijo (cheese bread) and boozy brioche.
Image: The Flat Baker
Elsewhere, there’ll be more specialist Brazilian treats for sale too, like carrot cake topped and filled with creamy chocolate truffle (brigadeiro), guava polenta cake, tonka bean brownies, and passion fruit and lime meringue tarts.
The new shop opens in the same neighbourhood where it all began for the self-taught baking duo, who started churning out their Brazilian goodies from their Ancoats flat during lockdown two years prior.
ADVERTISEMENT
A family business, self-taught baker Matt and his partner Deb have previously collaborated with former Masterchef contestant Caroline Martins, creating calabresa sausage brioche balls for her Brazilian fine dining experience the Sao Paulo Project, and took over the cafe at Deansgate Square’s General Store last year.
Brioche from The Flat Baker. / Image: The Flat Baker
A selection of different breads. / Image: The Flat Baker
The Flat Baker collaborated with Caroline Martins to create these giant brioche balls for her dish of bread-wrapped baked Tunworth cheese, guava paste, mixed nuts, rosemary and thyme. / Image: The Flat Baker
The pair have built up a number of wholesale clients across Manchester, getting their name out there by taking part in a number of the city’s different artisan foodie markets.
They are also the organisers behind Manchester’s new Brazilian Festa Junina Festival, designed to bring together Brazilian chefs, bakers and others in a celebration of their country’s culture and cuisine.
Having spent the past few weeks wrestling their Instagram account back from hackers, the couple is now gearing up to open their new baking studio on Saturday 2 July.
To keep up with their progress ahead of the opening, give The Flat Baker a follow here.
— Barefoot Spooky Bartender 👣💀🍹 (@barefoottiki) October 10, 2024
“Be assured there won’t be 14408mph winds, hurricane force winds or overnight temperatures of 404°C.
“It is being looked at and hopefully sorted asap.”
BBC Weather shared: “You may have noticed some data issues on our app and website. We are working hard to fix it quickly. Sorry – please bear with us.
“In the meantime here are Thursday’s weather headlines: -Colder, clearer air moving in -Rain and drizzle in south -Blustery showers near east coast”
And national treasure Carol Kirkwood said live on air: “We are having a technical glitch at the moment. It’s showing wind speeds far too fast, in fact, hurricane strength and that is not the case at all.
“Please don’t be alarmed. We are aware of it and on it.”
At the time of writing, the BBC Weather forecast service is still predicting hurricane force winds for the UK. Eek.
BBC issues statement after UK forecast shows ‘hurricane force winds’ up to 14,000mph
New 44-storey skyscraper proposed that could change one of Manchester’s most famous views
Emily Sergeant
Plans for a massive new 44-storey residential skyscraper in the heart of the city centre have been revealed.
But does this mean it could change one Manchester‘s most famous views?
Located on what has been referred to as a “prominent site” adjacent to Deansgate train station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop at Whitworth Street West, these dramatic proposals would see the development of 364 apartments set over 44 storeys – with more 7,750 sq ft of active space on the ground, first, and second floor levels.
Developers Glenbrook say the building has been designed to “respond to the city’s heritage”, most-notably through its three-storey arched terracotta colonnade at street level.
Well-lit new green spaces, the enhancing of existing pedestrian routes, and seamless integration with the surrounding communities, all form part of the landscaping proposals for the bold new project.
“As a Manchester-based developer, we are excited about the prospect of embarking on a landmark development in the heart of our city, admitted Daniel Roberts, who is the Development Director at Glenbrook, as the proposals were unveiled this week.
“Whitworth Street West is undergoing a period of revitalisation, and Glenbrook are incredibly proud to be playing such an integral part in its future.”
A CGI of a proposed skyscraper on Whitworth Street West in Manchester / Credit: Glenbrook
A public consultation on the plans has now been launched, and will be live up until 28 October, as well as a dedicated in-person event, where representatives from Glenbrook and the design team will be on hand to answer questions and gather feedback, scheduled to take place at HOME MCR on First Street from 3:30-7:30pm on 15 October.
Residents, businesses, and interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to view the plans in detail, and provide their thoughts on the proposals.
The view of what Whitworth Street West currently looks like in October 2024 / Credit: The Manc Group
According to developers, the feedback gathered during the consultation will play a key role in shaping the final planning application – which will be submitted to the Manchester City Council in the coming months, and ultimately ensure the development meets the needs of the community.
Georgina Pellant -
27th June 2022 
