New ‘Anglo-Saxon’ pizzeria Dokes Pizza is opening in Prestwich from the team behind esteemed Ancoats restaurant Elnecot.
Called Dokes, the pizzeria has already made a name for itself in the city centre – serving its hearty, heritage grain pizzas out of one of the hatch kitchens at the new Manchester food and drink hall Society.
Now, it seems the concept will soon have a new home all of its own over in the trendy north Manchester suburb of Prestwich, as planning documents reveal Dokes pizza will be moving into the former Basil + Lily unit on Bury New Road.
Image: Dokes Pizzeria
Here, bosses have hinted that the menu will expand beyond pizzas to include lunch and brunch offerings too – leading to some speculation that popular dishes at Elnecot may make their way over to Prestwich.
Dokes pizzas use as many British ingredients as possible, right down to the flour, mozzarella and tomatoes (when they are in season), and there are plenty of strong options for veggies as well as meat eaters.
This isn’t just pizza. This is, arguably, post-Brexit pizza, made with as much English produce as its chefs can get their hands on. A clever way to get around those pesky supply issues.
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Image: Dokes Pizzeria
Image: Dokes Pizzeria
Image: Dokes Pizzeria
First opening inside Society last July, the concept is the brainchild of Micheal Clay and Wesley Downham. Building upon the relationships that they have built with suppliers over the years at Elnecot, the pair are using Dokes to showcase some top-notch British produce.
Maintaining a similar style and standard of ingredient sourcing to the Ancoats’ restaurant, you’ll find pizzas loaded with dreamy toppings like truffles from Wiltshire, air-dried duck breast from Trealy Farm in Wales, Cumbrian Curthwaite Goat’s Curd and British burrata.
Favourites include the alluringly-named ‘Sexy greens’ with charred broccoli, savoy, crispy chilli, confit garlic cream, caper vierge; Medieval literature-inspired ‘Beowulf’ with deli farm chorizo, nduja, British burrata, gremolata; and the ‘Cheese behemoth’ with Owd yonner, Chepyn blue, Grace’s goat, Scottish Connage, mozzarella fior di latte, British burrata and apple chutney.
The kitchen is also making its own globally-inspired dips, a crucial pizza addition that’s not to be sniffed at. Think tangy chepyn blue ranch, spicy Korean gochujang bbq, Wiltshire truffle and confit garlic and herb. Perfect for dunking your crust in.
Sure to be a great new addition to Prestwich, Dokes pizza is pegged for a spring opening in April this year. To keep up with further updates on the new site make sure to follow them on Instagram.
Neighbourhood Weekender reveals second wave of HUGE acts for summer lineup
Thomas Melia
Neighbourhood Weekender has just dropped another list of names for its 2025 lineup.
The Warrington-based festival is always stacked with mega acts, with this summer’s lineup being absolutely no different, and a whole new bunch of famous faces have just been announced this week too.
This new batch of bands and artists sees the addition of some rising stars, as well as some much-loved favourites.
First up on the impressive roster is Dylan John Thomas, who may be known for his rockstar tunes, but he also loves to break it up with a performance of ABBA classic ‘Mamma Mia’ from time to time.
Villanelle are also ready to raise the roof, and if that name sounds familiar to you, then that’s because the band is fronted by none other than Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, while another big highlight on the lineup just announced is The Slow Readers Club.
Neighbourhood Weekender reveals second wave of HUGE acts for summer lineup / Credit: Supplied
This list doesn’t end there either, as busker-turned-overnight-star Alex Spencer is on the bill and is already proclaimed as one of the UK’s most promising songwriters.
Previously, this popular indie rock festival – which is taking place this May bank holiday weekend on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May – had already announced huge names like James, Stereophonics, The Wombats, and The Reytons as some of the acts performing across this two-day event.
If this second wave of names didn’t convince you enough to get a ticket already though, worry not, as more names are soon to be revealed.
Manchester to get ANOTHER new city centre park as plans get green light
Emily Sergeant
You wait 100 years for a new city centre park, and then two come along one after the other.
That’s right, merely a few years after Mayfield Park finally opened to the Manchester public after more than a century without one, it’s now been revealed that another park is planned for the city centre, as the Government has given the green light to a major new ‘digital campus’ bringing 7,000 civil service jobs to the region.
The new state-of-the-art hub, which will be known as Manchester Digital Campus, will be constructed on the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, alongside the new park.
As mentioned, the campus will bring together a number of Civil Service departments, all with a focus around digital skills, and the Government claims it will create ‘significant employment opportunities’ and ‘economic benefits’ in the region.
Ultimately, Government ministers say these ambitious plans are set to boost Manchester’s digital and tech sector.
Our proposed plans for the Manchester Digital Campus have received the green light!
The state-of-the-art campus in Ancoats will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills.
— Government Property Agency (the GPA) (@UKGovPropAgency) February 20, 2025
Alongside the new campus, however, is the perhaps even-more-exciting addition of a new urban park, which is aiming to improve access to quality green space for city centre residents and visitors, while also creating a connection to the existing Cotton Field Park behind and through to Ancoats and New Islington.
The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.
According to Manchester City Council, a central lawn and plaza will create a ‘green buffer’ to Great Ancoats Street, with various tiered gardens navigating the different level changes across the site, alongside play areas, paths, and tranquil areas to escape the noise of the city.
The park has also been designed to make sure that it’s fully accessible for all.
A new digital campus by @UKGovPropAgency bringing 7,000 quality jobs to Manchester has been approved.
The campus will transform a derelict former retail site alongside a new city centre park in Ancoats.
The site will accommodate new walking and cycling routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter, and out towards the Etihad Campus.
“The new park is a welcome addition to our city centre green spaces,” commented Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“It’s a reimagining of the former retail site that has for many years acted only as a barrier to the community behind – and an eyesore in one of the most exciting parts of our city.”
Georgina Pellant -
18th February 2022 
