Award-winning pie company Great North Pie is opening a pie and mash cafe in Manchester this year.
Set to arrive on the cobbles of Little David Street in spring, the cafe will be the first to move into the long-forgotten avenue as it is brought back to life this year by the developers behind KAMPUS.
Putting some modern touches on the traditional pie and mash cafe, Great North Pie will serve up all the traditional favourites like classic Lancashire cheese and onion, roast chicken and mushroom, and 14 hour braised beef and ale alongside a regularly-changing selection of seasonal specials.
Smoked haddock, salmon and fish sauce pie / Image: Great North Pie Company Steak and kidney steamed suet pudding, mash, roast onion and brown sauce gravy / Image: Great North Pie Company
Previous specials at other Great North Pie cafes have included a macaroni and cheese pie, various fish pies (a favourite being the smoked mackerel, horseradish and mustard pie), a steak and kidney steam suet pudding, and a corned beef and potato pie.
As for sides with your pies, think lashings of gravy, signature mushy peas with mascarpone, and plenty of buttery mash.
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Alongside a great selection of hand-crafted pies, diners will also find a full drinks menu celebrating local brewers and distillers – with the option to choose a matching beer or glass of prosecco to go with their chosen dish.
Seating will be available inside and out, with a covered outdoor patio stretching out onto the cobbles and looking over both the Bridgewater canal and Kampus garden.
Husband and wife team Neil and Sarah Broomfield started Great North Pie ten years ago, making pies in their home kitchen for local farmers markets.
The business is now one of the North West’s success stories with cafes in Altrincham and Ambleside in the Lake District. The pair also act as judges for the Great British Pie Awards and were recently named as finalists in Radio 4’s Food & Farming Awards.
Co-owner and pie-maker Neil said that both he and Sarah had always wanted a base in the city centre, it was simply a matter of finding the right place – and now it seems that they have.
Image: Great North Pie Company Image: Great North Pie Company
“It had to be somewhere intimate and cosy and Kampus really nails that laid back vibe.,” he said.
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Promising “great northern pies and mash, with loads of gravy”, he says they’ll be keeping things simple at the new cafe and are looking forward to being part of an independent community with the “mix of independent traders that are coming.”
Little David street, which is part of the Kampus neighbourhood being developed by HBD and Capital&Centric, is thought to be one of the only untouched cobbled streets in Manchester.
Development plans for the street see it set to become a hub of bars, cafes, shops and restaurants – with Great North Pie expected to be the first arrival of many.
The Macaroni pie special from Great North Pie Company / Image: Great North Pie Company
Adam Brady, HBD said: “Great North Pie is something of an institution when it comes to pie and mash and it’s amazing to welcome them to the Kampus community.
“They’re the first to sign up at Little David Street which will have cafes, bars and shops all spilling out onto the beautiful cobbles,giving it an almost European feel.
It’s exciting to see how the Kampus neighbourhood is growing, whether you live here or not there’ll be something for everyone, and there’s lots more to come. There’s really going to be nowhere else like it in the city.”
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Great North Pie is the latest name to join Kampus which, with the likes of Nell’s, General Store, Pollen and Beeswing also signed up, is fast becoming a hub for local foodie independents.
Kampus’ is a mix of old and new, with developers having made use of historic buildings that have lain derelict for years.
It sits right next to the famous Canal Street in Manchester’s Gay Village and is just minutes from Piccadilly Station.
Strangeways declared ‘threat to national security’ following drone deliveries of drugs, weapons and more
Danny Jones
A recent trend at HMP Manchester has been declared a “threat to national security” after it was learned that drones have been regularly delivering drugs, weapons and more into the facility formerly known as Strangewaysalong with other UK prisons.
It’s said there were roughly 220 drone sightings over the past year or so – more than any other prison in the country – and issues around contraband, violence, hygiene and more have been on the increase ever since. HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire was found to be similarly neglected.
A rife drug and rat problem was found following a surprise autumn inspection between September and October; it is now evident that the chronic issues have been exacerbated by a major security breach as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Charlie Taylor, says police have “ceded airspace” over facilities.
The most recent report on conditions at HMP Manchester and Long Lartin was published on Tuesday, 14 January and, in short, it insists that huge investment is needed in order to curb the crisis.
Credit: HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Drones, corruption and a lack of investment have seen Strangeways maintain its reputation
A top-line assessment of Strangeways found that many of the sticking points came down not only to the advent of drones delivering items such as phones, drugs, weapons and other “large payloads” weighing up to as much as 7kg, but merely “poor physical security” and concerns regarding corruption.
Most notably, high-risk prisoners who Taylor described as “extremely dangerous” have been burning holes in cell windows in order to pick up drone deliveries. The ease with which these exchanges are able to take place comes down to what he simply calls “slow action”.
There has been a damning failure to spot, repair and/or replace these panels, as well as the torn netting over exercise yards, meaning that drone operators have an easier task when dropping their packages into the 158-year-old penitentiary.
According to the report, “a staggering 39% of prisoners had tested positive in mandatory drug tests at Manchester” (50% at Long Lartin) and a simple survey found that drugs and alcohol were “easy” to acquire inside Strangeways.
In addition to the rodent infestation, general hygiene looks to have plummeted to new lows in recent times too, with “widespread dirt, damp and litter” as well as vandalism in several areas. Inmates have also been tearing up mattresses to insulate windows from the cold.
Numbers relating to assault, self-harm, suicide and more have also risen since the last major inspection in 2021. By all accounts, it remains one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons for a whole host of reasons.
There has also been a significant drop-off when it comes to socialisation and rehabilitation efforts, as the work day, learning and general activities look to have dwindled too.
Taylor signed off by writing: “The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
“The prison service, the police and other security services must urgently confront organised gang activity and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.” To put it simply, he says the situation is “highly alarming.”
It may not make for pleasant reading, but if you want a clearer picture of the current conditions inside Strangeways prison or to learn more about the growing advent of smuggling drones, you can read the extensive 67-page report in full HERE.
Broken cell windowDamage and dirtThe state of a kitchenette (Credit: HMIP)
Featured Images — Robert Wade (via Flickr)/HMIP (HM Inspectorate of Prisons)
News
Murder investigation launched after man in his 50s found dead in Little Hulton
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched after the body of a man in his 50s was found in Little Hulton this past weekend.
Shortly before 7:30am on Sunday 12 January, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Hope Hey Lane, in the Little Hulton area of Salford, following reports of concern for the welfare of a man.
Once emergency services arrived on the scene, the body of a man in his 50s was sadly found dead.
According to GMP, following a post mortem taking place, officers believe the man’s injuries are “consistent with an assault”, and because of this, detectives have subsequently launched a murder investigation.
#ARREST | A murder investigation has been launched after a man was found deceased in Little Hulton yesterday.
A woman in her 40s has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
There will be an increase in police around the area while we investigate.
With the investigation ongoing, a woman in her 40s has already been arrested on suspicion of murder, and she remains in police custody for questioning.
Addressing the incident and speaking on the murder investigation as it progresses, Detective Chief Inspector Neil Higginson, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Sadly, following the discovery of a body at a property in Little Hulton, we have now launched a murder investigation, and we have a team of detectives working around the clock to understand the circumstances.
“We do not believe there to be a threat to the wider public, but you will likely see an increased presence of police in your area whilst we conduct further enquiries.
Hope Hey Lane in Little Hulton, where the incident happened / Credit: Google Maps
“If you have any information which may assist our investigation, or any dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area in the lats 24 hours, then please get in touch with us. No matter how small the information may seem, it could be crucial to our investigation.”
Can you help? Any information can be shared by calling police on 101 quoting log 650 of 12/01/25, or using the LiveChat function online at www.gmp.police.uk.
Georgina Pellant -
5th January 2022 
