Incredible food and festival space, Escape to Freight Island, to open at Mayfield Depot in July
Located at Depot Mayfield, part of the £1.4bn regeneration of Manchester’s Mayfield district into a distinctive and imaginative, world-class neighbourhood.
A revolutionary international food market, arts showcase and festival space is set to open at Manchester’s Mayfield Depot later this year.
Located on Baring Street, ‘Escape to Freight Island’ is part of the £1.4bn regeneration of the forgotten freight railway into a world-class neighbourhood and district – offering an array of “food, drink, music, immersive entertainment and family-focused happenings.”
Organisers have described their dream to create “an international destination akin to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Coney Island in New York and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles”.
Escape to Freight Island will apparently be home to a number of different bars, restaurants, food trucks, as well as a 70s New York-inspired roller disco, hidden high-fi audio bar (which will transform into a karaoke venue called Queen Samantha’s) and a retro arcade games corridor.
There will also be a diverse ticketed events programme, with free festival-calibre entertainment 12 hours a day.
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Escape to Freight Island opens in July 2020 with a limited 600-capacity first phase, expanding to welcome 2,500 people later in the year.
The first area to be launched is ‘Platform 15’, “a tip of the cap to neighbouring Piccadilly Station and a place for people to be together, safely and responsibly.”
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Among the first traders on board are Madre, with its own non-traditional, upscaled, ingredient-driven taco, and Voodoo Ray’s Pizza following success in Peckham and Dalston.
A favourite of renowned restaurant critic Jay Rayner, Ramsbottom’s pioneering Baratxuri will hold court in the outside space, with a wood-fired ‘Asador’ grill, roasting large cuts of meat and whole fish.
Camden Town Brewery is also hosting a boutique craft ale bar in partnership with Salford’s Pomona Island brewery, alongside a cocktail space from the team at Ancoats bar The Jane Eyre.
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The entire venue will be “soundtracked by a selection of music” from the likes of Homoelectric, We Out Here festival, Festival N°6, Love International and other iconic musical curators.
The launch of phase two is planned for August, with Escape to Freight Island adding specially-curated food and drink offerings as capacity increases.
Escape to Freight island is the brainchild of Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey of Volta, Electrik Bar and The Refuge, Gareth Cooper of Festival N°6, event production veteran Jon Drape of Engine No. 4 and Managing Director Dan Morris – who launched leading Manchester music venues Gorilla and the Albert Hall.
Electriks’ Luke Cowdrey, co-curator, said: “Escape to Freight Islandisn’t your average food market. It’s a new and unique destination in Manchester, it is the next evolution in the food market sector that will fill a hole in the life of our city.
He continued: “Platform 15 will give a flavour of what is to come when we launch the full Escape to Freight Island experience, so let’s all meet at Platform 15 to begin our escape to freedom.”
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James Heather, development director at U+I for the Mayfield Partnership, said: “Mayfield has over the last three years been re-established in the hearts and minds of both Mancunians and visitors to our city as an outstanding location for culture and entertainment.
“With Escape to Freight Island, our partners at Broadwick Venues have assembled an amazing line-up of operators, brands and innovators which will take this to the next level.
“This is an exciting new chapter in Mayfield’s regeneration story and one which raises the bar further still for our city’s visitor offering, underlining our vision for Mayfield as Manchester’s true commercial, creative and cultural nexus.”
Bookings will be open next week. To get 24 hour advance notice for tables, join the community on the Escape to Freight Island website.
Table slots of three hours will be pre-booked from Thursday to Sunday, running from midday to midnight.
News
Trendy Ancoats wine bar Blossom Street Social to close after six years
Emily Sergeant
Trendy neighbourhood wine bar Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after nearly seven years serving the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social first opened its doors back in 2019, just months before the country – and the res of the world – was plunged into the COVID-19 lockdowns, but despite all the challenges during the early days, this wine bar went on to become a true staple of Ancoats life – hosting events, exhibitions, wine tastings, and everything in between.
But now, the owners have had to make the heartbreaking decision to close, saying they’ve ‘danced our last dance, played our last record, and poured our last glass of wine in Ancoats.’
Announcing the news in a statement to social media this week, Blossom Street Social said: “Blossom Street Social closes its doors after six and a half years at the heart of the Ancoats community.
Blossom Street Social has announced its closure after six years / Credit: The Manc Group
“When we opened in 2019, just months before the world changed forever, we couldn’t possibly have imagined the journey ahead. Through lockdowns, uncertainty and everything that followed, we somehow managed to build something that became far more than a wine bar.
“Wine was always at the heart of what we did, but so were the conversations, the music, the art and the community that grew around it.
“We’ve hosted tastings, exhibitions, launches, celebrations, social sessions and countless memorable nights. We’ve introduced people to wines they’d never tried before, watched friendships form and shared in some truly special moments.
“We’ve watched first dates become engagements, engagements become marriages, and couples return with babies in tow. We’ve celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, new homes and countless milestones alongside you. We’ve shared conversations, laughter, music and moments that mattered from our little corner of Ancoats. We will never forget them.”
The team then went on to thank ‘every customer, artist, DJ, supplier, collaborator and friend’ who became part of their story.
The owners also gave a special thank you to the staff members who stayed ‘to the very end’ and ‘showed up when it was hard’, admitting that they couldn’t have done it without them all.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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First look at Heaton Hall’s ‘glittering’ restoration as it prepares to reopen to public
Emily Sergeant
Some new images have been released showing the inside of the historic Heaton Hall as it prepares to reopen to the public after its extensive restoration.
The impressive Grade I-listed property – also known as the jewel of Heaton Park – has been closed to visitors since summer 2025 for ongoing refurbishment to protect it from further deterioration, improve safety, and safeguard the building for future generations.
On top of that, the Orangery building – which is also set to reopen – has been closed since 2012.
The heritage-led programme, undertaken by MC Construction Limited, has followed best practice guidance from Heritage England.
Heaton Hall is undergoing a ‘glittering’ restoration programme / Credit: Manchester City Council
To respect the heritage interior, all rewiring, cabling, and other electrical services like improved Wi-Fi and data infrastructure – all of which forms a significant part of the restoration process to ‘future proof’ the building – have been discreetly routed through existing voids and behind skirtings to avoid visible surface wiring, wherever possible.
The chandeliers have also been returned to their glittering best following intensive works to ‘refurbish and refresh’ the ornate features as part of the major rewiring programme.
As part of the long-term investment into the estate, Manchester City Council also announced ‘significant’ works to the Orangery, with a vision is to bring the building back into use as a high-quality events and dining venue after being vacant for more than a decade.
The Grade I-listed Heaton Hall is the jewel of Heaton Park / Credit: Supplied
“Heaton Hall is the jewel in the crown of Manchester’s heritage buildings,” commented Cllr Basat Sheikh, who is Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods.
“The Council take its role as custodians of the property seriously and for some years a long-term programme of investment has been underway to protect the building and make sure it is safeguarded and future proofed so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.
“We know how important this building is to many of our residents and we can’t wait to welcome people back inside.”
Following the rewiring works, Heaton Hall will be prepared to welcome back visitors later this year with tours organised by the Friends of Heaton Hall.
The expert volunteers will take small groups through the property, providing visitors with fascinating historical insights about the hall and the various collections within the property.
More information about the tours will be made available in the coming months.
The Manc -
29th June 2020 
