Manchester’s giant food hall and music venue Escape to Freight Island is switching things up this spring by moving in a host of new food traders.
Dessert shops Choo Choo eclairs and Soft Boi are going, as is Baratxuri’s basque country-inspired grill from the award-winning Ramsbottom restaurant and burger joint Patty Queen.
In their places will come some exciting new additions – such as Carnival, a brand new meaty grill concept from Hawksmoor co-founder Richard Turner; and Lucky Foot, a chargrilled and deep-fried chicken offering from the same team behind popular Liverpool spots Belzan and Madre.
With all the new traders due to all be in place by mid-May at the very latest, the revamped food market will open five days a week from Wednesday to Sunday.
Keep reading to find out who’s moving in – and what to expect from their menus.
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Carnival
Image: Escape To Freight Island
Carnival is a new collaboration concept from food writer, butcher and restauranteur Richard Turner, a co-founder of some of the best grill restaurants in the country including Hawksmoor, Pitt Cue Co, Blacklock and Meatopia Festival.
Turner and the team will be taking over the grill of what previously was Baratxuri, following the departure of Rachel Stockley at its Ramsbottom site. The brand said on its departure: “After almost two years we have decided it is the time to move on to explore some new opportunities for our family-run restaurant so watch this space.”
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Using the finest produce from a single producer farm, Carnival menu highlights will include fine cuts of premium rib, porterhouse and T-bone steak, as well as pork chop with apple tamarind ketchup, lobster with wild garlic, smoked beef short ribs, crispy fried scampi and potato gratin with anchovy and parmesan.
There will also be a limited ‘Front Row Seat’ chef’s table-style tasting menu available to those who like to see all of the action. Bookings will open later this month.
The team behind Belzan refresh their current counter this month with a brand-new deep-fried and charcoal-grilled chicken offering called Lucky Foot. Serving first-class birds, there’s no need to feel guilty about where your chicken is coming from here.
As for what’s on the menu, think fried chicken burgers, different salted fries (chicken, spicy, seaweed and plain), plus massive chicken tenders and sweet potato chunks – and that’s just for starters. We’ve had a little sneak peek, and already can’t wait to go back.
Gooey
Gooey’s most recent cookie special was inspired by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. / Image: The Manc Eats
Known for their outrageously rich (not to mention ginormous) cookies and doughnuts, Manchester bakery Gooey will move into Freight Island as part of a new 2022 dessert offering.
Fans can expect to find specials like hot cookie dough and ice cream here, as part of an exclusive offering for the market, alongside the other tasty products they’ve become so well known for.
Batard
Image: Batard
Manchester bakehouse Batard will join Gooey this April in catering to Freight diners with a sweet tooth, serving up dessert pies and ice cream to the masses.
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Pitching up outside the Plant Room, the bakehouse will have its very own diner in partnership with Wildfarmed, a community-led farming system on a mission to fix soil through regenerative farming co-founded by Andy Cato of Groove Armada.
Burgerism
Image: Burgerism
The one and only Burgerism will take over from Patty Queen at Escape to Freight Island in May, bringing what are widely considered to be the best smashed burgers in town to this corner of Piccadilly.
Fans of the brand can look forward to the famous ‘Cheesed’ burger with two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and Burgerism sauce in a brioche bun, alongside the mouthwatering chicken burger.
Escape to Freight Island’s opening hours are Wednesday and Thursday (from 4pm to 11pm), Friday (from 4pm to 1am), Saturday (from 12pm to 1am) and Sunday (from 12pm to 10pm).
Feature image – The Manc Eats / Batard / Burgerism
News
Oldham RLFC chairman to step aside following ‘stadium ban’ and winding-up petition
Danny Jones
Oldham Rugby League Football Club chairman Bill Quinn has said he is stepping down from his role at the organisation following a reported club-wide stadium ban and an HMRC winding-up petition earlier this month.
Quinn has now claimed that the petition, which requires a company to appear in court over debts, has since been resolved, but the 59-year-old is still set to leave the local outfit.
Mirroring the concerning circumstances that nearly saw Salford Red Devils disappear completely last year, before a former player’s investment rescued the sporting institute in the eleventh hour, Oldham RLFC looked to be staring down a deeply concerning period of uncertainty.
Speaking directly to Roughyeds fans in a lengthy video share on social media, Quinn said that while he disagreed with many of the comments left by supporters online over the last few weeks, he understands their frustration and right to know what’s going on in and around Boundary Park.
Reiterating that he’s “more than happy” to answer reasonable questions levelled by Oldham residents and matchgoers, he said that he denies allegations made by fellow native club, Oldham Athletic, stating that they are “totally unfounded and untrue”.
The Latics are currently refusing the rugby league side from using their usual home ground, with the football team also serving as landlords and raising concerns over unpaid taxes and outstanding funds still owed to debtors – including OAFC themselves.
You can read their most recent public statement in full HERE.
However, Quinn claims that both entities claim the other one owes them money, and the situation looks to be unfortunately heading towards formal litigation.
Nevertheless, while Chorley-based businessmen say the club is prepared to settle their monetary differences if arrears prove to be the case on their part, he has still said that he will soon be quitting.
As you can see, despite plenty of support and sympathy from the faithful fan base, the process looks to already be in motion, and many are being urged to provide their feedback on what should happen next.
"Trust between a club and its supporters relies on openness and communication — both of which currently feel lacking. This open letter is not written in a spirit of hostility, but out of genuine concern for the future of Oldham RLFC".
Despite Quinn’s insistence that “everyone will be paid”, the spectre of possible liquidation has still caused plenty of concern among the community.
In the case of Salford RLFC, they were fortunate enough to have ex-winger Mason Caton-Brown step in as part of a consortium – you can read our full interview with him HERE – but as the weeks and months of that saga proved, a lot can change even day to day.
As for the coaching front, Alan Kilshaw has been confirmed as the new boss of the Roughyeds following director of rugby Mike Ford and his assistant Callum Irving leaving last week.
While winding-up summons obviously still loom large over the club at the moment, Oldham fans do at least have games to look forward to, with the Greater Manchester Championship club set to face off against Dewsbury Rams in the third round of the Challenge Cup this Sunday, 8 February (3pm).
Timings and road closures announced for Manchester’s Chinese New Year Dragon Parade 2026
Emily Sergeant
Road closures have been announced as Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade makes its way through the city centre this month.
As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 – which officially begins on Tuesday 17 February and runs through to Tuesday 3 March – and mark the ‘Year of the Horse’, the iconic Dragon Parade will be making its grand return to the streets of our city centre, and bringing a spectacular show of colour and light along with it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.
The parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year.
Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade returns next month to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 / Credit: Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
Celebrations officially kick off on Saturday 14 February this year, and as the headline of the festivities, the popular parade is set to take place the day after (Sunday 15 February).
Once again, organisers are expecting visitors in their thousands to turn out and watch as the famous 175ft Chinese dragon weaves its way through the city’s main shopping streets.
In order for the parade and other events to be carried out safely, a number of road closures and parking suspensions will be put in place, and a full list of those, as well as parade timings, have now been announced by Manchester City Council.
Here’s everything you need to know.
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Parade route road closures
From 10am to 3pm on Sunday 15 February:
Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street) soft closure at the junction of Peter Street / Deansgate. Access for residents and businesses only.
Oxford Street (Peter Street to Whitworth Street West)
Portland Street (Chepstow Street to Chorlton Street)
Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
St James Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street)
Back George Street (Dickinson Street to Princess Street)
Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Novotel Hotel Entrance/ End of Faulkner Street)
Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)
Soft Closure inbound at Whitworth Street / Princess Street, Whitworth Street/ Sackville Street and Whitworth Street / Chorlton Street junctions. No through traffic. Access to residents, businesses and buses only.
Reverse of the one way at Major Street (Princess Street to Sackville Street)
Chinatown closures
From 5am on Saturday 14 February to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:
Nicholas Street (Portland Street to George Street)
St James Street (Princess Street to Nicholas Street)
Faulkner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
From 5am to 11:59pm on Sunday 15 February:
Reyner Street (Princess Street to Charlotte Street)
Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
George Street (Princess Street to New York Street)
Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
Back George Street (Dickenson Street to Charlotte Street)
Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)
Chinese New Year festivities will take place over a full weekend / Credit: Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
Parking suspensions for Chinatown
From 12:01am on Friday 13 February to 11: 59pm on Sunday 15 February
George Street (New York Street to Dickinson Street)
Nicholas Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
Faulkner Street (New York Street to Princess Street)
Charlotte Street (Portland Street to Mosley Street)
Chain Street (George Street to Faulkner Street)
Pine Street (Chain Street to New York Street)
Parade route parking suspensions
From 8pm on Saturday 14 February to 4pm on Sunday 15 February
Peter Street (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)
Mount Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)
Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Whitworth Street West)
Hall Street (Oxford Street to Bale Street)
George Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
Back George Street (Dickinson to Princess Street)
St James Street (Oxford Street to Charlotte Street)
Chepstow Street (Oxford Street to Great Bridgewater Street)
Portland Street (Chepstow Street to New York Street)
Dickinson Street (Back George Street to Portland Street and Portland Street to Linley House/end of Dickinson Street)
Princess Street (Major Street to Cooper Street)
Sackville Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
Abingdon Street (Major Street to Portland Street)
Faulkner Street (Mercure Hotel to Princess Street)
Bale Street (Hall Street to Lower Mosley Street)
Parking suspensions include the Chinatown car park, all pay and display bays, accessible parking bays, and taxi ranks.
On top of this, there will also be disruption on the Metrolink too, as between 12pm and 1pm, there will be congestion around St Peter’s Square due to an increased number of pedestrians, and passengers are therefore told to expect delays.
As always, this year’s celebrations have been organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and Manchester City Council.
Featured Image – Chinese NY Manchester (via X) / CityCo
Georgina Pellant -
4th April 2022 
