A new artisan bakery is tipped to open in Manchester’s Green Quarter later this year, bringing sweet and savoury croissants, impressive Danish pastries and flavoured focaccias to the Red Bank neighbourhood.
Called Half Dozen Other, it forms part of the Pot Kettle Black Group (PKB) and has been quietly making some of the best viennoiserie, bread and (our personal favourite) pretzel buns in Manchester for years.
Up until now, the bakery has played more of a back-of-house role with its bakers busily working away behind the scenes.
Last year it took its first step into the limelight when it moved into the Northern Quarter food hall Mackie Mayor, replacing Wolfstreet Coffee with a fresh menu of bakes, French toast and savoury croissants.
Now, the team is preparing to open its first ever customer-facing store – meaning that before long fans will be able to pick up their treats to enjoy at home.
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Half Dozen Other has been operating from inside Mackie Mayor but announced its closure two weeks ago. / Image: Half Dozen Other
A perfectly laminated croissant at Half Dozen Other. / Image: Half Dozen Other
Joining a community of independent food and drink businesses housed inside the Red Bank railway arches, Half Dozen Other will sit side by side with beloved continental pasta restaurant The Sparrows, Foundation Coffee House and Green Arches Brewery and Bar.
The bakery has signed a 10-year lease with FEC on a 4,500 sq. ft premises with the Red Bank Arches and will run both its retail and wholesale operations from the new site.
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Specialising in ‘classic bakes with modern takes’, customers will be able to watch the Half Dozen Other bakers at work in the kitchen as they pop in for loaves of freshly-baked brioche or sourdough.
Mark Flanagan at Half Dozen Other, said: “We are really excited to open our doors at Red Bank. Due to the high demand for our wholesale baked goods and our desire to open our own retail bakehouse, this site is perfect for us.
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“We’ll be serving up our standard breads, cakes and viennoiserie alongside our modern takes on classic bakes. All the while customers will be able to spectate on the mixing, rolling and shaping taking place at the Bakehouse.”
Developer FEC is working with a range of partners to create a programme of immersive events and unique experiences across 155 hectares of land that will, in due course, become known as Victoria North.
Freshly baked loaves at Half Dozen Other. / Image: Half Dozen Other
The Caprese Benedict from Half Dozen Other. / Image: Half Dozen Other
Jake Scott-Thrale, Asset Manager at FEC, said: “Half Dozen Other perfectly aligns with our approach of working with independent and entrepreneurial businesses to help people find and enjoy this emerging part of the city.
“Half Dozen Other has risen to fame on the brunch plates of Mancunians, so we’re excited to be working with them to expand their production capacity and moreover, bring their delicious bakes to local residents.
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“It also marks an exciting next step in supporting a buzzing and social community as we bring forward the first developments within Victoria North, with numerous other businesses looking at the area as a potential new home too.
“It’s genuinely exciting to imagine how things will progress in the future as more residents and businesses move in and the community really takes shape.”
Feature image – Google Maps
News
Teen sentenced after deliberately driving into a female police officer in Stockport
Emily Sergeant
A teen who deliberately drove into a female police officer at a retail park Stockport earlier this year has been sentenced.
Harvey Bell was at a retail park on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle back on 25 January 2025 when he seriously injured a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer during a shocking incident – which left the officer requiring hospital treatment.
At the time, the 19-year-old from Knutsford was present while police were investigating reports of class C drug use in a car park.
Police parked in front of an Audi and the officer signalled for Bell to remain stationary and turn the engine off, but instead he reversed, and as the officer approached the front windscreen, Bell drove at the officer, knocking her to the ground.
He then proceeded to drive over her legs with both sets of wheels, before heading out of the car park at speed.
#JAILED | A man who deliberately drove into a police officer in Stockport has been jailed.
Harvey Bell (12/08/2005) has been sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute and was disqualified from driving for two years.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) June 4, 2025
Bell was subsequently arrested the following day and made no comment in his police interview, but then went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, as well as possession of cannabis on 27 March 2025.
The teen appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute, and was also disqualified from driving for two years – which will take effect when he is released.
“What [Bell] did to me is permanently in the back of my mind, every call I go to, I feel the apprehension, the fear that any incident, no matter how innocuous it appears, can end with being assaulted or hurt,” the officer explained in a powerful victim impact statement read in court.
“This is an unseen result of Bell’s assault on me.”
She continued: “I know that Bell’s abhorrent behaviour is an exception, and the majority of the public we serve do not wish us harm, but assaults on police need to stop. An attack on a police officer is an attack on us all.
“Bell is a danger to society and had total disregard for my life.”
Featured Image – GMP
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IKEA announces decision to close popular Greater Manchester site
Emily Sergeant
It’s the end of the road for one of IKEA’s popular Greater Manchester sites.
The Swedish furniture giant has announced its decision to close its ‘Plan and Order Point’ over in Stockport in a couple of weeks time.
The store – which is located in Stockport town centre’s Merseyway Shopping Centre – launched to huge success back in March 2023, and at the time, was the second of this ‘test and trial’ format to open in the UK, becoming a smaller space dedicated to kitchen and home planning, as well as ordering items.
IKEA says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ which plan to take this conceptual format in a direction to ‘better suit the needs of UK customers’.
IKEA is closing its close popular Stockport site this month / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
Since the opening of the Stockport Plan and Order Point, IKEA claims it has seen an increased demand for Click and Collect services, a desire by customers to shop a smaller selection of home furnishing accessories, as well as the ability to return goods to physical IKEA units, and this is all something which the current location is unable to offer.
Learning from this change in consumer habits, the company says its future Plan and Order Point openings – including in those in other northern cities like Hull and York – will offer these services.
IKEA says it also remains ‘committed’ to trialling new formats, such as its upcoming small stores, one of which will open in nearby Chester later this year.
Luckily for IKEA fans, the retailer has confirmed that its major Greater Manchester store in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as the neighbouring store in Warrington, will remain open as normal, offering all the services available at Stockport and more.
The Swedish furniture says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ about customer needs / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
In addition to the upcoming opening of a smaller store in Chester, IKEA has revealed that the North West continues to be an area of interest for future expansion.
“After careful evaluation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the IKEA Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre,” explained Salma Azad, who is one of IKEA’s Area Managers.
“In the two years since opening, we’ve taken valuable learnings, including how our customers prefer to meet IKEA, and we’ll take these insights into future openings, to serve shoppers in a more impactful way.”
Thanks to last year’s Click and Collect expansion, Stockport residents can now pick up purchases from Tesco Extra Stockport and Tesco Extra Stretford, as well as the Manchester store and the upcoming small store in Chester.
Stockport Plan and Order Point’s final day of trading will be on 16 June.
Georgina Pellant -
31st January 2023 
