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.”
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Oasis finally confirm ‘private ballot’ ticket information for reunion tour
Daisy Jackson
Oasis have just announced more information about how tickets will be sold through a ‘private ballot’ for their extra reunion tour dates.
The group added two additional shows at Wembley Stadium after their initial 17 gigs across London, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff generated huge demand and sold out in a day.
Oasis and Ticketmaster came under fire though for the use of dynamic pricing, which saw ticket prices shoot up by hundreds of pounds by the time people made it through the online queues.
For these additional reunion tour dates at Wembley, ticket sales will look a little different.
They’ll be using a ‘private ballot’, which will give first dibs to those who missed out on the first ticket sale.
You’ll only be invited to register for the sale if you signed into your Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August, and joined a queue for a specific show.
And you’ll only receive an invitation if you DIDN’T manage to bag tickets the first time round.
THEN you’ll be able to register for the actual ballot, which still doesn’t guarantee you a ticket but does at least get you into a (hopefully less lengthy) queue.
“Invitations to enter the private ballot will be sent overnight tonight (Saturday) to eligible fans we have been able to identify.
“If you signed into your Ticketmaster UK account on Saturday, 31st August, and were able to join a queue for a specific show, but didn’t get a ticket-then you may be eligible to take part and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
“Keep an eye on the inbox associated with your Ticketmaster account, and don’t forget to check your junkmail.
“Once successfully registered, you will be entered into the ballot for a code for access to the final Wembley on sale.
“Due to the demand for the shows and to avoid last week’s long queues, codes will be strictly limited. Entry to the ballot does not guarantee you will receive a code.
“The ballot is only open to invited fans. You must register with the email to which your invitation was sent and which is registered with your Ticketmaster account.
“All other entries will be discounted. If you do not receive an email then unfortunately you will not be eligible for the ballot.
“You will be automatically discounted from the ballot, even if you go through the registration process.”
Featured image: Simon Emmett
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Manchester Airport named UK’s worst in annual Which? survey for third year running
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has officially been declared the worst airport in the UK, according to a new survey by Which?… yet again.
The summer travel season may be drawing to a close now, with hundreds of flights having taken off and landed in our region over the last couple of months, but for any Greater Manchester holidaymakers who are still yet to jet off, an annual ranking by consumer choice group Which? has proved to be pretty grim reading.
That’s because several terminals at the UK’s third largest airport have found themselves at the bottom of the list in Which? latest findings.
Manchester Airport has hit back at the survey and defended itself, saying its own passenger surveys suggest people are “much more positive” about the airport, adding that it was “proud to give people in all parts of the North easy and affordable access to nearly 200 different destinations across the world”.
For its annual survey, Which? spoke to nearly 7,000 passengers to gather feedback about their experiences of flying from UK airports over the last 12 months, and asked them to score the airports across 11 categories.
Manchester Airport has been named the worst in the UK for the third year running / Credit: The Manc Group
Some of these categories including seating, staff, toilets, and of course, the queues we all dread at check in, bag drop, passport control, and security.
And just like in both 2022 and again in 2023, it was Manchester Airport Terminal 3 that ranked right at the bottom, receiving the lowest customer satisfaction score of 37%.
Manchester Terminal 1 ranked one place above that with a score of 40%, while Manchester Terminal 2 was a little further up the the list with a score of 51%, and just saw Luton Airport, London Stansted, and Belfast International Airport sandwiched in between it.
According to Which?, some of the complaints it received about Manchester Airport from passengers who responded to the survey this year was that older people struggled with long walks due to travelators being broken since 2021, difficulties with finding a seat, and “horrendous” queues with people apparently being “corralled like cattle”.
As mentioned though, Manchester Airport has slammed Which?’s findings in a formal statement.
The UK’s third largest airport has hit back at the survey results and defended itself / Credit:
Describing the survey as “disappointing to see”, Manchester Airport’s statement reads: “We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023.
“Which? fully understands that its readers form a narrow group of passengers whose views cannot in any way be taken to represent those of the travelling public at large, but chooses to promote its survey findings as if they do.”
Manchester Airport says it’s disappointing see Which? “chase cheap headlines” with its “sensational and over-simplified characterisation of airports” and the different roles they play, adding: “To make matters worse, it has printed inaccurate statements about our facilities and security waiting times that paint a more negative picture than reality.