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
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Council calls on Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use
Emily Sergeant
Residents across Manchester are being called on to help bring hundreds of empty homes across the region back into use.
Since the beginning of this year, a major review has been underway around the city’s draft strategy for bringing empty homes back into use to help meet demand for affordable homes across the city, while also improving communities by tackling empty homes that can blight an area… but now, Manchester City Council needs your help.
Following a major public consultation, the Council is now acting on feedback to accelerate plans to bring as many long-term empty homes back into active use as possible.
Although the number of long-term empty homes in Manchester is near a historic low, with the Council having managed to reduce the number by more than half since 2013, there is still more work to be done.
“Every void property is a missed opportunity to provide a family a place to live, reduce homelessness, and lessen the burden on temporary accommodation,” the Council said in a statement.
The Council is calling on the Manchester public to help bring hundreds of empty homes back into use / Credit: Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
So, how can residents help then? What do you need to do if you spot an empty home on a street nearby?
Well, the easiest way to report an empty home is to report the issue online here, or by emailing [email protected]. And then once that’s done, a team of dedicated empty homes officers will take up the case to find out who owns the property and work with the owner on a plan to bring the home back into use.
The vast number of empty homes are privately owned with complex histories, and there are some cases where an owner may have passed away.
While working collaboratively with housing providers, voluntary organisations and public services are also a key element of detecting potentially empty or ‘problematic’ homes to repurpose them.
Officers can also support, where required, if a communication or language poses a barrier to resolving an empty home issue.
Tailored approaches to different communities – where empty homes impact neighbourhoods in different ways – are also being considered, according to the Council.
“To think, if we could bring all empty homes back into use, then we could provide more homes for those on the housing register and take pressure off the whole housing system,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development.
“The potential of making empty homes a thing of the past is huge for Manchester families looking for a place to call home – and a significant part of tackling the housing crisis.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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Urgent travel warning issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is gearing up for what is set to be one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Manchester‘s biggest music festival, Parklife, returns to Heaton Park this weekend (Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June), with tens of thousands of people expected to make the journey to see headliners Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji, Skepta, and Zara Larsson, as well as many other well-known music names… but that’s not all.
Over at the Etihad Stadium, Take That are set to perform a series of shows across the weekend, while the Etihad Campus will also host the Women’s Netball Final at Co-op Live from 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
The city will also welcome Lily Allen and the B52s across three nights at the AO Arena, and the Women’s Cricket World Cup will draw thousands to Emirates Old Trafford on 21 June, when South Africa take on India.
So, as you can see, we’ve got a jam-packed couple of days coming up.
📣 This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest in Manchester, with multiple events taking place across the city.
🚗 Public transport, roads and venues are likely to be extremely busy.
🕛 If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend, please plan ahead and allow extra time… pic.twitter.com/iqtmlSpAOR
In fact, it’s estimated that more than a quarter of a million people are expected to be travelling to the various events over the weekend, and of course, this means the roads and public transport will be significantly busier than usual.
Whether you’re one of the many fans or just making a regular journey, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is advising everyone to ‘plan ahead’, allow extra time for their journey, and avoid the busiest areas and times.
To prepare for the increase in travel, TfGM has confirmed that there will be more trams serving event venues, alongside extended tram operating times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
For travel to and from Parklife, the specific Parklife travel ticket – which will be available on the Bee Network app – is valid on trams and buses across Greater Manchester, and this includes relevant shuttle buses operating to and from the city centre.
An urgent travel warning has been issued ahead of one of Manchester’s busiest event weekends of the year / Credit: Steve Turvey (Supplied) | TfGM
Throughout the weekend, extra staff and TravelSafe Support Officers will be out and about across the transport network to help passengers, and TfGM will be working closely with police and other partners to manage roads and the transport network around the clock.
“We’re expecting it to be very busy across the network, with more than a quarter of a million fans travelling to various sports and music events,” commented Danny Vaughn, who is the Chief Network Officer at TfGM.
“We will have as many staff as possible on the network, running as many services as we can to ensure that the Bee Network is here to help you get where you need to go.
“So, for everyone looking to get out and about, please plan ahead, check the Bee Network app for updates and have a safe journey.”
A dedicated travel page for this weekend’s event has been set up, so you can find out everything you need to know and get live updates on the Bee Network website here.
Georgina Pellant -
31st January 2023 
