The glorious Chinatown bakery that’s been feeding Manchester for 20 years
Whether you're after egg tars, pandan cakes or coconut flower buns, this fresh Chinese bakery is a must visit whenever you find yourself in Manchester city centre.
Over in Manchester’s Chinatown, there’s a little family-run spot that is the place to go when you’re craving delicate Chinese buns, pastries and cakes.
From egg custard tarts made with the lightest, crumbly Chinese puff pastry, to fluffy buns flavoured with ham and cheese, sesame, red bean, pandan and more, if you’ve not been to a Chinese bakery before then trust us, it’s well worth a trip for the colourful cream cakes alone.
First established in 2003, Wong Wong Bakery is a firm local favourite with a wide variety of sweet and savoury choices on offer. Ever since Ho’s Bakery closed in 2021, it’s also the last shop of its kind left in the neighbourhood.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Sitting on Princess Street next door to Yang Sing (which happens to be one of Chinatown’s oldest restaurants) it is easy enough to find, with a jolly-looking baker good-naturedly juggling plates of goodies in each hand on its colourful sign.
Inside it is clean and modern, with red lanterns hung up high in anticipation of the upcoming Lunar New Year celebrations.
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On display are bevvy of colourful and enticing treats, ranging from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Think bright green pandan cakes and coconut flower buns to savoury bread: some covered in ham and cheese, others filled with pork floss, sweetcorn and tuna then rolled in seaweed.
Wong Wong Bakery’s pork floss, sweetcorn and tuna seaweed roll. / Image: The Manc Eats
There are some unusual (to a Western palate, at least) flavours on offer here, as well as some cute looking buns – including an adorable one shaped like a tortoise, complete with two eyes and a cartoonish smile on its tiny head.
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They also serve traditional pineapple buns, so named for their characteristic cracked golden yellow topping (so don’t expect to find any pineapple in there), as well as tempting celebration cakes that look so good they have us wondering who in office has a birthday coming up next.
When we visit, there’s quite a queue. People line up to get their fill of tarts, pastries and buns on a Monday lunchtime – their gold wire baskets brimming with bags of buns snatched from the grab-and-go display cabinets next to the front door.
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Everything here is made, fresh with the bakehouse clearly visible from the shop. As you line up and wait, you can see the bakers through the glass working away in a pristine-looking kitchen that sits in the corner.
Opposite are the cashiers, their tills flanked by two glass cabinets brimming over with innumerable cakes and pastries.
Speaking of the cashiers, for our final word let us warn you: if you want your treats, make sure to bring cash. It is strictly cash only, and there’s no wiggle room on that.
We, ourselves, forgot and had to run back to the office to beg borrow and steal some money. Don’t be like us. These bakes are too good to miss out on.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
News
Even more of the Gay Village will be turned into outdoor seating this summer
Daisy Jackson
The Gay Village is set to get even more outdoor seating this summer, with the council moving to partially close several key streets to traffic.
The news lands mid-heatwave when thousands of Mancs are clamouring for a seat in the nearest beer garden or cafe terrace – with a huge proportion of those flocking to Canal Street.
Now, plans have been revealed to bring ‘a touch of cafe culture’ to the Gay Village, with even more outdoor seating space created for businesses in the area.
Initially running as a trial this summer, it will mean new terraces for New York New York, The Goose and The Eagle on Bloom Street, plus more locations on Richmond Street.
Manchester City Council has said that similar schemes on Thomas Street and Stevenson Square have been hugely popular with both punters and businesses, especially during the summer months, and can give local operators a huge boost.
So now it’s time for this thriving corner of the city to get the same treatment, as part of the ongoing work through the Gay Village Action Plan identified the need for more outdoor seating areas.
The two locations which will have the changes will be Bloom Street, between Abingdon Street and Chorlton Street; and Richmond Street, between Sackville Street and Chorlton Street.
In order to put these protected spaces into effect, some changes to the existing road network will be made:
Bloom Street becomes one-way from Chorlton Street towards Princess Street
Richmond Street is closed to through traffic between Chorlton Street and Sackville Street.
The scheme will initially run on a trial basis from 10 July throughout the summer to evaluate if it could be a viable long-term solution.
During this, plans will also be in place to ensure that deliveries and loading can go about unhindered, as well as daily waste collection and access for residents.
Councillor Mandie Shilton Godwin, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, said: “The Gay Village is one of our most precious communities. For decades the queer community has been able to call this neighbourhood its own, establishing a long and proud place in the history of the fight against bigotry and discrimination.
“Needless to say, it’s one of the most-visited places in Manchester and sees thousands of people tread its cobbled streets every year. Because of that we’re always looking at how we, as its custodians, can continue to support its legacy and ensure that it meets the needs of people who live and work there.
“We’re excited to be trialling additional outdoor seating for these streets, and we hope to bring the same success that we’ve seen in the Northern Quarter after putting similar schemes in place.
“But, above all this has to work for everyone, so I would urge people to take part in this consultation and help shape the future of the Gay Village.”
Fire service urges Greater Manchester public to ‘act responsibly’ as heatwave continues
Emily Sergeant
People across Greater Manchester and beyond are being urged by the fire service to ‘act responsibly’ as the heatwave continues this week.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has issued an urgent plea residents and visitors to take extra care on moorland and in rural areas as part of the annual ‘Be Moor Aware’ campaign – which is aimed at preventing wildfires and reducing the impact they have.
GMFRS has issued the plea alongside its partners at United Utilities, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), neighbouring fire and rescue services, and local councils.
It comes as Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.
Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.
The fire service urges the Greater Manchester public to ‘act responsibly’ as the heatwave continues / Credit: Mick Garrett (via Geograph)
It does seem, however, that northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions, with current forecasts indicating peak temperatures of 33°C.
But this doesn’t stop the wildfire risk, and the fire service is warning that prolonged periods of dryness but the countryside in danger.
GMFRS data shows there have been 83 wildfires across Greater Manchester since 2021, including a significant rise in 2025, when 38 incidents were record, and there has already been six wildfires recorded in 2026.
“Wildfires can spread rapidly, especially during warm and dry weather, putting lives, wildlife and property at risk,” explained GMFRS Wildfire Lead, Adrian Taylor.
“Many of these fires are preventable, and we’re asking everyone to take responsibility when visiting our moorland areas. Small actions, such as not using disposable barbecues and taking litter home, can make a huge difference in preventing devastating fires.”
Georgina Pellant -
17th January 2023 
