Zumuku Sushi, Ply pizza and ‘native beef’ steakhouse Tallow to open at New Century food hall
The New Century food hall will host six of the North’s best independent food operators as well as a coffee and a grab ‘n’ go concept when it opens later this month
It was once an iconic concert hall played by rockstars like Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. Now, after almost a decade of disuse, the former live-music venue New Century Hall is being brought back to life once again (with a slightly different name).
Following a £10 million redevelopment it will reopen in full later this September, but for now all the focus is on the 300-cover food hall which will spill outside onto Sadler’s Yard for al fresco dining, drinking and regular events.
Adam Reid of The French, Altrincham Market House favourite Bahn Vi and father-and-son duo BaoBros23 have already been confirmed as tenants, with the former getting us very excited about a salt-of-the-earth butty shop inspired by childhood visits to the bakery.
Now, the New Century team has announced the next three eateries coming on board to complete its full foodie line up.
Offering a mix of casual dining options, New Century bosses have revealed that popular Northern Quarter pizzeria Ply and Wilmslow sushi favourites Zumuku Sushi will both join the ground floor kitchens alongside Tallow, a ‘native beef’ steakhouse and burger concept from classically trained chef Tom Lowe.
Each will bring something different to the site, with PLY exploring ‘wild pizzas’ as part of a collaboration with the planet-saving flour company Wildfarmed.
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Firing everything in a custom-built pizza oven at the helm of New Century’s ground floor, chef Carl Fraenki-Retti has developed his recipe using their biodynamic flour to create a 24-hour slow proved dough which forms the basis of a vibrant menu.
Meanwhile, chef Tom Lowe will draw from the great steakhouses of the UK and Europe and his passion for well bred, native beef at new opening Tallow. Working with 28 day aged beef from local butchers, diners can expect to find high quality steaks, burgers and sides.
Image: Zumuku Sushi
Image: Ply
And last but definitely not least, Zumuku Sushi will bring its authentic, fresh sushi and other Japanese favourites to the food hall.
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Already hugely popular in Wilmslow, this will be the first Manchester city centre site for Zumuku. Sushi chef Benjie did two years of training in Japan, before moving to the UK and taking the plunge in 2018 to set up the first Zumuku takeaway. Now he has seven in total across Greater Manchester.
Alongside the roster of food traders, diners will find a full bar offering with local beers, wines, a creative cocktail menu and artisan coffees, teas, juices and smoothies all available.
As well as the kitchens, music and events venue above, the ground floor will be home to Access Creative College.
New Century will be home to the college’s third site in the city with degree-level courses in music, games and computing delivered by the innovative educational provider, DBS Institute.
The state-of-the-art creative campus will include a media centre, production pods and the opportunity to experience work in a live venue within the same building.
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Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.